Enfield Advances to Final Four with 53-40 Win Over Berlin

Last season, Enfield's dream of reaching a second consecutive Class M boys basketball Final Four was dashed by a buzzer-beater against Ledyard.

After graduating four starters, this was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Raiders, but the veterans from the last two years had other thoughts in mind.

Enfield held off a pesky Berlin club, taking an eight-point lead into halftime en route to a 53-40 victory to earn another trip to the semifinals.

The Raiders, seeded sixth, will take on #23 Weston, which upset second-seeded Kaynor Tech 62-54 Saturday afternoon. That game will take place Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven.

"The guys give me everything they have," Enfield head coach Cory O'Connell said. "We're not the biggest team, but they scrap and work together. They are as one out there on the floor."

Enfield held a seven-point lead late in the first quarter, but the Redcoats battled back to tie the game at 13-13. The Raiders then embarked on a 7-0 run to ultimately take a 26-18 lead at intermission.

Berlin never got closer than seven in the second half, and was held scoreless for nearly six minutes in the third quarter as Enfield ran off 10 straight points.

Paul Lima, Enfield's leading scorer, canned 19 points, including four three-point baskets. Ra Preston had 14 points, while Josh Gaines contributed nine.

Darren Gilbert led the Redcoats with 19 points, and Tyler Bouchard put in nine.