Ansonia girls basketball hands Seymour its first league defeat in battle of NVL contenders

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Ansonia's Jennifer Palmer (3) tries to drive to the basket past Seymour's Mia Cunningham (22) during girls basketball action in Seymour, Conn., on Wednesday January 7, 2026. (Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media)


ANSONIA - The Naugatuck Valley League girls basketball championship wasn't decided Friday night when Seymour and Ansonia played each other for the second time this season, but the contest had the look and feel of a title game.

The teams battled back and forth all night at a raucous Ansonia High gym, with the Chargers ultimately prevailing 49-47 in a game befitting two teams that went into the night with only two losses between them this season.

"It was a great effort for both teams and felt like a real old school Seymour-Ansonia game," Ansonia coach Vince DellaVolpe said. "The atmosphere was unbelievable. This student body turned out for us today, and I think that was a huge, huge factor for us.

"That was a state championship, NVL championship atmosphere for us today."

Ansonia (16-1) was led by Weston Ahearn and Darnaija Cooks with 14 points apiece, and by Jen Palmer with 11 points and an outstanding defensive performance. Triston Ahearn chipped in seven points.

Seymour (16-2) was led by Viktoria Michalczyk with 13 points, with Mia Perry and Colbie Drezek chipping in nine points apiece. Bella Melissano scored six.

Seymour had chances to win the game in the final minute, but missed a couple of shots under pressure.

There were plenty of missed shots and turnovers in the game, but only because both teams were playing with such intensity and desperation. It was that effort that made it a truly entertaining game.

"In the Naugatuck Valley, that is about as good a game as you will ever see," Ansonia Athletic Director Tom Brockett said. "You just don't see a lot of games like that."

The game was tied with 4:15 to play when Ahearn scored the final two of her 14 points to give the Chargers the lead for good.

It was Ahearn who provided the spark that Ansonia needed throughout the second half.

After Seymour had taken a five-point lead with just over three minutes to play in the third quarter, Ahearn led the Chargers on a 10-0 run that allowed them to go into the fourth quarter leading by four 41-37.

Ahearn scored seven points during that run, with Jennifer Palmer scoring the other three.

"Honestly, I never thought that I just needed to take control and do it by myself," Ahearn said. "I just knew what I needed to do for the team, and the team knew what they needed to do for us. We all came together. Somebody would make a stop, and if I was the one that had to score the points, I would make the basket.

"Our mentality was, ‘You make the extra pass, and whoever hits it, hits it.'"

What Ahearn did for the team offensively, Palmer did defensively. She harassed Michalczyk all game long in a box-and-one defense.

"We played really well as a team," Palmer said. "We knew what we had to do to shut down No. 24 (Viktoria Michalczyk). We talked a lot. I just knew that we really needed to play great defense against her, because that is their shooter. If we were going to shut her down, I had to play smart, and I did."

Cooks also brought some intensity, constantly going right at Seymour's star forward Mia Cunningham and drawing three first-half fouls on her, and four for the game. That limited Cunningham's effectiveness.

The Chargers never trailed in the fourth quarter, but the Wildcats were never out of the game as the teams went back and forth at each other with tremendous intensity.

Seymour went into the game 16-1 and unbeaten in the Naugatuck Valley League. Ansonia went in 15-1 with its only loss being at Seymour 64-53 on Jan. 7.

"I think we needed to know that we could beat them," DellaVolpe said. "It has been a long time since we beat them. They are a very good program. They are very well coached. They have a very good team. We needed to show ourselves that we could do it in a big spot.

"Late in the season, this was a big spot for us in front of a great crowd in a pressure situation. We haven't been in a lot of those over the years. It was nice to show up for one and react the way we did with a big-time win."

Seymour coach Brian Cleveland was very appreciative of the hustle, intensity and energy the game brought out in both teams.

"This atmosphere is what we need," Cleveland said. "It is really the first time this season we have seen an atmosphere this crazy. I am not sure how we handled that under the pressure. We made mistakes we don't typically make, but you make mistakes against good teams. They force you into mistakes.

"It is totally for bragging rights, but I am sure that Vince's plan is the same is mine, which is for us to meet again."

Seymour had the biggest lead of the game early in the second quarter as the Wildcats went on a 12-0 run on the strength of threes from Drezek, Michalczyk and Valentina Melisanno, along with three free throws from Michalczyk.

That gave them a 21-14 advantage with seven minutes to play in the half. It was then that Ansonia really showed its grit.

"I really thought that when we were down 21-14 early and came back and took the 26-25 lead into halftime, that was a huge momentum swing for us," DellaVolpe said. "Seymour gave us a really good punch there early, and we battled back to take the lead at the half. We felt really good at halftime."

In the end, the Chargers felt even better.

"I definitely feel like (champions)," Palmer said. "This made me happy, and I know we can get far with a win like this."

Ansonia felt so good that the Chargers doused DellaVolpe with water in the locker room, much the same way that Seymour soaked Cleveland with water after their January win over the Chargers.

"I'll take it," DellaVolpe said. "It is a great game in the end for both teams. We split the regular season. If we both do the things we are supposed to do, maybe we will see each other again in the NVL championship game and in the state tournament."

Player of the Game​

Weston Ahearn, Ansonia: Ahearn scored 14 points, including seven in the game's decisive 10-0 run that gave the Charrgers the lead for good.

Quotable​

"This team is great. We came together today, and I felt like we were one. The energy pregame, during the game and in the locker room was great. Everybody had each other's back always. It was the best." - Weston Ahearn, Ansonia senior guard.

Ansonia 49, Seymour 47​

SEYMOUR 15 10 12 10-47
ANSONIA 14 12 15 8-49

Seymour:Mia Perry 3 3 9, Bella Melissano 2 0 6, Mia Cunningham 2 1 5, Viktoria Michalczyk 3 6 13, Colbie Drezek 3 0 9, Valentina Melissano 1 0 3, Jamie Keough 0 0 0, Jenna Pollastro 1 0 2, Alyssa Rivera 0 0 0. Totals: 15 10 47.
Ansonia: Molly Lynch 0 0 0, Zoe Dombrowski 1 0 3, Darnaija Cooks 3 8 14, Jennifer Palmer 4 1 11, Weston Ahearn 5 1 14, Tristan Ahearn 3 0 7. Totals:16 10 49.
3-point goals: Seymour-B Melissano 2, V Michalczyk, Drezek 3, V. Melissano. Ansonia-Dombrowski, Palmer 2, W. Ahearn 3, T. Ahearn.
Team records: Ansonia 16-1; Seymour 16-2.

This article originally published at Ansonia girls basketball hands Seymour its first league defeat in battle of NVL contenders.

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