It’s deja vu all over again for the East Hartford girls basketball team, which is learning to play without Shailyn Pinkney
It had happened before, on the same basketball court in the spring, as the East Hartford girls basketball team began its magical post-season run that would end with the Hornets winning their first state title.
Tuesday, the Hornets were back again in Enfield for their season opener. Things had changed significantly; they were missing the player who led them to the Class LL championship, Shailyn Pinkney, now a freshman at Seton Hall, and they were also missing Kayla Henry, who heaved up the three-pointer that gave East Hartford the CCC championship.
This time, it would be Victoria Silva-Soto who hit the game-winning jumper from the baseline with two seconds left to give East Hartford a 46-45 victory over Enfield, which returned most of its starters from a team that went to the Class LL semifinals last year.
“It’s really big,” Silva-Soto said. “It proves to everyone that we’re still out here.”
Perhaps some thought East Hartford couldn’t sustain that kind of high level of play without Pinkney, who averaged 23 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals her senior year.
Tuesday night proved that they could.
“She was good, but they had so many other good players last year,” Enfield coach Jay Gaucher said. “They have some size, they have some guards, they have a little bit of everything and that’s what you need to win.
“They still have players. They play hard, they play tough.”
Silva-Soto is the only senior on the team.
“As a senior, she didn’t let the moment get away from her,” East Hartford coach Jon Myette said. “She was in complete control of the emotions. And while the play broke twice – Enfield had great defense – Vicky just went to an open spot and shot it with confidence. That’s how seniors lead. She took over.”
That’s what Pinkney did last year. When things were falling apart, the Hornets could count on her to make a shot, break a press, set up the offense. Tuesday night, they were looking for that a little bit when Enfield started closing the gap in the fourth quarter. Alyssa Rossignol, who is going to Niagara and had 20 points, hit a runner in the lane to cut the lead to 44-42 and this is when Pinkney would take over.
But she wasn’t there. After trailing the entire game, Enfield went ahead 45-44 on a putback by Amyah Rosado with 24.5 seconds left.
With six seconds left, Silva-Soto inbounded the ball to her teammate Trinity Cruz. Cruz was covered. Silva-Soto was open on the baseline. The shot went in and East Hartford celebrated – maybe not as much as the Hornets did last year when they won the CCC title over Newington 31-30 – but they jumped around.
Silva-Soto has been through this before, losing her older teammates. It happened when she was in eighth grade and Pinkney and the others went to East Hartford High and left her behind on the middle school team.
“I had been playing with them since sixth grade,” Silva-Soto said. “It was a big adjustment, but I’ve already been through it.
“This team is really dedicated. They’re going to step up. Change is scary but I’m not worried at all.”
Lori Riley can be reached at lriley@courant.com.
