Second-half surge helps Bloomfield spoil home opener for Mills

The Lewis Mills boys basketball team comes together before Monday night’s CCC game against Bloomfield in Burlington. (Photo courtesy Steve Barlow).

By STEVE BARLOW
Special to the Collinsville Press

BURLINGTON, Dec. 22, 2025 – The home opener for the Lewis Mills boys basketball team on Monday night was a tale of two halves.

In the first half, the Spartans moved the ball patiently up court, knocked down 3-point attempts, rebounded well and walked into intermission with a two-point lead on visiting Bloomfield.

In the second half, though, the Warhawks sank their shots, harassed the home team into turnovers and pulled away for a 60-43 Central Connecticut Conference victory.

“They played better offensively in the second half. What that did was allow them to set up their 1-2-2 press,” said Mills coach Ryan Raponey. “They’re quick. They’re athletic. They cheat in the passing lanes. It bothered us enough that we couldn’t get comfortable in the halfcourt.

“We played very well in the first half when we got stops and we brought it up and ran our offense. You saw good things. When we couldn’t get the stops anymore, they were setting up their press, and it kind of took us out of our halfcourt offense.”

After spotting Bloomfield an 11-4 lead, Mills took a timeout and then ripped off a 14-5 run to end the first quarter. Logan Carrano hit a 3-pointer and had a 3-point play, and Gavin Gruskas drained two more treys to fuel the surge.

Mills led, 18-16, going into the second period and kept the pace to its liking with a 27-25 lead at intermission. The Spartans stayed close in the third period with Tommy DiNunzio scoring repeatedly inside, but Bloomfield’s press wore them down in the fourth.

Mills scored only three points in the first six minutes of the final period as Bloomfield went on top, 55-38. The Spartans had nine turnovers in the quarter and 19 for the game.

DiNunzio led Mills (0-2) with 20 points and 15 rebounds, while Carrano and Gruskas each had eight points. Ian Mayes grabbed eight rebounds and Carrano had three assists.

For Bloomfield (1-1), Kahil Bell scored 20 points and D’ior Burgos had 14.

The Spartans return an All-State player in DiNunzio, a junior forward, with junior guard Will Green also back in the lineup. Carrano, a senior who was sixth man last year, and Gruskas, a junior forward, also start, along with senior Marcos Muniz.

Mills is without 6-foot-6 senior center Gage Kosak and senior guard Anthony D’Iorio, who are both injured, but hopes to get them back after the holidays.

“We have some newer guys to varsity competition, and we’re trying to help them find their roles,” said Raponey. “We want to run our halfcourt offense and get the ball to where we’re comfortable – guys getting catch-and-shoot threes, guys in pick-and-rolls, and getting Tommy the ball where he’s comfortable. We give a great effort on defense.”

In its seventh season in the CCC, Mills, which will play in the CIAC Division III tournament, will play a schedule strewn with opponents from Divisions I and II.

“We play Bloomfield twice. We’re going to play a lot of ‘LL’ schools with Southington, New Britain and Glastonbury. The games in our division are always hotly contested,” Raponey noted.

“If we’re in the state tournament, we’re going to be dangerous. We won a first-round game on the road last year,” he added. “The first goal is to get in the (Division III) tournament and have a chance to make some noise.”

Bloomfield 60, Lewis Mills 43
At Burlington
Bloomfield (60) Tristan Rowe 1 0 2, D’ior Burgos 6 0 14, Kahil Bell 8 0 20, Enoch Cromartie 5 0 12, Rob Hall 4 0 8, Kanyl Wallace 1 0 2, Ken Hardy 1 0 2. Totals 27 0 60
Lewis Mills (43) Marcos Muniz 0 0 0, Will Green 0 0 0, Logan Carrano 3 1 8, Tommy DiNunzio 6 8 20, Sam Carder 1 0 3, Gavin Gruskas 3 0 8, Ian Mayes 1 2 4. Totals 14 11 43
Bloomfield (1-1)           16  9  16  19 – 60
Lewis Mills (0-2)          18  9   8    8 – 43
Three-point goals: Burgos (B) 2, Bell (B) 4, Cromartie (B) 2; Carrano (LM), Carder (LM), Gruskas (LM) 2