MERIDEN — The Platt Panthers capped the regular season in emphatic fashion on Friday night, pulling away from crosstown rival Maloney for a 64-49 victory at Platt High School in front of a capacity crowd of roughly 1,100.
The win gave Platt (17-3) the season sweep over the Spartans (14-6) and extended its winning streak in the rivalry to 10 games. The Panthers, riding a 15-game overall win streak, claimed the CCC South division title and enter the postseason ranked No. 5 in CIAC Division II.
Platt's balanced attack proved decisive. Giovanni Leary led all Panthers with 17 points, while Naiem Gill added 13 and Malachi Hendrix and Efrain Brown each chipped in 12. Maloney trailed just 28-23 at halftime and briefly pulled even to open the third quarter, but Platt took control from there, carrying a 45-39 lead into the fourth and never letting the Spartans get closer than five down the stretch.
The night was not without a milestone for Maloney. Junior Mike Massey poured in a game-high 23 points, reaching 1,000 career points in the process. Spartans coach Dave Parness praised his team's season while acknowledging the road ahead.
Security was a prominent theme throughout the evening. Following an altercation between spectators at the teams' January meeting at Maloney, the schools took additional precautions. Fans were separated and exited through doors at opposite ends of the building, and extra police and school personnel were deployed. Platt Principal Dan Corsetti credited the cooperative effort between both schools' student bodies. Meriden Superintendent Mark Benigni said restricting fan attendance was never the preferred option, emphasizing the importance of preserving the atmosphere for student-athletes.
Both teams now turn their attention to the postseason. Platt and Maloney will compete in the CCC tournament, which begins Monday, and both have qualified for the CIAC state tournament.
In the girls matchup earlier in the week, Maloney defeated Platt to close out its own regular season.