SPRINGFIELD, MA — As coronavirus restrictions are eased and sports fans in north-central Connecticut are clamoring to get out of the house, yet can't afford to fork out a few hundred dollars for Boston Celtics playoff tickets, an exciting brand of basketball is played on weekends less than seven miles north of the state border, as the Western Mass Zombies sit in first place in the Mid-Atlantic Conference of the semi-pro East Coast Basketball League (ECBL).
With two games remaining in the regular season, the Zombies are 8-2, carrying a 6-game winning streak into upcoming road games in Virginia and Philadelphia. They hold a 1 1/2 game lead over the Philly Cannons and Hub City Hogs, and are guaranteed no worse than a tie for first in the regular season standings.
Should the Zombies capture the regular season championship, they would earn a first-round bye in the single-elimination playoffs, and would host a second-round postseason matchup June 12 at their home court in the beautiful South End Community Center, opened in fall 2017 just off Main Street in downtown Springfield.
The ECBL is noted for fast-breaking, high-octane offensive output, creating exciting end-to-end action in every contest. Western Mass has averaged 124.2 points per game, including a thrilling 137-131 win over the Cannons last Saturday.
Seven Zombies are averaging double figures in scoring, led by point guard Tylon Smith, whose season-high 33-point effort Sunday in a victory over Fredericksburg upped his season average to 24.1. Other top scorers are Jahmerikah Green-Younger (21.4), Tyler Desrosiers (18.0), Malik Petteway (14.6), Jake Ross (14.5), Rashad Robinson (12.4) and Robby Jones (10.8).
Smith, a Manchester resident who graduated from Kingswood-Oxford School in West Hartford, played at Southern Connecticut State University, and is the grandson of legendary Windsor High School coach Kenny Smith. He is one of nine Connecticut players on the Zombie roster, including four who live in Waterbury: Andre Daniel, Terrance Thompson, new signee Marquan Watson and the 6-foot-8 Petteway, who won two state championships at Sacred Heart High School playing alongside state player of the year Mustapha Heron.
Other players from the Nutmeg State are Green-Younger (Norwalk), Jason Hernandez (Bridgeport), Ralph Schatz (Norwalk) and Zach Tavitian (Milford).
An integral part of the Connecticut connection is head coach Brian Stasaitis, undoubtedly one of the busiest coaches in New England. For 15 years, he has helmed the girls basketball program at Kaynor Tech in Waterbury, and added a second duty in 2017 when he was brought in to coach the Springfield Sting of the American Basketball Association. Upon purchasing the franchise and forming the Zombies, owner Bill Bullock retained Stasaitis as coach.
"The East Coast Basketball League is a fast-paced style of play that utilizes many of the same rules as the NBA, which provides continuous excitement for the fans," Stasaitis told Patch.
Bullock has a sports marketing background, including working in the NBA and NHL, and used to own a team in a different basketball league in Michigan.
"When I moved here, I worked for the hockey team in Springfield for a few years, then took some time off from sports," he told Patch. "When you're a sports guy, though, the bug comes back, and I got in touch with the owner of the Sting. After two seasons, I bought the franchise from him."
After the 2020 season, the Zombies and six other clubs left the ABA to join the ECBL, which was formed six years ago. The seven franchises were placed together in the newly-created Mid-Atlantic Conference.
"Last year, there were a few times when a team had to pull fans out of the stands to play," Bullock said. "We sometimes had to give a couple of our players to the other team, or else the game wouldn't happen. We wanted something a little more professional."
Consistent availability of players due to jobs and other activities has been a problem for all teams in the league. In the Zombies' last five home games, their opponents have suited up no more than eight players, while the hosts have regularly dressed as many as 15. Western Mass will be in a similar situation this weekend, with at least four players unable to make the long weekend road trip.
"The team has been playing extremely well together, but due to the players having other jobs and commitments, there have been games where we are missing two or more key guys," Stasaitis said. "Many players have stepped up and contributed throughout the season, and we are looking forward to continuing to build on momentum we have finishing the regular season and entering the playoffs."
Recently, the South End Community Center was selected as the site of the first Mid-Atlantic Conference All-Star Game, which is slated for Saturday, July 10. The two coaches, unnamed as yet, will draft players submitted by the seven teams, meaning current teammates are likely to be on opposing sides during the game. The event will also a 3-point shooting contest and a slam-dunk competition.
"We pushed hard for it," Bullock said. "Why shouldn't it be in Springfield, the birthplace of basketball."
Ticket information is available on the website for Zombie Hideout, a comics and collectibles store owned by Bullock and named after the team. More information about the Zombies may be obtained here.
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