By Ron P. Coderre

Three holiday tournaments brought the Christmas break to a conclusion as the high schools and preps prepare for the second half of the schoolgirl basketball season. 

Tourtellotte was crowned the 2014 Citizens National Bank Clipper Classic champion, while Woodstock Academy picked up the first title in the newly initiated Woodstock Academy Centaur Holiday Classic.

Killingly and Plainfield posted victories over the break, while Putnam dropped to 3-3 on the season after losing to the Redgals.  Ellis Tech was inactive.

The Marianapolis Lady Knights returned to campus early to play in the Buckingham, Browne and Nichols Tournament, where they split a pair of games.

Lady Tigers Sprint Past Tech

in Clipper Classic

After getting by a determined Killingly team in the opening round of the Clipper Holiday Classic, Tourtellotte enjoyed a relatively easy path to the title, disposing of Windham Tech 54-26.  The Lady Tigers jumped out to a 13-6 first quarter advantage and built its halftime lead to 31-15 in cruising to the championship.

The trio of Deanna Lazzarra, tournament Most Outstanding Player, and Jess Dodd and Allie Ablondi, tournament all-star selections each poured in a dozen points in leading the way for the 5-1 Lady Tigers.

Killingly, still fuming over its overtime loss to Tourtellotte in the tourney opener, took its revenge out on host Putnam.  Killingly showed no mercy in pummeling the Lady Clippers 61-21.  Nine players hit the scorebook for Killingly led by Meagan Bianchi, Morgan Harriott and Karissa Slowik with 11 points apiece.  In its only other game, Killingly was dropped by Ledyard 58-42 despite 11 points apiece from Bianchi and Slowik.  Killingly is now 2-6 on the season.  

Galina Gruder, the Centaur Holiday Classic Most Outstanding Player, led the way with 11 points as Woodstock waltzed past Griswold 46-20 to capture the first-ever Academy holiday tourney.  Rebecca Messier with a pair of three-pointers and 12 points was the game-high scorer.  The victory lifts the Acads to 3-4 on the young season.  Later in the week the Lady Centaurs were swept away by New London 70-29.  Woodstock is 3-5 after eight games.

Plainfield entertained its fans in a home contest, rolling past Old Saybrook 54-25.  A solid second period defensive effort in which the Lady Panthers held OS to two pints was the difference in the contest.  The L’Orange sisters Madeline with 14 points and Adrienne with 13 markers paced the Plainfield offense.  Against Eastern Connecticut Conference Large Division foe Norwich Free Academy Plainfield fell short by a 68-35 margin.  Julie Jordan, with 13 points, was the team’s lone scorer in double figures.  The Lady Panthers sport an early season 4-4 record.

Marianapolis Splits Pair 

at BB&N Tourney

The Marianapolis girls’ V1 basketball team of coach Lauren Moore traveled to Cambridge, Mass., for the Buckingham, Browne and Nichols Tournament during the holiday week.  The Lady Knights were taken to school in the opener by Nobles & Greenhough 61-29.  Rachel Aho had nine points and 10 caroms for Marianapolis, which never generated any offense in the contest.

The Lady Knights came back the following day with a solid 52-37 victory over host BB&N.  Jordan Frye with 17 points and five rebounds was the top offensive threat for Marianapolis, which also had 13 points and five steals from Caroline Soucy.  Aho posted a double-double with a dozen points and a dozen rebounds for the 4-4 Lady Knights.