Centaur girls bkbl p 10 2-22-18
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The beads of sweat still hung on Woodstock Academy coach Will Fleeton’s shaved head well after his Centaurs lost a nailbiter, 34-33, to Bacon Academy Feb. 15 in an Eastern Connecticut Conference girls’ basketball tournament quarterfinal game.
“They played hard,” Fleeton said of the Centaurs. “I’m always super-proud of their effort. The way they handled things on the defensive end. I can’t be too broken (Thursday) over losing to a quality team by one free throw. The kids played their heart out. I can’t ask for anything else.”
The Centaurs, at times, threatened to pull away from the Bobcats, but never succeeded.
“We just couldn’t get away. That’s what happens with good teams,” Fleeton said. “Good teams hang around and when you let them, they make you pay at the end. They are a quality group. Five is not good, 15 is not enough (of a lead) against Bacon Academy.”
What made it more difficult for the Centaurs (15-6) was the recent familiarity.
The Centaurs had just played the Bobcats the week before and handled them well, 44-26, at the Alumni Fieldhouse.
“We knew we could play better than we did the last time,” said Bacon Academy coach Dave Shea.
The game was a carbon copy of the two matchups prior (Bacon Academy won on its home floor, 42-40, earlier in the year): A hard-fought, defensive struggle.
It was tied at eight at the end of the first quarter, but a quick five-point flurry on a three-point play by Olivia Perry and a basket by Madison Brennan put the Centaurs up by five for a second time in the game.
But just like the Centaurs 8-3 lead in the first quarter disappeared, so did this one.
Bacon (15-6) rallied for six consecutive points to take a one-point lead, the Bobcats only lead of the game other than at the final buzzer.
A 3-pointer by Mackenzie Cayer (6 points) restored the five-point lead with 1:59 left in the first half. Freshman Caitlin Shea, for a second time in two quarters, hit a late basket but Heather Converse, who led the Centaurs with 12 points, countered to give Woodstock Academy the 23-18 halftime lead.
Jamie Woods briefly gave the Centaurs their biggest lead of the game, 25-18, coming out of the locker room, but the Bobcats didn’t let the Centaurs get any further ahead.
It was a five-point game going into the final period.
Cassidy LaSaracina made it a one-possession game with 6:13 left when she dropped just her second basket of the game, a 3-pointer, to make it 30-28.
Shea tied it up 48 seconds later.
Converse put the Centaurs up with a layup only to see Bacon tie the game again with 3:42 left on a Kellie Nudd hoop.
It was the last basket of the game as both defenses stiffened.
Even a fast break by Molly Kelly of Bacon became an adventure as Brennan caught up to the Bobcats senior and blocked her attempt at a layup.
Woods was fouled with eight seconds left and made one of her free throws.
Bacon point guard, junior Bridget Anderson, put the game away with 1.7 seconds left with a pair of free throws.
“She hit the two shots and that was really great. She is really coming through and we got her back for another year,” Bacon Academy coach Dave Shea said.
Anderson led Bacon with 14 points.
The Centaurs inbounded the ball, but it was knocked out of bounds at halfcourt, leaving Woodstock Academy with less than a second. A desperation shot was well off the mark.
“It was a one possession game,” Fleeton said. “One shot, one loose ball, one free throw, however, you want to look at it. If one bounce had gone our way, there is a total opposite outcome. Both teams played hard. “
The Centaurs are in hibernation for a week and a half, waiting for the Class L state tournament to get underway.
“You can’t prepare for a game better than actual game play, but since that opportunity is gone, all we can do is to try and ratchet it up at practice, turn up the intensity and make it more game-like,” Fleeton said.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director