Girls’ Wrap-up

Killingly 

ladies cruise 

to Clipper

Classic 

Championship

By Ron P. Coderre

The Killingly Redgals, long the doormat of Eastern Connecticut basketball, proved that this season will be different than the past as they rolled to the CNB a Division of ESB Clipper Holiday Classic championship.  The Redgals, following a come from behind win over Fitch on the road, are now 4-2 on the season.  This is the best early season mark that coach Mark Lowell’s charges have enjoyed under his tenure.

Putnam, which was rolling early in the season, rolled over losing its next three games to fall to 3-3.  Tourtellotte, which opened the year at 0-4, is now on a two game winning streak, including winning the consolation game of the Classic over host Putnam.

Woodstock Academy ladies split a pair of games over the holiday winning the opener of the Centaur Classic Holiday Tournament before falling in the title contest.  Ellis Tech struggled, losing both of its games over the holiday break.  Plainfield lost two of three games it was involved in over the holiday break.

In the prep ranks, the Marianapolis Lady Knights split a pair of games in the BB&N Tournament in Cambridge, Mass.

Redgals Off to a Surprisingly 

Successful Start

The Killingly Redgals dominated the championship game of the Clipper Classic with a relatively easy 62-33 victory over an outmanned but valiant Windham Tech team.  Killingly jumped out to a whopping 21-2 first period lead over the Lady Techsters and retired to the locker room at intermission on top 27-17.

Killingly led by tourney Most Outstanding Player Meagan Bianchi turned up the offensive and defensive intensity in the second half outscoring WT 35-16 for the final 29 point margin.  Bianchi led eight Redgals who made the scorebook with 20 points.  She was joined in double figures by Morgan LeSage and sophomore Ally Conde who each chipped in 11 points.  Windham Tech’s Marissa Shirshac led all scorers with 22 points.

After trailing by nine at halftime on the road in Groton to Fitch High School, the Redgals rebounded with a strong second half to register a 44-41 victory over the Lady Falcons.  Once again it was Bianchi with 19 points leading the way to the win.  Conde chipped in nine points with a strong inside game.

It’s either feast or famine for the Putnam Lady Clippers.  Coming into the Classic at 3-0, Putnam dropped its next three games.  The charges of coach Mandy Hogan suffered a 36-24 loss at the hands of the Tourtellotte Lady Tigers in the Classic consolation.  They followed that up with a 44-33 loss to Griswold, falling to 3-3 on the season.  Emily Vincent with 14points was the main culprit for the Lady Tigers in the consolation contest, while Putnam was unable to put anyone in double figures.

It was the same story in the loss to Griswold, as no one emerged as the offensive leader for Putnam, which once again didn’t put a player in double figures.

Tourtellotte continued its winning ways with an easy 53-11 win over Ellis Tech.  It was a team effort for coach Carla Faucher’s ladies as 10 players got into the scoring action led by Olivia Padula with nine points.  After the loss to Tourtellotte, Ellis Tech was humiliated by SMSA 53-3, falling to 1-4 on the young season.

Woodstock Academy opened play in the Centaur Classic by beating the Lyman Lady Bulldogs 54-37.  Jamie Woods led the way for the Lady Centaurs of coach Will Fleeton with 10 points.  In the title game, Greenwich High School waltzed to the win with a 71-43 victory.  Heather Converse had 13 points in the losing cause for the 2-3 Acads.

Plainfield’s only win of the week was a 55-46 victory over Suffield.  Three Lady Panthers hit double figures led by Julie Jordan with 20 points.  Zoe Beaver with 13 points and Madeline Lorange with 15 were the other two leading scorers.

The Lady Panthers were then beaten by Cromwell 73-21 and Enfield 52-32.  Lorange had a dozen points in the loss to Cromwell and 11 against Enfield.  Jordan posted 16 points in the Enfield contest for 3-3 Plainfield.

 After falling to Nobles and Greenough in the BB&N Tournament, the Marianapolis Lady Knights of coach Lauren Moore rebounded with a victory to go to 7-3 on the season.  Marianapolis took the measure of host BB&N in the finale of the three-day event 56-37.  Caroline Soucy, who is headed to the University of New Hampshire in September, was the Lady Knights leading scorer with 16 points.  Freshman Olivia Summiel had nine points and 13 rebounds in support of Soucy.

Earlier in the tourney Marianapolis fell to Nobles and Greenough 52-35 despite 14 points from Soucy.

 

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