By Ron P. Coderre

The girls’ high school postseason basketball picture got much clearer this week as four of the six local teams qualified for the CIAC tournament.  Putnam, Woodstock Academy, Plainfield and Killingly all reached the eight –win plateau and can begin making plans to play following the regular season.

Two teams, Tourtellotte and Ellis Tech, may be on the outside looking in unless they come up with victories as the regular season winds down.  The Lady Tigers appear to have the better shot at the postseason as they need to pick up two wins in their final three games.  Ellis Tech meanwhile is walking on egg shells, as the Golden Eagles need to pick up four wins in their final 

five games.  It may be a tough road for both teams.

Pomfret School and Hyde-Woodstock were the only two preps to see action last week.  The Lady Griffins got back on the winning track, while the Wolfpack suffered a humiliating loss.

Victories Bring Smiles and More Games

Winning has a way of making people smile.  Putnam, under coach Mandy Hogan, picked up its 10th victory of the season, a 34-27 win over Constitution State Conference East Division foe Parish Hill.  The Lady Clippers jumped out to an insurmountable 25-8 half time advantage and coasted to the road win.  Maria Fredette, with 10 points, was the lone Putnam player in double figures but she received offensive support from Alyssa Espinosa who had nine points and Ashley Burke who chipped in eight.  Putnam is 10-7 and 8-2 in the CSC East division.

Plainfield raised its record to 9-7 overall and 3-4 in the Eastern Connecticut Conference Medium Division.  The Lady Panthers opened the week with a convincing 61-38 victory over Montville.  Madge Collins emerged as the team’s leading scorer in the game with 15 points.  Freshman Madison Kelley, who is beginning to get comfortable in the veteran-laden Plainfield lineup had 11 points as did Zoe Beaver.  

The Lady Panthers then put another notch in their belt with a big 46-38 win over a pesky Stonington five.  Kelley came through with another 11 point game, while Madeline Lorange, who was hot from three-point land, led the way with 12 points.  Three of her hoops were from beyond the arc.

Woodstock Academy pulled out a thrilling one-point victory over East Lyme with a big 17-point fourth quarter surge.  Jamie Woods with 16 points topped the Centaur’s scoring, while freshman Ari Koivisto continued her solid play with a 12-point performance.  The Acads are 9-7 overall and 1-6 in the ECC Large Division.

Tourtellotte split a pair of games losing to Lyman 52-40 and coming back to defeat Wheeler 44-39.  Abby Poirier with 15 points and Emily Vincent with 13 paced the Lady Tigers over the Wheeler Lions.  Poirier had 11 in the loss to Lyman.  Tourtellotte is 6-11 and 3-4 in the ECC Small Division.  

Ellis Tech also split two games accepting a forfeit victory from Achievement First and losing 60-31 to Windham Tech.  The Golden Eagles are 4-11 and 3-6 in the CSC East Division.  Killingly lost big 74-41 to New London in its only game of the week.  Meagan Bianchi with 20 and Reagan Morin with a dozen were the only two Redgals in double figures.  Killingly is 8-8 and 1-6 in the ECC Medium Division.

Light Schedule for Preps

Pomfret School got back in the Win column following a brief three game skid with a 59-56 win over Groton School of Massachusetts.  Four players hit double digits for the Golden Griffins led by Deja Ross with 13 points.  She was joined in double figures by Olivia Batastini (10), Corinne McPadden (11) and Alyzae Davis with a dozen.  Pomfret is 9-5 on the season.

Hyde-Woodstock was walloped by the Williams School 38-6.  The Wolfpack has yet to win a game this season, standing at 0-6.