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For the most part, it was a pretty successful week for the Woodstock Academy girls’ basketball program.
The Centaurs reached the halfway point of the season with a 7-3 record and, at 3-0, own first place in Division II of the Eastern Connecticut Conference after wins over Killingly and Waterford.
“To be in consideration for (the) ECC Division II (title) is a goal that was set by the kids (at the beginning of the season). So, to be in first at the halfway point is amazing. I’m happy for them to have a chance to reach one of their goals,” said Centaurs coach Will Fleeton.
The Centaurs were playing without Aislin Tracey, Mackenzie Eaton, and Ciri Miller at home against the Lancers Jan. 12, but still managed to prevail, 43-33.
Jamie Woods and Heather Converse picked up the slack as both reached double figures. Woods, the team’s leading scorer with a 14.8 point per game average, scored 13 points while Converse added 11.
Woodstock Academy rallied from a 13-7 first quarter deficit to take a 22-21 lead at halftime.
The Centaurs put the game away by outscoring the Lancers (6-4, 2-1 ECC Division II), 18-2, in the third quarter.
After not playing a game for a week, the girls’ basketball team was worried a bit about being a little rusty coming into the Jan. 9 game with rival Killingly.
That wasn’t the case for long. The Centaurs hit five 3-pointers in the first half, raced to a 24-point lead by halftime, and rolled to a 56-22 win over the Redgals at the Alumni Fieldhouse.
“We’re more than capable of knocking down the outside shot,” said Woodstock Academy coach Will Fleeton. “This group is kind of funny- they carry everything together. If a few aren’t making them, then no one is making them. If a few are, everybody is.”
Everybody was making them against the Redgals. The Centaurs finished with seven 3-pointers including three by Mackenzie Eaton who finished with 11 points.
“We hadn’t been shooting as well as we wanted to recently. (Monday), Coach Fleeton was like ‘We’re going to work on our shots and we came out (Tuesday),” Eaton said.
The Centaurs jumped on Killingly early, scoring 15 of the first 20 points.
Just as impressive as their outside shooting was the work done inside especially on the offensive boards.
Jamie Woods scored eight of her game-high 12 points in the first quarter, several on put backs.
“I felt like we could dominate the paint in this game. We try to get the ball in there every game, regardless of the opponent, but I felt like we would win the battle in the paint on both ends of the floor. Downstairs on the board, offensive rebounds is written because I felt like that was something we should be able to get at,” Fleeton said.
The Centaurs also played some shut down defense.
After sprinting to a 35-11 lead at the half, the Centaurs failed to allow the Redgals (3-7, 0-4 ECC Division II) a point in the third quarter.
“It’s a tough week, the schedule keeps getting tighter because of the snow out there. They are all important, they are all big and it’s nice to get a ‘W’ to move on to the next one, maybe we can carry some momentum into that one,” Fleeton said.
The Centaurs did stumble during the course of the week.
They traveled to Norwich Free Academy and lost to the Wildcats Jan. 11 in a low-scoring affair, 39-25.
The third quarter was again the difference maker, only NFA (4-6, 1-1 ECC Division I) was the beneficiary.
The Wildcats outscored the Centaurs, 17-12, in the third quarter after leading at the half, 13-9.
Converse led Woodstock Academy with nine points while Olivia Perry added five. Woods was held to four points in the game.
“Both teams played great defense and it was a real, good battle,” Fleeton said. “NFA is a good team. They just outplayed us in the second half.”
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director