After five new teams joined the rankings two weeks ago, the chaos across the CIAC landscape has settled down a bit.
Northwest Catholic and Sacred Heart Academy suffered their first losses of the season at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass., but remained in the top two spots of the poll. Greenwich, which has been at No. 3 all season, will have to defend that spot, with its next two games coming against the No. 4 and No. 5 teams in our rankings.
Northwest Catholic and Mercy celebrated key milestones, and a head-to-head matchup decided the order of our last two teams in the top 10.
Halfway through the regular season, here’s a look at our latest rankings.
1. Northwest Catholic (9-1)
Previous rank: 1
Next game: vs. Southington, Jan. 23, 6:30 p.m.
Abby Casper, a senior forward committed to Holy Cross, became Northwest Catholic’s all-time leading scorer on Friday, breaking a record that has held since 1993. Casper, now at 1,656 career points, finished Friday’s game with 15 points and 12 rebounds in a 56-44 loss to Springfield Central (Mass.) at the Hoophall Classic. She is averaging 18 points and 11 rebounds this season. Senior point guard Maeve Staunton is scoring 13 points with six assists a night, and junior Zoey Canning is averaging 11 points and seven rebounds. The Lions are undefeated in CIAC play, with their closest margin of victory being 12 points in a 68-56 win at Rocky Hill on Jan. 12.
2. Sacred Heart Academy (8-1)
Previous rank: 2
Next game: at Amity, Jan. 22, 6 p.m.
Sacred Heart Academy lost its first game of the season on Saturday, falling to Mater Dei, one of the top teams in California, at the Hoophall Classic. Still, the Sharks are undefeated in CIAC play, winning all in-state games by 12 or more points. SHA has picked up recent wins over a pair of top-10 teams — Sheehan (44-32) and North Haven (63-39) — and rival Hamden (52-32). The Sharks are led by seniors Maddy Burke (13 points and five rebounds per game), Molly Gunning (10 points per game on 37 percent shooting from 3), and junior forward Mila Harmon (nine points and seven rebounds per game).
3. Greenwich (9-1)
Previous rank: 3
Next game: vs. Staples, Jan. 23, 7 p.m.
The Cardinals have won nine consecutive games after falling to Sacred Heart Academy in the season-opener. In recent weeks, Greenwich has defeated St. Joseph (60-34), Wilton (52-25), Bridgeport Central (55-35), and New Canaan (47-26). Sporting one of the best defenses in the state, the Cardinals are holding opponents to 33.7 points per game. Greenwich hosts undefeated No. 5 Staples on Friday in a must-see matchup between two of the FCIAC’s top contenders.
4. Trumbull (10-0)
Previous rank: 6
Next game: vs. Darien, Jan. 23, 7 p.m.
The Eagles just keep on winning, and winning handily, with double-digit victories in all 10 contests. It has been a massive improvement on the 12-8 season they had a year ago. Junior forward Carley Johnston is leading the team in points and rebounds, averaging 14 and seven. Freshman Payton Escobar is averaging eight points and classmate Charlotte Manuel is averaging seven. Returning All-FCIAC first team senior guard Michaela Diamond is averaging six points and adding four rebounds, four assists and three steals a night. The Eagles host Greenwich on Jan. 27 in a game that should offer clarity on the hierarchy of the FCIAC’s top teams.
5. Staples (9-0)
Previous rank: 5
Next game: at Greenwich, Jan. 23, 7 p.m.
In the last two weeks, Staples has handed Stamford its only loss of the season, 58-39, and earned victories over Brien McMahon (60-37), Norwalk (70-23), Torrington (54-37), and Darien (67-32). Junior forward Chloe Smith is leading the team in points and rebounds, averaging 15.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Senior guard Freya Harvey is second in points (14.1) and first in assists (3.6 per game). Sophomore guard Addie Talbott is averaging an astonishing 6.7 steals per game to go along with 8.2 points (third on the team), 4.8 rebounds (second), and 3.3 assists (second). A top-five matchup at Greenwich awaits on Friday.
6. New Britain (10-0)
Previous rank: 4
Next game: vs. Ellington, Jan. 22, 6 p.m.
New Britain has had a few close calls in the last two weeks, beating Plainville by three, South Windsor by two, and Ledyard by four. Still, the Hurricanes remain undefeated and rank first in the CIAC’s Division 1 tournament rankings. Sophomore Amelia Faienza is leading the way with 15.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. Fellow sophomore Kayla Roberts is right behind at 12.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. Junior Jazzy Garcia rounds out New Britain’s big three, averaging 12.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists.
7. Mercy (9-2)
Previous rank: 8
Next game: at Bishop Guertin (N.H.), Jan. 24, 2:30 p.m.
Head coach Tim Kohs, in his 33rd year, earned his 600th career win on Tuesday night (a 65-29 victory over Cheshire), becoming the sixth coach in Connecticut girls’ basketball history to hit that mark. He has gotten key contributions from senior forward Abi Weidman (14.2 points and 11.5 rebounds per game) and sophomore wing Reagan Beeler (14.6 points and 5.4 rebounds). The Tigers have been strong on the defensive end but are still searching for a consistent third scoring option. Sophomore Kasey Clerkin could be that solution. She has started to be more offensive minded and is averaging nine points over the last five games.
8. Rocky Hill (9-1)
Previous rank: NR
Next game: at Conard, Jan. 23, 6:45 p.m.
Rocky Hill has raced to an impressive 9-1 start and may have a case for a ranking higher than eighth. The Terriers boast impressive wins over Southington, Coventry, Enfield, and Plainville by 39 points (a team No. 6 New Britain beat by just three). Rocky Hill’s lone loss, 68-56 to top-ranked Northwest Catholic, was the closest any team from Connecticut has played the Lions this season. The Terriers are led by Katie Harding and Kelsey LaMay, who each surpassed the 1,000-point threshold on Dec. 29, becoming the fifth and sixth players in program history to reach the milestone.
9. North Haven (9-2)
Previous rank: 9
Next game: vs. Amistad, Jan. 23, 6:30 p.m.
North Haven suffered its second loss of the season on Tuesday, falling 63-39 at second-ranked Sacred Heart Academy. However, the Nighthawks earned an impressive 40-38 win over Sheehan on Friday, which slots them one spot above the Titans. Chloe Belcher had a team-high 12 points in the win, Lia Calderon had 11 and Bianca Watts had nine. North Haven has also picked up recent wins over Amity (57-45) and Jonathan Law (86-68). Juniors Belcher, Calderon (a Class MM All-State selection last season), Watts, and sophomore Gia Giaimo have all been key contributors.
10. Sheehan (8-2)
Previous rank: 7
Next game: vs. North Branford, Jan. 22, 6 p.m.
Sheehan has lost twice in the last two weeks, to Sacred Heart Academy and North Haven, but the Titans kept it closer against the Sharks than any other Connecticut team has this season. Senior Megan Wresien, committed to Pace University, has been a consistent source of offense all year for the Titans, and Wesleyan-bound classmate Susie Hotaling has been a key factor as well. Sheehan earned two victories in the last two weeks over Foran (52-40) and Lyman Hall (59-28).
