After a chaotic last two weeks, there is only one unbeaten remaining in CIAC girls basketball. New Britain is our biggest riser, moving up four spots courtesy of a 14-0 start.
Northwest Catholic continued its winning ways to remain in the top spot of the rankings, where it has been all season. But the teams ranked two through five in our last update all lost, leading to a chaotic shuffle on Connecticut’s top teams.
Mercy moved into the top five after earning a signature victory over Sacred Heart Academy, and East Catholic, winners of 10 straight games, re-entered the rankings for the first time since the preseason. The top three teams in the FCIAC — Trumbull, Greenwich, and Staples — established what seemed to be a clear hierarchy after Trumbull beat Greenwich and Greenwich beat Staples. That was until the Eagles lost to an unranked opponent.
As long as this unpredictability prevails, the postseason tournaments in Division 1 and 2 should be a treat. Now, let’s get into the rankings.
1. Northwest Catholic (12-1)
Previous rank: 1
Next game: at Farmington, Feb. 5, 5 p.m.
Northwest Catholic remains atop our rankings, where it has been all season, after picking up three more victories. The Lions cruised to a win over Southington, 61-39, on Jan. 23. They beat Conard, 54-40, on Friday in a much-closer matchup than the first meeting (a 68-23 victory on Dec. 19). Northwest Catholic then rolled to a 50-20 win over Simsbury on Monday. The Lions continue to be led by Holy Cross-bound senior forward Abby Casper and senior point guard Maeve Staunton. Junior Zoey Canning has starred in her third-option role.
2. New Britain (14-0)
Previous rank: 6
Next game: at Maloney, Feb. 6, 6:45 p.m.
The only undefeated team in the CIAC, led by a core of sophomores and juniors, has left coach Michael Jones pleasantly surprised. New Britain cruised to an 84-23 rout of Middletown on Tuesday, with sophomore guard Yeriani Soto scoring a game-high 18 points. Fellow sophomores Amelia Faienza and Kayla Roberts each added 15 points. Roberts led the way with 20 points in last Thursday’s 55-38 win over Newington. Junior Jazzy Garcia added 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. The Golden Hurricanes showed their resilience to climb out of a 17-point hole to defeat Tolland, 67-62, on Jan. 23.
3. Sacred Heart Academy (11-2)
Previous rank: 2
Next game: vs. Branford, Feb. 6, 7 p.m.
Sacred Heart Academy has fallen from the No. 2 spot it has held all season long after suffering its first loss to a Connecticut team since Dec. 13, 2024, on Tuesday: 53-45 at Mercy. Still, SHA remains above the Tigers, owning a 50-25 win over Mercy on Jan. 2. Junior forward Mila Harmon is averaging 15.8 points over the last four games, ending each game as one of the Sharks’ top two scorers. Bentley-bound senior captain Maddy Burke led the way with 16 points in last Thursday’s 70-23 win over Lauralton Hall. Sophomore Bella Pellegrino has added a scoring punch as of late, scoring nine in the Lauralton Hall win, 13 points in a 62-34 victory over Cheshire on Jan. 27, and 12 points in a 66-37 rout of Amity on Jan. 22.
4. Trumbull (14-1)
Previous rank: 4
Next game: vs. No. 10 Staples, Feb. 10, 7 p.m.
Trumbull was on its way to the second spot in these rankings after notching a signature victory over No. 6 Greenwich, 55-35, on Jan. 28. Freshman Cammy Misner and junior Carley Johnston each scored 15 points, and senior Michaela Diamond added 9 in that win. However, the Eagles fell, 53-46, to St. Joseph on Wednesday, allowing 50 or more points for the first time this season. Trumbull had been rolling before that, also notching impressive wins over Darien (72-20), Stamford (64-49), and Norwalk (73-30).
5, Mercy (13-2)
Previous rank: 7
Next game: at East Haven, Feb. 6, 6 p.m.
Mercy has won nine straight games and got a massive result on Tuesday, defeating No. 3 Sacred Heart Academy, 53-45, for the first time since Jan. 6, 2023. The Tigers controlled the contest, never trailing after the first quarter. Senior forward Abi Weidman scored a team-high 16 points. Junior Kaitlin Bertolami and sophomores Reagan Beeler and Kasey Clerkin each scored nine points. The Tigers also notched a 55-43 win over Bishop Guertin, the sixth-ranked team in New Hampshire, on Jan. 24 and earned victories against Daniel Hand (38-35) and Wilbur Cross (77-43).
6. Greenwich (11-2)
Previous rank: 3
Next game: at Danbury, Feb. 6, 7 p.m.
The Cardinals have dropped three spots and out of the No. 3 slot in our rankings for the first time this season after losing by 20 points to Trumbull on Jan. 28. Still, Greenwich notched an important victory over previously-unbeaten Staples, 55-42 on Jan. 23. The Cardinals never trailed and held Staples to single digit points in each of the first three quarters. Sophomore forward Zuri Faison led all scorers with 24 points. Senior guard Madi Utzinger scored 13 and sophomore point guard Elsa Xhekaj added 12. Greenwich also notched wins over Darien, 59-38, and Stamford, 53-36.
7. Rocky Hill (12-1)
Previous rank: 8
Next game: at Berlin, Feb. 6, 6 p.m.
Rocky Hill, led by its four seniors, Kelsey LaMay, Katie Harding, Ari Daley, and Maddie Aurigemma, has gotten off to a 12-1 start, with its only loss coming to top-ranked Northwest Catholic. LaMay, a point guard committed to Keene State, is averaging 24.5 points and six assists per game. Harding, a forward committed to Western New England, is averaging 21 points and six rebounds a night. Daley and Aurigemma, a pair of soccer players, set the tone on the defensive end. The Terriers have earned wins in recent weeks over Conard (47-34), Maloney (84-17), and Platt (77-27). They are currently ranked second in the Division 2 tournament rankings.
8. East Catholic (11-2)
Previous rank: NR
Next game: at Enfield, Feb. 5, 6:45 p.m.
After dropping two of its first three games, with losses to Northwest Catholic and Westerly (R.I.), ranked third in Rhode Island, East Catholic has won 10 straight games to re-enter our poll for the first time since the preseason. The Eagles are led by 6-foot senior forward Urielle Abrokwa, a three-time All-Conference selection, averaging 16 points and 14 rebounds per game. Sophomore Gia Fisher is East Catholic’s leading scorer at 16.2 points per game. Fellow sophomores Morgan Bridgeforth and Brianna Bagley have added key contributions, with Bridgeforth scoring more than 10 points a game and averaging around four assists, rebounds, and steals.
9. Sheehan (11-2)
Previous rank: 10
Next game: vs. Cheshire, Feb. 6, 6 p.m.
Senior Megan Wresien has etched her name into the Sheehan record books. In an 81-46 win over Jonathan Law on Jan. 27, she poured in 35 points to become the girls basketball all-time scoring leader, topping Liv Robles’ previous record of 1,295 points. Two days later, Wresien claimed the school’s all-time scoring lead, scoring 19 points in a 54-26 win over Branford. The Pace University-bound forward surpassed Joe Gaetano Jr.’s record (1,320 points) that had stood since 1999. Wresien’s efforts have led the Titans to five straight victories, including a narrow escape at Lauralton Hall, 34-30, on Tuesday.
10. Staples (11-2)
Previous rank: 5
Next game: vs. Bridgeport Central, Feb. 6, 7 p.m.
Staples is the biggest faller in these rankings, dropping five spots after going 3-2 in the past two weeks. The Wreckers had an opportunity to earn a statement win at Greenwich on Jan. 23, but they never led and fell behind by 22 points entering the fourth quarter. Staples lost again on Tuesday, this time to Fairfield Ludlowe, 54-50. Its three wins came against Torrington (60-31), Fairfield Warde (57-26), and Wilton (56-31). Despite its recent losses, the Wreckers, led by junior forward Chloe Smith (16.6 points per game) and senior guard Freya Harvey (13.2 points per game), cannot be counted out in Division 2.
