The CIAC regular season is coming to a close. Some teams have already wrapped up their regular-season schedules. Others have a game or two remaining. But one thing is clear: conference tournaments are right around the corner.
Keep an eye out for the FCIAC tournament, especially. I have the FCIAC’s top three teams — Greenwich, Trumbull, and Staples — ranked back-to-back-to-back, and honestly, I’m splitting the thinnest of hairs. All three teams are 16-2. Greenwich beat Staples, Staples beat Trumbull, and Trumbull beat Greenwich.
The SCC tournament is one to watch as well, as the top two seeds and the No. 2 and No. 3 teams in our rankings have split the season series. And with three teams in the top five coming from the CCC, will top-ranked Northwest Catholic come out on top?
It’ll be fascinating to see how it all plays out. Until then, here’s the final regular-season Top 10 update.
1. Northwest Catholic (17-1)
Previous rank: 1
Next game: at Lewis Mills, Feb. 20, 6 p.m.
Northwest Catholic, ranked in the top spot all season, continues to roll, led by its senior duo of Abby Casper and Maeve Staunton. Casper, committed to Holy Cross, needs 91 points to set the program’s all-time scoring record, boys or girls. Already holding the girls’ record for scoring, Casper sits at 1,821 points and 960 rebounds for her career. Staunton, a UConn soccer commit, has surpassed 1,200 points and 600 assists. She is currently averaging 12 points and six dimes a game. In Friday’s 78-63 win over Bristol Central, Casper scored 25 points on 71 percent shooting with 13 rebounds, 8 assists, and 5 blocks. Staunton added 21 points on 70 percent shooting and 8 assists. With one regular-season game remaining, the Lions are first in the Division 1 tournament rankings.
2. Sacred Heart Academy (14-2)
Previous rank: 3
Next game: SCC Tournament first round vs. Lyman Hall, Feb. 23
After dropping its first in-state game in over a year on Feb. 3, Sacred Heart Academy has bounced back well, closing the regular season with four straight victories. The Sharks have notched wins over Branford, 74-29, Sheehan, 54-44, rival Hamden, 58-44, and Amity, 50-27 to earn the top seed in the Southern Connecticut Conference (SCC) tournament. In the win at Sheehan, senior forward Maddy Burke led the way with 18 points. Junior forward Mila Harmon and senior guard Molly Gunning each scored 14 points, with Gunning hitting four 3-pointers. Burke is averaging 12.2 points per game, with Harmon right behind at 11.7. Gunning is at 9.7 points per game.
3. Mercy (17-2)
Previous rank: 5
Next game: SCC Tournament first round vs. TBA (No. 15 seed), Feb. 23
Mercy ended the regular season on a 14-game winning streak to capture the No. 2 seed in the SCC tournament. The Tigers notched wins over East Haven (67-30), Jonathan Law (78-64), Amity (45-32), Hamden (61-47), and Holy Cross (61-40) in the last two weeks. In Tuesday’s win over Hamden, senior forward Abi Weidman dropped a game-high 24 points. Sophomore Reagan Beeler added 14.
4. Rocky Hill (17-1)
Previous rank: 7
Next game: vs. Wethersfield, Feb. 19, 6:45 p.m.
Rocky Hill is on a 10-game winning streak and is the biggest riser this week after handing No. 5 New Britain its first loss of the season, 54-52, on Feb. 9. The Terriers were led by senior Katie Harding (16 points, 10 rebounds) and junior Jill Rhouddou (16 points, 13 rebounds). Rocky Hill added wins over Newington, Middletown, Bristol Eastern, and Southington. At Bristol Eastern on Saturday, Harding tallied 29 points and 12 rebounds and senior Kelsey LaMay added 26 points and eight assists. In Tuesday’s 62-59 win over Southington, LaMay (20 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, 4 steals), Harding (16 points, 8 rebounds) and Rhouddou (16 points, 12 rebounds) all had fantastic outings.
5. New Britain (17-1)
Previous rank: 2
Next game: vs. Southington, Feb. 19, 6 p.m.
New Britain was the lone unbeaten in the CIAC until Rocky Hill finally ended that run on Feb. 9. The Hurricanes almost suffered a second loss on Saturday, until it rallied for a 12-0 run in the final minute to defeat Berlin, 42-35. Sophomore Amelia Faienza scored eight of those final 12 points to lead the late comeback. Fellow sophomore Kayla Roberts led the way with 17 points in a 50-41 bounceback win over Plainville on Feb. 12, New Britain’s first game since losing to Rocky Hill. Faienza added 15 points. Since the last update, the Hurricanes also added victories over Maloney, 76-27, and Wethersfield, 73-39.
6. Greenwich (16-2)
Previous rank: 6
Next game: vs. Fairfield Warde, Feb. 20, 7 p.m.
Of the FCIAC’s three top contenders, Greenwich takes my top spot. Did the Cardinals lose at Trumbull by 20 on Jan. 28? Yes. But they’re also the only team with only one loss in conference play, with its other defeat coming on the road at No. 2 Sacred Heart Academy. The avoidance of a loss to a team ranked outside of the Top 10 is what gave Greenwich the edge. The Cardinals have defeated Danbury (49-36), Ridgefield (37-28), Norwalk (54-28), and Westhill (48-17) in the last two weeks. Greenwich is anchored by its defense, which has only conceded more than 50 points twice this season (both losses).
7. Staples (16-2)
Previous rank: 10
Next game: vs. Westhill, Feb. 20, 7 p.m.
Staples just wrapped up a week to remember, earning a trio of tight victories over top-five FCIAC teams. The Wreckers defeated No. 8 Trumbull, 49-43, last Wednesday, won in overtime at Danbury the next night, and beat St. Joseph, 65-59, on Tuesday. Senior Freya Harvey led the way against Trumbull, scoring a team-high 16 points. Against Danbury, Harvey (11 points) hit two desperation 3-pointers in the final 20 seconds to force overtime, where the Wreckers pulled away, 55-47. Junior Chloe Smith led Staples in scoring with 17 points, followed by senior Emma Asiel (13). Staples trailed by one entering the fourth quarter against St. Joseph, but outscored the Cadets 22-15 in the final frame. Asiel led the way with 19 points, followed by Harvey’s 16 and 13 from sophomore Addie Talbott.
8. Trumbull (16-2)
Previous rank: 4
Next game: at Fairfield Ludlowe, Feb. 20, 7 p.m.
In the cluster of FCIAC teams, Trumbull may have gotten the short end of the stick. The Eagles beat Greenwich by 20 points and only lost to Staples by six. But based on recent form, with two losses in its last four games, Trumbull slid to the bottom of the trio. Still, the Eagles are an uber-talented group with tons of depth and a great defense that has only conceded 50 or more points once this season. Senior Michaela Diamond does it all, and junior Carley Johnston is a phenomenal scorer.
9. East Catholic (16-3)
Previous rank: 8
Next game: vs. Glastonbury, Feb. 20, 5:15 p.m.
East Catholic lost its first game following the last update, a 52-50 defeat at Enfield, the sixth seed in Division 2. But the Eagles have bounced back with a five-game winning streak. Senior forward Urielle Abrokwa, up to 1,599 points and more than 1,300 rebounds for her career, has been dominant. In a 69-55 win over 17-2 Coventry on Monday, she scored 29 points and grabbed 20 rebounds. Star sophomores Gia Fisher and Morgan Bridgeforth have shined next to Abrokwa. Over East Catholic’s five-game win streak, Fisher is averaging 15.6 points, and Bridgeforth is at 14.6 points per game.
10. North Haven (16-3)
Previous rank: NR
Next game: vs. Simsbury, Feb. 19, 6:30 p.m.
After a one-month hiatus, North Haven finds its way back into the rankings. The key result? A 73-48 blowout victory at Sheehan on Tuesday. Sheehan, which has been in the top 10 since the first in-season update, recently got its senior starting point guard, Jenna Wresien, back from a torn ACL. That addition didn’t matter, as sophomore Gia Giaimo (22 points), and juniors Lia Calderon (16 points), Chloe Belcher (13 points), and Bianca Watts (12 points) all reached double figures for North Haven. In Friday’s 84-57 win over Jonathan Law, Calderon notched a 35-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double. In wins over Amity (55-36) and Lyman Hall (66-42), Calderon led all scorers with 20 points.
