Girls’ basketball team’s tourney run cut short

Unable to crack an aggressive defensive attack, the Canton High varsity girls’ basketball team fell 62-50 on the road against Burke High in Dorchester in the first round of the Division 3 south sectional tournament Monday night.

Fifteenth-seeded Canton headed into the state tournament playing its best basketball of the season, winning four of its last five games, but had trouble dealing with a quicker and stronger Burke team, the second-seeded team in the bracket.

The Bulldogs end the season with a 6-15 record.

“We were inconsistent with controlling the game and staying composed,” head coach Kaitlin Mills said after the game. “They frazzled us.”

Mills said Canton had trouble containing Frederika Lawson and Khadijah Ellison, who combined to score 38 points in the win for Burke.

Burke took a four-point lead into the half and used a press defense in the second half to extend the lead, forcing a high frequency of Canton turnovers. Burke built a double-digit lead in the third quarter and maintained at least a ten-point lead the rest of the way.

“They really dominated the third quarter and took over defensively,” Mills said.

Mills was impressed with Erika Bornemann and Olivia Murphy, crediting the duo with “carrying the team offensively the whole night.” Bornemann had 22 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks in the loss, while Murphy added 15 points and 17 rebounds.

The loss marked the final high school basketball game for seniors Laura O’Brien, Christen Ivanoski, Elana Willinsky and Bornemann.

Prior to the state tournament, Canton took part in the Riley Winter Classic, hosted by Westwood High, losing to Norwood 62-47 last Tuesday and beating King Philip 57-45 in the consolation game the next night.

Canton had trouble defending the post against Norwood, according to Mills. In the loss, Bornemann had 20 points — 17 in the second half — to go along with 13 rebounds and four blocks.

The Bulldogs, however, had no problems inside against King Philip, with Bornemann and Murphy combining for 27 rebounds and seven blocked shots.

Bornemann led Canton with 26 points, while Alana Pitts Anaya was able to hit the outside shot to go along with her five rebounds, five steals and five assists. Nicki Fralick added 12 points and five assists.

“At the beginning of the season [after] those first five games when we got blown out, no one was thinking we would make the tournament and we did, and we belonged there,” Mills said. “I’m really proud of these kids and the effort they have given all season long.”

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Posted by Jeffrey Pickette on Feb 25 2010. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.