CHS girls’ basketball team sneaks past Sharon in OT
By Jay Turner
Senior guard Alana Pitts-Anaya blows by a Sharon defender. (Mike Barucci photo)
The Canton High girls’ varsity basketball team kicked off a new season under new head coach Caitlin Jamiel on Friday with a 43-42 overtime victory over visiting Sharon in the CHS gymnasium.
Twice the Bulldogs built a double-digit lead in the game, and twice the Eagles came roaring back, eventually tying it in the final minute as the Canton offense went cold. But the Bulldogs’ top two returning players came through when it mattered most, as senior guard Alana Pitts-Anaya came up with a steal and then passed it up court to senior forward Olivia Murphy for the game-winning layup.
Murphy, who finished second in the Hockomock in scoring last season, led the home team with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Other top performers, in addition to Pitts-Anaya, included freshman forward Gabby Kenefick, who showed a lot of poise in her varsity debut, and junior guard Kyshani Dumott, who came off the bench and contributed excellent defense.
“Both teams came to play, and they both put forth a lot of effort,” said Jamiel. “We went on a couple of runs and Sharon did not give up. They were a very aggressive team and did not stop, but our team never lost focus.”
Jamiel, who comes to Canton by way of Providence, is in her first year as a varsity head coach, but she previously served as the JV coach at Norton High School and also has coaching experience with Bishop Hendricken, an all-boys Catholic school in Warwick, Rhode Island. She also had a four-year playing career at Keene State College in New Hampshire.
Jamiel has installed a new motion offense, although there may be some growing pains as the roster is relatively young, with only three seniors, a fairly equal mix of juniors and sophomores, and two freshmen — Kenefick and Eileen Khoury.
Jamiel’s immediate goal is to improve upon last year’s overall record of 11-10, which included an appearance in the Division 3 south sectional tournament. She ultimately hopes to move the program in a positive direction and would love to see Canton become a perennial power in the Hockomock League for years to come.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=10306
Posted by Jay Turner
on Dec 21 2011. Filed under High School, Sports.
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