Improving girls’ hoop still chasing 1st win

More than halfway through the season, the Canton High girls’ varsity basketball team continues to chase that elusive first victory, although the improvement has been steady and the team has been fun to watch, according to head coach Jim Choquette.

Senior captain Caitlyn Hathaway (Mike Barucci photo)

Last week, the Bulldogs played three straight home games and came up just short in two of them — a 49-43 loss to Blue Hills Regional and a 34-32 heartbreaker against Davenport Division opponent Milford. They also gave perennial contender Mansfield a run for their money before fading down the stretch in an eventual 61-35 defeat.

“The girls are working so hard,” said Choquette after another promising yet ultimately disappointing slate of games. “I do feel for the players, and I badly want to win one for their sake.”

The good news, he said, is that the team is starting to play meaningful basketball late in games, as was the case last Monday against Blue Hills (11-0), one of the top teams in the Mayflower Athletic Conference.

“We came up just a little bit short,” lamented Choquette afterwards. “But we needed to play a game close. We needed to get in there and fight for a win, and we’re looking forward to playing them again in the final game of the year.”

In the end, Blue Hills won the game at the free-throw line, converting 14 of 22 foul shots compared to Canton’s 3-for-9 showing.

The Bulldogs did hit their fair share of field goals, however, led by senior captain Caitlyn Hathaway with 12 points and junior captain Gabby Kenefick with 10. On the other side, senior guard Margarita Delaporta, herself a Canton resident, finished with 12 points to help lead the Warriors to their eighth straight win.

As for the Milford game last Friday, Choquette said the Canton girls made staggering improvements when compared to the first meeting between the two teams back on December 18.

“Last time we played them we gave up 59 points and lost by 16,” he said. “This time we lost by two and held them to 34 points. It was a huge testament to our team defense and really proved to the coaches just how far we’ve come in only half a season.”

The Bulldogs managed to keep it close throughout and even had a chance to win it at the end with a Hathaway three-point attempt that just barely rimmed out. Leading scorers for Canton were sophomore Shannon Foley and junior captain Eileen Khoury, who finished with nine points apiece.

Earlier in the week against Mansfield, the Bulldogs came out strong and stayed neck and neck with the Hornets until late in the first half, when a Mansfield player broke the game open with back-to-back three pointers. The Hornets went on to dominate the second half, although Canton kept “fighting to the very end,” according to Choquette.

“We did what we could for as long as we could, but I was very impressed with our effort,” he said. “I think if we keep working hard and doing the right things, we will get there.”

This week, the Bulldogs (0-13) were due to host Oliver Ames on Tuesday, followed by an away game tomorrow night against North Attleboro and a home game next Tuesday against King Philip Regional.

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Posted by Jay Turner on Jan 30 2014. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.