Girls’ hoops still winless despite improved play at home

After five tough games on the road to open the season, the CHS girls’ varsity basketball team was more than happy to play both of its games at home last week, and it showed in the Bulldogs’ performance as they played both opponents closer and produced more offensively.

Now they just have to win.

As it stands, the Bulldogs are currently 0-7 following losses last week to North Attleboro and Stoughton, but as head coach Kaitlin Mills observed, the team is starting to show improvement in “all aspects of the game.”

And that was never more evident than on Tuesday night, when the Bulldogs outplayed the Red Rocketeers through two quarters and led throughout the entire first half.

“We came out playing great defense,” Mills said. “We brought a lot of speed and intensity, and we were able to contain North Attleboro’s best shooters.”

Canton then continued to play well in the second half, but North Attleboro fought back to take a two-point lead at the end of the third quarter before pulling away in the fourth for the 58-52 win.

Despite the result, it was far and away the team’s most complete performance to date, led by senior center Erika Bornemann, who had a huge game with 29 points and 21 rebounds. Sophomore Olivia Murphy also played well, finishing with 11 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks, as did junior guard Nicki Fralick, who had seven points and four steals.

“I was very proud of our team’s effort,” Mills said afterward. “North Attleboro is a good team in the league, and we really did a great job defending their best players and making things happen on offense.”

The Bulldogs had a tougher time on Friday against Stoughton, falling 55-41 in a game that featured too many Canton turnovers, especially in the first half.

Mills said her team had a hard time fighting through the Knights’ press – a problem she has seen in other games this season.

“We have to do a better job protecting the basketball against teams that press,” she said.

One of the bright spots in the Stoughton game was the play of sophomore point guard Alana Pitts-Anaya, who led the team in scoring with 15 points, including nine from downtown. “She did a great job at the point, and I see great potential in her offensive skills,” Mills said.

Bornemann posted her second double-double of the week, finishing with 14 points, 16 rebounds and six blocks, while junior guard Radiya Buchanan and senior forward Elana Willinsky both played well down the stretch.

Last night, the Bulldogs traveled to Bedford for the first of three nonleague games this season, and tomorrow they will head to King Philip for a 6:30 p.m. game before playing the next five at home, beginning with Mansfield next Tuesday. In other team news, Bornemann and senior Laura O’Brien were named captains following a team vote held over the recent vacation.

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Posted by Jay Turner on Jan 14 2010. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.