Improving girls’ hoop team wins 2 in a row

After a brutal 0-7 stretch that included five straight away games to open the season, the CHS girls’ varsity basketball team finally found its groove last week with two impressive road victories: 64-56 over non-league Bedford and 76-61 over Hockomock opponent King Philip.

Head coach Kaitlin Mills could not have been happier with her team’s performance in both contests, as the Bulldogs clamped down on defense while greatly stepping up their offensive output. They also played outstanding team basketball, particularly on the offensive end where numerous players finished in double figures.

On Wednesday at Bedford, Canton relied on its strong inside game to power its way to an early 10-point advantage, led by senior center Erika Bornemann (18 points, 15 rebounds, 8 blocks) and sophomore forward Olivia Murphy (11 points, 14 rebounds, 3 blocks).

Bedford came back to tie the game late in the third quarter, but the Bulldogs regained control in the fourth with what Mills described as an “aggressive man to man defense,” while sophomore point guard Alana Pitts-Anaya made four clutch free throws with under a minute left to seal the victory. 

Pitts-Anaya and fellow guard Nicki Fralick finished with 12 points apiece, and Mills said both players did a great job handling the Bedford press in the second half. Fralick also had five assists and four steals, while senior forward Elana Willinsky chipped in with 11 points, including eight in the second half.

On Friday, Canton traveled to King Philip and the game unfolded in a similar fashion, with the Bulldogs dominating the paint early behind Bornemann and Murphy and then overcoming the opponent’s full-court press with excellent guard play from Fralick and Pitts-Anaya.

All four finished in double figures, led by Fralick, who had a season-high 25 points (17 in the second half) to go along with five assists. Pitts-Anaya finished with 16 points, while Bornemann and Murphy nearly duplicated their stat lines from Wednesday, combining for 29 points, 24 rebounds and 10 blocks.

“We are beginning to show a lot of improvement both defensively and offensively,” Mills said following her team’s second win in as many games. “Basketball is a team sport, and I couldn’t ask for anything more from our players. They work hard day in, day out, and give 100 percent each game. But most importantly, they are playing together as a team.”

Having played seven of their first nine games on the road, the Bulldogs (2-7) will now begin a stretch of five straight home games, including two this week against fourth-place Mansfield (6-4) and fifth-place Sharon (5-4). Canton will then close out the homestand with three games next week against the top three teams in the Hock: Franklin (8-3), Oliver Ames (9-1) and Foxboro (9-1).

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Posted by Jay Turner on Jan 21 2010. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.