Suffield remains unbeaten despite tough NCCC schedule

The Suffield girls basketball team is unbeaten. The Wildcats defeated NCCC standard-bearer Canton by double digits twice, including their first victory over Canton since 2017 on Feb. 12 and a 64-43 victory on Friday, but it hasn’t been easy. The best teams in the conferencefromlastseason — Suffield, Canton, Granby and Windsor Locks — are in the NCCCWest Division and all have to play each other multiple times.

“It’s extremely competitive every single game,” Suffield coach Bill Gaynor said. “It’s difficult to play the same team two to three times. You’re trying to get through the season and it’s like, ‘OK, where’s my easy games?’ ”

Last week opened for Suffield with a 42-35 win over Granby, followed by a makeupgamewithWindsor Locks (5-2) on Wednesday, which Suffield won, 39-30. Suffield will play Windsor LocksagainWednesdayand Granby (3-4) for the third time Friday.

Like many leagues around the state, the NCCC’s season has been shortenedandreconfigured due to COVID-19.

Suffield is led by four seniors, Ava Mills, Hailee Mailloux, Carly Matthews and Taylor Webber. Jordan Dion, who had 14 points, including four 3-pointers in the win over Canton, is the lone junior starter.

Gaynor said Canton is still the team to beat in the conference.

“Listen, it’s still Canton,” he said. “They know how to play, and they are wellcoached.

“Our girls just played hard. We beat them two different ways. The first timewecreatedalotofturnovers and had a lot of opencourt fast breaks. This time it was more set offense.”

Players of the week

Abby Bradbury, Valley Regional: Bradbury scored 26pointsina62-37winover Old Saybrook on Thursday.

Jaci Budaj, Glastonbury: Budaj hit five 3-pointers and had a career-high 17 points as Glastonbury rallied to beat E.O. Smith on Wednesday, 53-49.

Jordan Dion, Suffield: Dion, a junior guard, went 4 for 4 from the free-throw line in a 42-35 win over Granby on March 1, had 17 points, including five 3-pointers, five rebounds and five assists in a 39-30 win over Windsor Locks on Tuesday and had 14 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals to help Suffield beat Canton 64-43 on Friday.

Rebecca Fraley, Windsor: Fraley scored 19 points and contributed six rebounds, six steals and four assists in a 69-49 win over Northwest Catholic last Monday.

Ayanna Franks, Windsor: Franks had 22 points, 12 rebounds, nine steals, and six assists in a 69-49 win over Northwest Catholic on March 1.

Teams of the week

Bolton: Bolton (6-1) has won four straight, including avenging its only loss of the season with a 43-34 victory over Somers on Friday. On Thursday, the Bulldogs were down 10-2 after one quarter and rallied to beat Ellington 31-27 behind Isabel Kenney’s 12 points. On March 1, Bolton beat Stafford, 35-31. “I am fortunate to have a very talented young group of sophomores and freshmen who have been playing together since fifth and sixth grade,” Bolton coach Wayne Hapgood said. “We are having a good year because of that bond they have with each other.”

EastHampton: TheBellringers are 8-0after a 34-21 win over Coginchaug on March1anda55-24victory over Westbrook on Thursday. East Hamptonwillface Old Lyme (7-1) March 15 in a key Shoreline game.

Storylines

Cromwell started off the season 1-2 but has won five straight,startingwitha52-32 winover North Branford on Feb. 20 and wrapping up last weekwithvictoriesover WestbrookandPortland.

E.O. Smith came back fromatwo-weekquarantine and scratched out a 61-54 win over Manchester on Tuesday.ThePantherslostin thefinalsecondstoGlastonbury 53-49 on Wednesday but avenged that loss on Friday with a 35-32 victory over Glastonbury. It was Glastonbury’s first loss.

MiddletownandNewington squared off in a battle of CCCunbeatensonTuesday, and Newington (7-0) pulled out a 48-44 overtime win behind Lilly Ferguson’s 18 points, nine rebounds, five stealsandAlexieArmour’s12 rebounds in its closest game of the season.

What to watch this week

Bolton at Ellington, Wednesday: A rematch of last week’s game between the two top teams in the East division of the NCCC.

Suffield at Windsor Locks, Wednesday: Another rematch of another game last week, where Suffield gutted out a nine-point win.