Middletown tops Southington in opener at CCC tournament

MIDDLETOWN >> Middletown High’s girls basketball team put five players in double figures in defeating Southington 9282 in a first-round game in the Central Connecticut Conference championship playoffs played Thursday evening at the LaBella-Sullivan Gym at MHS.

Brielle Wilborn led the way with 28 points followed by Jen Barbour with 18, Dominique Highsmith with 16, Silvana Barcomb with 14 and Amanda Fudge had 11.

Middletown (19-2) jumped out to a 29-9 first quarter lead only to see Soutington come storming back behind a barrage of three-pointers — six in the quarter — to score 35 second-quarter points and take a 44-43 halftime lead.

But Wilborn scored the Blue Dragons first six points of the second half to give her team a 49-44 lead and Middletown led the rest of the way.

“I was very pleased with the vast majority of our performance,” said MHS coach Rob Smernoff. “We executed as well offensively as we have all season and we matched their intensity. That’s their trademark so to fight to-totoe with them made me happy.”

Middletown dominated the second half and took a 65-53 lead after three. The closest Southington (129) could get in the fourth quarter was seven at 7568 with with 3:24 left, but back-to-back hoops by Wilborn and Barbour gave the Dragons a home-free lead at 79-68.

Southington, which played without starter Janette Wadolowski for eight games at midseason, finished strong, winning six of its last seven. The Blue Knights were 10-2 with her and 2-6 without her.

Maggie Meehan, who had 13 points in Southington’s 35-point second quarter, led all scorers with 34 points. Hartlee Meier and Wadolowski each had 20.

Middletown was 20for-26 from the free throw line.

Middletown will play its CCC quarterfinal round game Saturday at home against either RHAM or Newington, likely at 2 p.m.