Robinson (23), Fitch boys open with a victory
— JJ Robinson finished Groton with 23 points, 11 assists and five steals as the Fitch High School boys’ basketball team opened the season Friday night with a 57-45 victory over Norwich Free Academy in Eastern Connecticut Conference Division I play.
Jacob Francis had 10 points, 18 rebounds and seven blocked shots and Malakhi Sabb 11 points for Fitch, which took control of the game in the third quarter with a 12-0 run. Armanee Davis had 14 points and Keegan Johnston 12 for NFA. In other games:
• Brady O’Neil scored all 10 of his points in the fourth quarter for Stonington in a 73-56 win over Bacon Academy in ECC Division III, as the Bears closed with a 16-5 run for the victory. Stonington outscored Bacon 27-14 in the fourth quarter in what was the season-opener for both teams. Robbie Scavello had 26 points for Stonington, Aaron LoPresto 14 and Alex DePerry 13. Troy Johnson had 16 points for Bacon.
• Devan Williams scored 16 points to lead a well-balanced New London effort in a season-opening 80-47 victory over East Lyme in ECC Division I. SaVahn Warren added 14 points for the Whalers, who led 43-20 at halftime, and Da’Shaun Phillips had 12. Oliver Hibbard and Mike Timpano had 13 points each for East Lyme.
Girls’ basketball
• Freshman Jaidelis Rivera had 13 points, five steals and seven assists as defending Class MM champion New London opened the season with a 48-32 victory over Woodstock Academy in ECC Division I. Serenity Lancaster added 10 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots and Ky-Ani Allgood had 12 points and eight rebounds for the Whalers.
• Sybil Neary had 19 points and 11 rebounds for Old Lyme, which won its second game in two days to start the season with a 61-24 victory over Norwich Tech. Ava Roth added 15 points, six steals and five assists for the Wildcats, Abby O’Brien had 10 points and Olivia Kelly had six points, 10 rebounds and three assists. Autumn Hanks had seven points for Norwich Tech (0-2).
• Jada Cheung had 30 points in Montville’s 49-42 win over Griswold in ECC Division III. Kayla Terni added nine points for the Indians (1-1, 1-1). Abby Matheson had 14 points for Griswold (0-2, 0-2).
• In a rematch of last season’s ECC Division II tournament championship game, Windham defeated Stonington 66-40. Rory Risley had 16 points and 17 rebounds for Stonington (1-1, 1-1 ECC Division III) and Katelyn Cadmus had 10 points.
• Hayden Bresnan scored 13 points and Abby Butremovic had 10 for Wheeler in a 35-29 loss to Tourtellotte in ECC Division IV. Wheeler is 1-1 overall and in the division.
• Kelsey Dunnack had 18 points, six rebounds and five steals and Phoebe Carpenter 16 points and 10 rebounds Thursday as Lyman Memorial topped Windsor Locks 54-51 to improve to 2-0. Jenny Lopez added eight points, six assists and three rebounds and Makayla Piaseczny six points, five rebounds and two assists for Lyman.
Boys’ soccer
• Ledyard senior forward Peyton Luther was named to the United Soccer Coaches’ All-New England team for the second time in his career. Luther, also a two-time all-state pick, finished with 34 goals and 10 assists for the Colonels, who finished 15-3 to earn the ECC Division II title and the top seed in the Class L state tournament. Luther was the ECC’s Player of the Year.