Lauralton Hall senior Keylantra Langley was clearly the best player on the floor last night in the Crusaders 65-42 win over Lyman Hall in the Hand Holiday Tournament championship.

But Langley also showed why she may be the best player in the state.

Despite an injured back, she dropped 27 points, was a lockdown defender and displayed her tremendous court vision. During a key 11-0 run for Lauralton Hall in the third quarter, she had a hand in four of the five baskets.

Playing alongside Molly Yardley last season, Langley showed glimpses of her talent.

Now Lauralton Hall is her team. With plenty of depth and coasting to five of its six wins, the Crusaders haven't had to rely on Langley much so far. But when they need her to, Langley proved she is more than capable of shouldering the load.

It's no surprise she will play in the Big East next season. Langley is headed to St. John's.

Norwich Free Academy's Kastine Evans is also in the discussion for the state's top player. She is headed to Kentucky next season and led her team to the Class LL title last year.

If Evans and NFA are hoping to repeat, they may have to go through Lauralton Hall in order to do so.

Evans and Langley head-to-head? What a matchup that would be.

Keylantra Langley poured in 27 points to lift Lauralton Hall to the Hand Holiday Tournament title with a 65-42 win over Lyman Hall.
Lindsay Karle scored 26 points in a losing effort.

Kelsey Cuddy scored 16 points to go along with four rebounds and four steals in Hand's 48-33 win over Morgan in the consolation game of the Hand Holiday Tournament.

Julia Strobel finished with 17 points in Cheshire's 58-32 rout of Rockville in the consolation game of the Southington tournament.

Catherine Logan had 13 points and earned tournament MVP honors for Old Lyme, in the Wildcats' 41-35 victory over East Hampton in the East Hampton tournament.

Jen Post scored seven points and pulled down 11 rebounds to lift Amity to a 37-31 win over Arlington (Vt.) in the Bellows Falls (Vt.) tournament.

Taylor Kuhalwik had 16 points in Bunnell's 37-25 win over Law in the Shelton tournament championship.
Isnede Milfort earned tournament MVP honors for Bunnell. Casey Dulin led Law with 15.

Courtney Schissler scored 18 points as Branford beat Fitch 42-24.

Jordan Schultz had 17 points in a losing effort, as Haddam-Killingworth fell to Canton 49-45 in overtime. Schultz hit a long 3-pointer to send the game into overtime.

Jasmine Claxton had 14 points and 12 rebounds in Career's 61-26 rout of Fairfield Warde. The Panthers led the Mustangs 52-12 heading into the final period.

Mercy dropped its first two games of the season at the Cardinal Spellman Holiday Tournament in Brockton, Mass, Monday and Tuesday.

While Tigers coach Tim Kohs said his girls played hard and are still capable of beating anyone on their schedule, Mercy's weakness was exploited. If the Tigers aren't shooting well from the perimeter, they are going to struggle. After opening the season with six straight wins - scoring over 60 points in all but one - the Tigers were anemic from the floor when they played in Massachusetts.

Mercy lacks a post presence, so that's why it needs to score from the perimeter. The Tigers' two tallest players are 5-foot-8 Amber Bepko and 5-foot-9 Sadie Edwards, essentially their backcourt.

But on the bright side for Mercy, the losses came to a pair of quality teams in Coyle & Cassidy (59-50) and Holy Name (51-42).

"They learned from it," said Kohs of the experience. "It gave us a reality check."

Also Bepko and Edwards are a very talented one-two punch and bad shooting nights will likely be at a premium for them this season.

Governors senior point guard Shantel Thompson will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. She injured her knee late in a win against Sacred Heart Academy on Dec. 11. In two games this year, Thompson averaged 9.5 points and four assists.

In the first meeting between the two city schools this season, Hillhouse beat Wilbur Cross 57-41 in the Vanguard Classic.
Bria Holmes led the Academics with 15 points. Kalinka DeRoche added eight points, eight rebounds and seven blocks. Hillhouse shot just 4-of-13 from the foul line.
Shaniqua Fuller led the Governors with 16 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.

Elisa Plaza hit a short jumper in the lane with 11 seconds left to lift Platt to a 51-50 win over Newington. Damika Martinez led Platt with 27 points.

Behind 17 points from Nicole Acerra, East Haven won its first game of the season in a 48-44 victory over North Branford. Katie Saunders scored a career-high 20 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for the Thunderbirds.

Jasmine Claxton scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in Career’s 50-40 victory over Kolbe Cathedral in the Vanguard Classic. J’Voni Hilton added 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Panthers.

Olivia DiCapua and Onalee Collins combined for 28 points in North Haven’s 46-28 win over Platt Tech. Julia Navarro led the Panthers with 11 points.

Kelly Coleman scored 14 points to lead Portland over Hyde 53-20. Gladys Reed led Hyde with eight points amd 11 rebounds.

Kristin Mooney finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and one steal in a losing effort, as Ansonia fell to St. Paul 56-40

Amity won its first game of the season, beating Bellows Falls (VT) at the Bellows Falls Holiday Tournament. Alyssa Mirmina led the Spartans with 12 points. Amity outscored Bellows Falls 28-6 in the first half.

Mercy fell for the second straight day in Brockton, Mass., losing to Holy Name 51-42. Amber Bepko had 15 points in a losing effort.

Old Lyme jumped out to a 34-2 halftime lead and coasted to a 54-19 win over Westbrook. Sixteen players saw the floor for the Wildcats. Catherine Logan had a game-high 10 points for Old Lyme.

Woodland improved to 7-0 with a 64-43 win over Derby. Heather Framski led the Hawks with 21 points. Mary Hyde scored 16 for Derby.

Hamden senior Cara Deroy scored her 1,000th career point today in the Green Dragons’ 65-57 win over Guilford in the Vanguard Classic.

Deroy finished the game with 25 points and five assists.

Annie Goodrich had 19 points to lead Guilford.

The Connecticut Sun selected Woodland as its high school team of the week for Dec. 21-27.

The Hawks moved to 6-0 Tuesday with a 56-26 win over Watertown. Heather Framski led Woodland with 24 ponts.

Hamden senior Cara Deroy is 22 points shy of joining the 1,000-point club. The Green Dragons will face Guilford today at 3 p.m., at Wilbur Cross, opening up the Vanguard Classic tripleheader.
If Deroy doesn't reach it today, she will likely get it Tuesday when Hamden hosts West Haven at 7 p.m.

Killingly snapped a 40-game losing streak on Dec. 21, beating Parish Hill 35-30. To read more, check out the Norwich Bulletin article here.

Mercy dropped its first game of the season, falling to Coyle&Cassidy at the Cardinal Spellman Holiday Tournament in Brockton, Mass.
Amber Bepko had 15 points in a losing effort for the Tigers.

Christina LaPenna finished with a season-high 23 points as Foran beat West Haven 48-35.

Courtney Schissler poured in 24 points to lift Branford to a 58-24 win over Fitch. The Hornets took a 33-7 lead into halftime.

Jordan Shultz and Emily Anderson combined for 38 points in Haddam-Killingworth’s 63-41 win over Valley Regional. Shultz added 10 rebounds and Anderson had 15 rebounds and three steals.

Devon Leahy poured in 20 points in Lauralton Hall’s 66-42 win over Morgan in the Hand Holiday Tournament. That sets up a championship showdown between the Crusaders and Lyman Hall.

Lyman Hall coasted past Hand 52-29 behind 24 points from Jen Ruys. Hand outrebounded Lyman Hall 47-31, but shot just 20 percent from the floor.

Cromwell edged Old Saybrook 51-46. The Rams were up by 11 points in the third quarter. But starters Amanda King and Taylor Beck both fouled out early in the fourth quarter and Cromwell capitalized. Kayla McAvoy led Old Saybrook with 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks.

Chelsea Mone finished with 28 points as St. Paul beat Oxford 58-41. Jackie Morressey had 14 points in a losing effort.

Casey Dulin and Avery Rourke each had 12 points as Law beat Norwalk 57-39.

Olivia DiCapua scored 13 points to lead North Haven to a 35-18 win over Bullard-Havens.

In the battle of the unbeatens, Portland edged Coginchaug 54-52 at Durham.

Kelly Coleman hit a runner in the lane with 4 seconds left to lift Portland to the win. Audrey Biesak missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer for Coginchuag’s final chance.

Coleman finished with a game-high 28 points and 15 rebounds for Portland (6-0). Samantha Mancinelli had 19 points for the Blue Devils (5-1).

It's the battle of the unbeatens tonight. Portland (5-0) and Coginchaug (6-0), the top teams in the Shoreline Conference, will square off at Coginchaug at 7:30 p.m. It should be a close one.

Keep an eye on Amity senior Nkenge Blue.

She can handle the ball and play inside or out. She's very versatile on the offensive end. Just ask West Haven. She opened the season with a 17-point night against the Westies.

Problem for Blue, is other teams have taken notice. She is constantly facing double teams and opposing defenses clog the middle when she has the ball.

The Spartans are in desperate need for someone to take on the role as a No. 2 scorer and take some of the pressure off of her. If that happens, expect Blue's numbers to rise (she is averaging 11.5 points per game) and the 0-5 Spartans to win some games.

Sheehan senior Bre Butler missed the first quarter, while receiving treatment at a specialist for her injured back. She returned to the Titans gymnasium, making it back in time for the second quarter and still managed to score 15 points in a win over Hamden earlier this year.

Then there’s the time from last season when the Titans lost to Wilbur Cross. Following a disheartening 15-mile bus ride back to Sheehan, all Butler wanted to do was play more basketball. So she spent the next couple of hours in the gym working on her game.

There is also the story of how Butler came back from reconstructive knee surgery in eight months. It usually takes nine months to a year.

So with her obvious passion and drive for basketball, it’s no surprise Butler is off to an admirable start this season.

“She works like a maniac,” Sheehan coach Mike Busillo said. “Sometimes I need her to tone it down during the season.”

Butler is among the most reliable players in the area right now. She is averaging 16.5 points per game and her season low has been 14 points. She is also grabbing 10.5 rebounds and dishing out four assists per contest.

Butler injured her knee during a summer-league game entering her sophomore year. She missed all of her sophomore season and began showing glimpses of her potential midway through last year. Butler averaged 16 points through the final 10 games, and poured in 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds against Berlin in an opening round game of the state tournament.

Busillo said her hard work that it took to recover from her knee injury, spilled over into the classroom. Once struggling with her grades, she is now an honor-roll student.

As for on the court, Butler doesn’t seem to have any lingering effects from the injury. She slashes her way through opposing defenses, can stick the mid-range jumper and crashes the boards relentlessly.

“The knee injury changed me as an athlete and as a person,” Butler said. “I always worked hard, but it pushed me to do more and to do better. Now I test my limits and keep going.”

And it doesn’t seem there will be any stopping Butler.

Here's the latest Register Top 10 poll. For the complete poll, click here.
1. Berlin
2. Northwest Catholic
3. Mercy
4. Hillhouse
5. Lauralton Hall
6. Norwich Free Academy
7. Bacon Academy
8. Pomperaug
9. Torrington
10. Stamford

Here are some intriguing matchups in the final week of 2009...

Portland at Coginchaug, Monday, 7:30 p.m.: Both teams are off to hot starts. It should be interesting to see which team remains undefeated. Will it be a Kelley Coleman-led Portland squad or the Blue Devils' balanced attack?

Kolbe Cathedral vs. Career, at Wilbur Cross, 5 p.m.: Two perennial powers square off. The Cougars have won four straight since dropping their season opener. The Panthers come in after a big win over Hillhouse.

Hillhouse at Wilbur Cross, 7 p.m.: This will be the first meeting between these city schools. It may be a down year for the Governors, but records have to be disregarded when these two teams face each other. This is the final game of Vanguard Classic tripleheader. Guilford plays Hamden at 3 p.m., followed by the Kolbe Cathedral-Career matchup.

Hand Holiday Tournament championship, at Hand, 7 p.m.: This will likely be Lyman Hall vs. Lauralton Hall. And if that's the case, it will be interesting to see how the Crusaders hand Lindsay Karle, who went off for 31 earlier this season in an upset win over Career.

Also, make sure to check back Sunday evening to see who the new No. 1 team is in the latest Register Top 10 poll.

In a defensive battle, Coginchaug edged Canton 33-30 to move to 6-0. Lauren Esposito had a team high nine points for the Blue Devils.

Keylantra Langley poured in 20 points as Lauralton Hall cruised to a 72-31 win over Lyman Memorial.

Mercy coasted to a 73-43 win over Shelton behind 15 points from Amber Bepko. Sadie Edwards and Danielle Machold each had 13 for the Tigers.

Alyssa Long-Jeffrey had 24 points in O'Brien Tech's 49-39 win over Vinal Tech.

Clare Kane's 16 points led Sacred Heart Academy to a 45-23 win over North Haven. The Pacers outscored the Indians 21-2 in the third quarter.

West Haven knocked off Amity 39-20. Jayva Johnson had a game-high 11 points.

Hamden just edged Sheehan in a close one, beating the Titans 63-58.
Sheehan's Shayna Adams hit a runner in the lane with under a minute left to put the Titans up 58-57 with under a minute left. Then Cara Deroy, who finished with a game-high 21 points, sliced through Sheehan's defense and hit Lianna Carrero for a layup to put the Green Dragons back up.
Hannah May got a steal for Hamden and sank a pair of free throws, giving the Green Dragons a 61-58 advantage. Carrero sealed the win with the final points of the game, sinking a pair of foul shots.

Coginchaug has been selected as the Connecticut Sun High School Girls' Basketball
Team of the Week for the week of December 14-20.
Audrey Biesak scored 18 points as Coginchaug defeated Morgan 53-47 on Dec. 15. Biesak also led a balanced attack on Friday, finishing with 11 points in a 43-40 victory over Haddam-Killingworth.

Mary Hyde poured in 21 points, lifting Derby to a 50-41 overtime win over Wolcott.

Kristin Mooney had 14 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals as the Chargers coasted to a 56-31 win over Crosby. Ansonia held Crosby scoreless in the first quarter.

Emily Anderson, Shaina Rowley and Cloe Savino each scored nine points to lead Haddam-Killingworth to a 36-30 win over Morgan. The two teams combined for just five points in the fourth quarter.

North Branford beat Valley Regional 38-28 behind 16 points from Kelsey Platner.

Despite a game-high 17 points from Amanda King, Old Lyme knocked off Old Saybrook 60-48.

Damika Martinez exploded for 36 points as Platt edged Middletown 58-52.

Hyde nearly won its first game in two years, falling to Westbrook 35-34. Gladys Reed scored 19 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for Hyde.

Kristina McCarthy had 15 points as Lauralton Hall cruised to a 65-11 victory over Stratford.

Julia Navarro poured in 20 points to lift Platt Tech to a 53-35 win over Bullard-Havens.

Hillhouse suffered its first loss of the season Monday, falling to Career 58-46.

Would the game be different if Academics injured point guard Andreana Thomas played?

Probably.

Career played well and has tons of weapons, certainly making the Panthers a Class LL contender despite their current 2-2 mark.

But the Panthers sagged off Hillhouse defensively, forcing it to shoot. With Thomas' solid jumper, that plan wouldn't have been as successful. Also, Hillhouse's top scorer Bria Holmes did not have the ball in her hands enough. If Thomas played, that would have been a different story and Holmes likely would have finished with more than 15 points.

Bottom line is Hillhouse needs Thomas back. She is expected to return from her knee injury in January. Hopefully in time for the Academics' Jan. 16 matchup with Norwich Free Academy. That could be the state's best regular-season matchup of the year.

Shaniqua Fuller did it all for Wilbur Cross, scoring 21 points to go with 16 rebounds, seven steals, four assists and two blocks. The Governors coasted to a 60-25 win over Hand.
Aaliyah Robinson added 18 points, nine rebounds, four steals and two blocks.

Jen Ruys had 12 points and nine rebounds as Lyman Hall edged Hamden 47-42. Sophie St. Hilaire had a game-high 17 points for the Trojans.

Courtney Schissler had 29 points and grabbed 17 rebounds for Branford, as the Hornets handed Guilford its first loss of the season in a 63-34 win.

Coginchaug moves to 5-0 with a 64-54 win over East Hampton, Lauren Esposito had 20 points to lead four players, who scored in double figures for Coginchaug. Kelsey Booth had 26 points for East Hampton.

Bret Butler had 20 points in Sheehan's 51-34 win over Sacred Heart Academy.

Alyssa Long-Jeffrey scored 18 points in a losing effort as O'Brien Tech fell 75-43 to Crosby.

Foran jumped out to a 35-15 first-half lead and the Lions coasted from there, beating North Haven 56-33. Alyssa Healy led the Lions with 15 points.

Law cruised to a 48-30 win over East Haven. Kim Legen had a game-high 12 points for the Eagles.

Mercy continues to roll. The Tigers beat Cheshire 65-30. Amber Bepko scored 16 points for Mercy. The Tigers outscored the Rams 24-3 in the first quarter.

Jackie Morressey poured in a game-high 20 points to lift Oxford to a 61-51 win over Wilcox Tech.

Sayra Johnson finished with 12 points as West Haven edged Shelton 27-26.

Bria Moore scored a game-high 18 points as Career followed a 1-2 start with a big win over Hillhouse. The Panthers beat the Academics, the No. 1 team in the Register Top 10 poll, 58-46 tonight at the New Haven Athletic Center.
Listen to Moore talk about the victory, Career's depth and a tough upcoming stretch for the Panthers.

Law's Phoebe French and East Haven's Taylor Barone won't likely draw a lot of attention on the court tonight when the Easties host the Eagles. But what they overcame will certainly draw your interest. Read why, here.

Here's a look at the latest Register Top 10 poll.

1. Hillhouse
2. Berlin
3. Northwest Catholic
4. Mercy
5. Norwich Free Academy
6. Lauralton Hall
7. Pomperaug
8. Bacon Academy
9. Torrington
10. Wethersfield

Keylantra Langley scored 19 points as Lauralton Hall beat Pomperaug 39-32 in a matchup of two SWC powerhouses.
The Crusaders held Pomperaug to just eight second half ponts.

Damika Martinez poured in for 41 points — just two short of the Platt school record — as the Panthers knocked off Simsbury 62-52.

Maura Calamari and Amber Bepko combined for 39 points in Mercy’s 63-40 win over Career. The Tigers jumped out to a 29-12 in the first half.

Guilford got 21 points, including 13-of-14 from the free-throw line, from Annie Goodrich in the Indians 69-49 win over Shelton. Melissa Corraro had 18 in a losing effort for Shelton.

Alyssa Long-Jeffrey had 16 points to lead O’Brien Tech to its first win of the season over Goodwin Tech.

Mary Hyde had 15 points in Derby’s 54-39 win over Ansonia.

Audrey Biesak led a balanced attack with 11 points as Coginchaug edged Haddam-Killingworth 43-40.

Kelcy Carlson led Morgan with 18 points as the Huskies coasted to a 66-43 win over Valley Regional.

Foran guard Annie Raucci. After suiting up at power forward for the last two seasons, Raucci is now olaying on the wing. It's clearly a better fit. She is carrying the scoring load for the Lions, averaging 15.8 points.

It's may be early, but ready why Law's Casey Dulin will certainly be in the running for the Register's Ahtlete of the Year honor here. Dulin will play basketball at Marist next season and had a season-high 28 points in a win over Sheehan Thursday night.

Follow all the nhregister.com coverage of girls high school basketball throughout the state on their way to Mohegan Sun Arena, the site of this year's championship weekend, March 19-20.