No. 2 Lauralton Hall rallies past No. 18 East Hartford

Halftime Report No. 18 East Hartford 29, No. 2 Lauralton Hall 24 (halftime): The second-seeded Crusaders are in a bit of trouble after giving up six 3-pointers in the second quarter. Emma McCarthy has a team-high 13 points for Lauralton.

 Second Round Live

This is your one-stop shop for all of your state playoff stats, highlights, stories and more from the second round. Below are links for each Class and a look at some of the more intriguing match ups. Come here on game day’s for live blogs at 5 p.m.

Class LL

The bracket: Solid match ups throughout second round.

Teams receiving a first round bye: No. 1 Mercy (SCC), No. 2 Lauralton Hall (SWC), No. 3 Trumbull (FCIAC).

On to the next one: No. 4 Glastonbury (CCC), No. 5 South Windsor (CCC), No. 6 Career (SCC), No. 11 Darien (FCIAC), No. 13 Norwich Free Academy (ECC), No. 7 Danbury (FCIAC), No. 8 Westhill (FCIAC), No. 9 E.O. Smith (CCC), No. 10 Stamford (FCIAC), No. 12 Southington (CCC), No. 16 Sacred Heart Academy (SCC), No. 18 East Hartford (CCC), No. 19 Fairfield Ludlowe (FCIAC).

Gone fishing: No. 14 Ridgefield (FCIAC), No. 15 Amity (SCC), No. 17 Newtown (SWC), No. 20 Naugatuck (NVL), No. 21 Newington (CCC), No. 22 Cheshire (SCC), No. 23 West Haven (SCC), No. 24 Greenwich (FCIAC), No. 25 East Catholic (CCC), No. 26 Shelton (SCC), No. 27 New Milford (SWC), No. 28 St. Joseph (FCIAC), No. 29 Fairfield Warde (FCIAC).

The nail-biters: (All Games Friday) No. 9 E.O. Smith at No. 8 Westhill, at 6 p.m.; No. 10 Stamford at No. 7 Danbury,at 7 p.m.; No. 13 NFA at No. 4 Glastonbury at 7 p.m.

Class L

The bracket: Potential for upsets in second round.

On to the next one: No. 4 Watertown (NVL), No. 5 Wilton (FCIAC), No. 6 RHAM (CCC), No. 8 Ledyard (CCC), No. 9 Torrington (NVL), No. 10 Farmington (CCC), East Lyme (ECC), No. 12 Tolland (CCC), No. 13 Northwest Catholic (CCC), No. 14 Bristol Eastern (CCC), No. 15 Hand (SCC), No. 17 Brookfield (SWC), No. 26 Bristol Central (CCC).

Gone fishing: No. 7 Avon (NCCC), No. 16 Holy Cross (NVL), No. 18 Kennedy (NVL), No. 19 Guilford (SCC), No. 20 Joel Barlow (SWC), No. 21 Lyman Hall (SCC), No. 22 Foran (SCC), No. 23 Middletown (CCC), No. 24 Crosby (NVL), No. 25 Masuk (SWC), No. 27 North Haven (SCC), No. 28 Branford (SCC), No. 29 Woodstokc Academy (ECC),

The nail-biters: (All games Thursday)No. 13 Northwest Catholic at No. 4 Watertown at 7 p.m.; No. 11 East Lyme at No. 6 RHAM at 7 p.m.

Class M

The bracket: All top seeds survive round one.

On to the next one: No. 1 Cromwell (SLC), No. 2 Notre Dame-Fairfield (SWC), No. 3 Haddam-Killingworth (SLC), No. 4 Nonnewaug (BL), No. 5 Granby Memorial (NCCC), No. 6 Lewis Mills (BL), No. 7 Montville (ECC), No. 8 Plainfield (ECC), No. 9 Kolbe-Cathedral (SWC), No. 10 Trinity Catholic (FCIAC), No. 11 Ansonia (NVL), No. 12 Weaver (CCC), No. 13 Ellington (NCCC), No. 14 Northwestern (BL), No. 15 Coginchaug (SLC), No. 16 Rocky Hill (CCC).

Gone fishing: No. 17 Stonington (ECC), No. 18 Bullard-Havens Tech (CSC), No. 19 Immaculate (SWC), No. 20 Sheehan (SCC), No. 21 St. Paul Catholic (NVL), No. 22 Prince Tech (CSC), No. 23 East Haven (SCC), No. 24 Wolcott (NVL), No. 25 Woodland (NVL), No. 26 Plainville (CCC), No. 27 New London (ECC), No. 28 Kaynor Tech (CSC), No. 29 Sacred Heart (NVL), No. 30 Suffield (NCCC), No. 31 North Branford (SLC), No. 32 Classical Magnet (CSC).

The nail-biters: (All games on Friday) No. 9 Kolbe-Cathedral at No. 8 Plainfield at 7 p.m.; No. 12 Weaver at No. 5 Granby Memorial at 7 p.m.; No. 15 Coginchaug at No. 2 Notre Dame-Fairfield at 7 p.m.; No. 11 Ansonia at No. 6 Lewis Mills at 7 p.m.

Class S

The bracket: All the tech schools go down.

Team’s receiving a first round bye: No. 1 Capital Prep (CSC), No. 2 Cheney Tech (CSC), No. 3 Thomaston (BL), No. 4 Morgan (SLC), No. 5 Bolton (NCCC).

On to the next one: No. 6 Somers (NCCC), No. 10 East Windsor (NCCC), No. 12 St. Bernard (ECC), No. 14 Lyman Memorial (ECC), No. 15 Coventry (NCCC), No. 16 Old Saybrook (SLC), No. 20 University (CSC), No. 22 Hyde (SLC), No. 24 Valley Regional (SLC), No. 25 Housatonic Regional (BL), No. 26 Windsor Locks (NCCC).

Gone fishing: No. 7 Platt Tech (CSC), No. 8 Windham Tech (CSC), No. 9 Putnam (CSC), No. 11 Goodwin Tech (CSC), No. 13 O’Brien Tech (CSC), No. 17 Parish Hill (CSC), No. 18 Canton (NCCC), No. 19 Terryville (BL), No. 21 East Hampton (SLC), No. 23 Academy of the Holy Family (CSC), No. 27 Litchfield (BL).

The nail-biters: (All games on Thursday) No. 22 Hyde at No. 6 Somers at 7 p.m.

No. 16 Sacred Heart Academy knocks No. 17 Newtown out of Class LL tournament in first round.

No. 16 Sacred Heart Academy 33, No. 17 Newtown 28: Micaela Montini scored eight points to pace the Pacers over the Nighthawks at the half.

Newtown erased a 22-14 first quarter deficit with a 24-11 second quarter outburst. 

For more updates, highlights and game stories, stay right here.

DAY 2: Follow all of the Class LL and M games right here!

 This is your one-stop shop for all of your state playoff stats, highlights, stories and more. Below are links for each Class and a look at some of the more intriguing match ups in the first round. Come here on gameday's for live blogs at 5 p.m.

Class LL

The bracket: Mercy gets the top seed in Class LL.

The contenders: No. 1 Mercy (SCC), No. 2 Lauralton Hall (SWC), No. 3 Trumbull (FCIAC), No. 4 Glastonbury (CCC), No. 5 South Windsor (CCC), No. 6 Career (SCC).

The sleepers: No. 12 Southington (CCC),  No. 14 Norwich Free Academy (ECC), No. 15 Amity (SCC).

The nail-biters: No. 17 Newtown at No. 16 Sacred Heart Academy, No. 18 East Hartford at No. 15 Amity, No. 22 Cheshire at No. 11 Darien (All games Feb. 26 at 7 p.m.).

Class L

The bracket: Bacon Academy earns top spot in upcoming Class L tourney.

The contenders: No. 1 Bacon Academy (ECC), No. 2 Pomperaug (SWC), No. 3 Berlin (CCC), No. 4 Watertown (NVL), No. 5 Wilton (FCIAC), No. 6 RHAM (CCC).

The sleepers: No. 12 Tolland (CCC), No. 22 Foran (SCC).

The nail-biters: No. 18 Kennedy  at No. 15 Hand , No. 22 Foran  at No. 11 East Lyme (All games Feb. 25 at 7 p.m.).

Class M

The bracket: Cromwell looks to run through Class as top seed.

The contenders: No. 1 Cromwell (SLC), No. 2 Notre Dame-Fairfield (SWC), No. 3 Haddam-Killingworth (SLC).

The sleepers: No. 9 Kolbe-Cathedral (SWC), No. 10 Trinity Catholic (FCIAC), No. 11 Ansonia (NVL).

The nail-biters: No. 17 Stonington at No. 16 Rocky Hill, No. 21 St. Paul Catholic at No. 12 Weaver (All games Feb. 26 at 7 p.m.)

Class S

The bracket: Capital Prep is the favorite and opens as the No. 1 seed.

The contenders: No. 1 Captial Prep (CSC), No. 3 Thomaston (BL), No. 4 Morgan (SLC).

The sleepers: No. 2 Cheney Tech (CSC), No. 7 Platt Tech (CSC), No. 6 Somers (NCCC), No. 22 Hyde Leadership (SLC),

The nail-biters: No. 17 Parish Hill at No. 16 Old Saybrook (All games on Feb. 25).

Lauralton Hall wins the 2013 SWC Championship
 



The 2013 SWC Final Halftime Report

No. 1 Lauralton Hall 29, No. 3 Notre Dame-Fairfield 10: The Crusaders used a 17-6 second quarter to dominate the first half as Michelle DeSantis scored 11 points to pace Lauralton Hall.

The Crusaders led 25-6 midway through the second quarter.

Follow all the action from the SWC Final

ow

Career wins the 2013 SCC championship
 

SCC final update

No. 2 Mercy 25, No. 1 Career 22 (halftime): Maria Weselyj has a team-high eight points to lead the Tigers in the Southern Connecticut Conference Final. 

Mercy held Career to 38 percent shooting and forced six turnovers.

Conversely, the Panthers have been led by Nicole Anderson and Tanaya Atkinson, who both have eight at the half to lead Career.

The Panthers have held the Tigers to a frosty 41percent from the floor and just 20 percent from the 3-point line. 

For continued coverage of the SCC Final, stay right here.

The rematch is set!!

Follow the SCC Final right here!

Mercy 60, Sacred Heart Academy 34: Maria Weselyj scored a game-high 27 points and nailed seven 3-pointers and Jordyn Nappi added 11 points as the Tigers advance to play top-seeded Career in the Southern Connecticut Conference championship at the TD Bank Sports Center at Quinnipiac University Tuesday at 7 p.m,  

CAREER 50, FORAN 37:  Tanaya Atkinson scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the top-seeded Panthers over the fourth-seeded Lions in the Southern Connecticut Conference semifinals at East Haven High School on Monday.

The Panthers will play either No. 2 seed Mercy or the No. 6 seed Sacred Heart Academy in the final Tuesday at Quinnipiac.

Atkinson was evaluated after suffering from concussion-like symptoms on Saturday. The forward hit her head against an Amity player's knee cap in a quarterfinal victory. Atkinson started and played most of the game Monday.

Keep up with the SCC semis

WALLINGFORD -- Top-seeded Career won its Southern Connecticut Conference quarterfinal game against No. 8 Amity, but the Panthers also may have lost a big piece of their team for an extended period.

2012 New Haven Register All State member, junior forward Tanaya Atkinson, got pushed from behind,  bumped her head on an Amity players knee pad and was transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital with an apparent concussion midway through the fourth.

Before departing, the forward scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Panthers, the No. 2 team in the New Haven Register Top 10 poll, to a 64-45 victory at Sheehan.

"I'm not a doctor, but at this point I would believe its a concussion," Career coach Steve Bethke said.

No. 6 Sacred Heart Academy 58, No. 3 Hand 47: The Pacers used a 23-13 third quarter spurt and a game-high 16 points from junior point guard Shyla Osmond to knock out the Tigers.

Micaela Montini added 14 for Sacred Heart Academy, which improved to 14-7. 

Meanwhile, Hand fell to 13-8. Senior guard Maggie Fitzgerald had a team-high seven points.

No. 2 Mercy 78, No. 7 Lyman Hall 48: Senior guard Jordyn Nappi drained five of the Tigers' eight 3-pointers and finished with 21 points and senior Maria Weselyj added a game-high 22 points as Mercy eliminated Lyman Hall.

"Jordyn had a little mini slump, so it was good to see her have a game like that and make some shots," Mercy coach Tim Kohs said. 

The Tigers, who are ranked No. 4 in the New Haven Register Top 10 poll,  improved to 20-1. 

Krista Peterson scored 17 to lead Lyman Hall and nailed three triples as the Trojans hit seven 3-pointers. The Trojans are 12-9.

No. 4 Foran 50, No. 5 Guilford 41: Teneya McLaughlin scored a game-high 21 points and the Lions advanced to the the SCC semifinals for the first time in school history.

"We always tell the girls, you get out of it what you put into it," Foran coach Scott Nails said. 

Kyra Backetter added 11 points off the bench for Foran, which improved to 13-8.

"She came in and got a lot of hustle points," Nails said. 

Ali Hart and Carly Puchini both had nine for the Indians, who fell to 13-8.

SCC Semifinals

(At East Haven High School)

No. 4 Foran vs. No. 1 Career, 5 p.m.

No. 6 Sacred Heart Academy vs. No. 2 Mercy, 7 p.m.

No. 4 Foran 50, No. 5 Guilford 41: Teneya McLaughlin scored a game-high 21 points and the Lions advanced to the the SCC semifinals for the first time in school history. "We always tell the girls, you get out of it what you put into it," Foran coach Scott Nails said. Kyra Backetter added 11 points off the bench for Foran, which improved to 13-8. "She came in and got a lot of hustle points," Nails said. Ali Hart and Carly Puchini both had nine for the Indians, who fell to 13-8.

No. 2 Mercy 78, No. 7 Lyman Hall 48: Senior guard Jordyn Nappi drained five of the Tigers' eight 3-pointers and finished with 21 points and senior Maria Weselyj added a game-high 22 points as Mercy eliminated Lyman Hall.

The Tigers, who are ranked No. 4 in the New Haven Register Top 10 poll,  improved to 20-1. 

Krista Peterson scored 17 to lead Lyman Hall and nailed three triples as the Trojans hit seven 3-pointers. The Trojans are 12-9.

No. 6 Sacred Heart Academy 58, No. 3 Hand 47: The Pacers used a 23-13 third quarter spurt and a game-high 16 points from junior point guard Shyla Osmond to knock out the Tigers at Sheehan High School in Wallingford.

Micaela Montini added 14 for Sacred Heart Academy, which improved to 14-7. 

Meanwhile, Hand fell to 13-8. Senior guard Maggie Fitzgerald had a team-high seven points.

2013 Southern Connecticut Conference Girls Basketball Playoff Pairings

Quarterfinals - Saturday, Feb. 16 @Sheehan High School

#3 Daniel Hand (13-7) vs. #6 Sacred Heart Academy (13-7) – 11 a.m.

#2 Mercy (18-1) vs. #7 Lyman Hall (12-8)  – 12:45 p.m.

#1 Career (17-3) vs. #8 Amity (13-7) – 2:30 p.m.

#4 Foran (12-8) vs. #5 Guilford (13-7) – 4:15 p.m.

Semifinals – Monday, Feb. 18 @East Haven High School

Career/Amity winner vs. Foran/Guilford winner – 5 p.m.

Mercy/Lyman Hall winner vs. Daniel Hand/Sacred Heart Academy winner – 6:45 p.m.

Championship Game – Tuesday, Feb. 19 @TD Bank Sports Center – Quinnipiac University – 7 p.m.

Special thanks to Richard M. Zalusky of the Willimantic Chronicle for providing me with the pairings in the Eastern Connecticut Conference tournament. No. 8 Bacon Academy just knocked off No. 2 Career by 11 on Thursday and Bacon snags the top spot in the ECC tourney. Make sure to check out The Chronicle to read Zalusky all throughout the ECC tournament.

Quarterfinals
Saturday
(At Plainfield)
No. 8 St. Bernard (12-8) vs. No. 1 Bacon Academy (18-1), noon
No. 5 East Lyme (15-4) vs. No. 4 Plainfield (15-5), 2 p.m.
No. 7 Stonington (13-7) vs. No. 2 Ledyard (17-3), 4 p.m.
No. 6 Montville (15-5) vs. No. 3 Norwich Free Academy (14-5), 6 p.m.

Semifinals
Wednesday
(At NFA)
Quarterfinal winners at 6 and 7:30 p.m.

Championship
Friday
(At NFA)
Semifinal winners at 7 p.m.

One of the state's best teams, Cromwell, is the top seed in the Shoreline Conference tournament. The nine-team playoff gets going on Sunday with an eight versus nine play-in game. The site for the semifinals will be be announced soon, all signs point to Coginchaug being the host school for that round. Updated pairings and seedings are below.

Shoreline 
Tournament

Play-in game
Sunday
Valley Regional (9-11) vs. North Branford (8-12), TBA

Quarterfinals
Monday
(at higher seed)
No. 8 Valley Regional/North Branford vs. No. 1 Cromwell (20-0), 7 p.m.
No. 7 East Hampton (10-10) vs. No. 2 Haddam-Killingworth (16-4), 7 p.m.
No. 6 Old Saybrook (11-9) vs. No. 3 Morgan (16-4), 5 p.m.
No. 5 Hyde vs. No. 4 Coginchaug (13-7), 7 p.m.

Semifinals
Wednesday
(at site TBA)
H-K/East Hampton winner vs. Old Saybrook/Morgan winner, 6 p.m.
Hyde/Coginchaug winner vs. Valley Regional/North Branford/Cromwell winner, 7:45 p.m

Championship
Friday
(at Wilbur Cross)
Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.

The SCC tournament pairings have been released and Career is the top seed. The Panthers recently lost to Bacon Academy in a non conference game, which will impact the NHR Top 10, but not the SCC seedings.

Expect wall-to-wall coverage of the first round Saturday with polls, videos, stories and a notebook, right here on www.nhregister.com

2013 Southern Connecticut Conference Girls Basketball Playoff Pairings

 

Quarterfinals - Saturday, Feb. 16 @Sheehan High School

#3 Daniel Hand (13-7) vs. #6 Sacred Heart Academy (13-7) – 11 a.m.

#2 Mercy (18-1) vs. #7 Lyman Hall (12-8)  – 12:45 p.m.

#1 Career (17-3) vs. #8 Amity (13-7) – 2:30 p.m.

#4 Foran (12-8) vs. #5 Guilford (13-7) – 4:15 p.m.

 

Semifinals – Monday, Feb. 18 @East Haven High School

Career/Amity winner vs. Foran/Guilford winner – 5 p.m.

Mercy/Lyman Hall winner vs. Daniel Hand/Sacred Heart Academy winner – 6:45 p.m.

 

Championship Game – Tuesday, Feb. 19 @TD Bank Sports Center – Quinnipiac University – 7 p.m.

Vote for the top performance. Polls close Saturday at noon.

Blizzard story

By Henry Chisholm

hchisholm@nhregister.com

@NHRHenryC on Twitter

The Foran and Amity girls' basketball teams are using creative ways to keep in touch with their players, despite not practicing since last Wednesday due to the blizzard. 

According to Foran coach Scott Nails, the Lions are using software called hudl.com, which enables Nails to download taped Foran  games and share them with his players.

He said the team started using it this season. It also allows him to send direct voice messages in the game film to his players.

"Say I have a message for Taylor Ceballos because she missed a block out assignment, I can send a voice message only to her saying you missed this block out assignment," Nails said.

The Lions, who clinched a state and Southern Connecticut Conference playoff spot with a 11-8 overall record and a 7-1 SCC Hammonaset record, are eager to face a Lyman Hall team that defeated them earlier this season.

"It was the second game of the season," Nails said. "We're a different team now."

Meanwhile in Woodbridge, Amity has been consistent all season, holding steady at 12-7 overall and 5-3 in the SCC Housatonic Division.

Amity was going to close the season against Guilford this week. The Spartans have not touched a basketball since a three-point loss to Sacred Heart Academy last Thursday.

Spartans coach Michelle Martinik said she has kept in touch with her players using a program called Remind 101.

She said it enables her to send one text and reach all of her players. It also converts text messages to emails.

Still with school cancellations looming, practice may not come anytime soon. 

Martinik said she is confident her players won't be rusty when the team gets back on the court. 

She said she has encouraged them to stay active and eat right.

"We harp on that all year," she said. "Don't eat this, don't eat that, we just hope that what the (assistant) coaches have been telling them all year continues through this tough time." 

Can West Haven clinch a spot in the state playoffs with an upset victory over No. 5 Mercy?