Undefeated Canton girls top Saints to win East Lyme Holiday championship

Canton’s Maggie Treacy. shown in last year’s state tournament, had a game-high 22 points in the win over St. Bernard on Wednesday night to win the East Lyme Holiday Tournament.

MONTVILLE, Jan. 21 – There was no trophy on hand Wednesday night but the undefeated Canton High girls basketball team won the East Lyme Holiday tournament with a 54-26 victory over St. Bernard in Montville. 

The championship game was originally scheduled to be played on Dec. 29 in East Lyme but the game was postponed after threatening posts were discovered on social media. It is the first tournament title earned by the Warriors (12-0) since they won Haddam-Killingworth’s Derita Construction Classic in 2010. 

It was a tight game in the first half. The Saints led by one after one quarter and the Warriors led by four, 24-20 at halftime. St. Bernard’s 6-foot-3 sophomore Caitlyn Dittman scored 15 of her team-high 19 points in the first half. 

“We got off to a slow start and struggled to match up with their size inside,” Canton coach Brian Medieros said. “We weren’t able to pressure their guards and negate their size advantage.” 

But some halftime adjustments did the trick as Canton forced 15 turnovers in the second half. “The girls’ intensity and fight was so impressive in the second half led by Katie Walker, Gabby Rose and Jacquie Grabowski,” Medieros said. “Gabby and Jacquie did a great job on Dittman.” 

Walker, Rose and Grabowski combined for 12 steals. 

Offensively, Maggie Treacy had a game-high 22 points and seven steals while Emily Briggs chipped in with 15 points. The victory wasn’t without a cost. Two key players off the bench, Abbe Skinner and Carly Atkinson, left the game after injuring their ankles. 

In the tournament semifinals on Dec. 27, Canton limited Granby to just 14 points in the second half to earn a 47-36 win in Canton. In the other semifinal game in East Lyme, St. Bernard beat East Lyme, 26-24. Granby will play East Lyme in the tournament’s consolation game on February 16 in East Lyme. 

The victory over St. Bernard’s was Canton’s second win in two days. The Warriors rolled to a 44-13 win over Somers on Tuesday. Treacy scored the first 10 points of the game and Canton never looked back. 

Canton (12-0, 10-0 NCCC) hosts Suffield (7-4, 7-3 NCCC) on Friday night at home beginning at 7 p.m. 

Canton 54, St. Bernard’s 26
At Montville
Canton (54): Katie Walker 2 2-2 6, Emily Briggs 7 1-2 15, Jacquie Grabowski 2 3-5 7, Maggie Treacy 7 7-10 22, Gabby Rose 2 0-0 4, Emma Charron 0-0-0, Abbe Skinner 0-0-0, Leah Eschembrenner 0-0-0, Carly Atkinson 0-0-0, Belle Magna 0-0-0. Totals 20 13-19 54
St. Bernard (5-7): Emily Smith 0 1-2 1, Kara Bassett 1 0-0 2, Briana Beverly  2 0-0 4, Kaitlyn Berkel 2 2-4 7, Caitlyn Dittman 8 2-4 19, Courtney Rose 0-0-0. Totals 14 6-13 36
Canton (12-0)              9  14  14  17 – 54
St. Bernard (5-7)         10  10  5  11 — 36
Three-point goals: Treacy (C), Berkel (S), DIttman (S) 

Canton 44 Somers 13
At Somers
Canton (44): Katie Walker 1 0-0 2, Emily Briggs 4 0-0 8, Jacquie Grabowski 1 0-0 2, Maggie Treacy 6 1-1 14, Gabby Rose 2 1-2 5, Emma Charron 1 0-0 2, Abby Skinner 0-0-0, Leah Eschembrenner 3 2-2 9, Carly Atkinson 1 0-0 2, Belle Magna 0-0-0. Totals 19 4-5 44
Somers (13):L. Nosal 0-0-0, Erin Eastwood 1 1-2 3, Holly King 1 0-0 2, Danielle Urban 1 0-0 2, Madison Renaud 2 0-2 4, Alaina Murphy 1 0-0 2, S. Sullivan 0-0-0, S. Salvador 0-0-0. Totals 6 1-4 13
Canton (11-0)    16  13  7  8  — 44
Somers (1-10)     2    2  3  6  — 13
Three-point goals: Treacy (C), Eschembrenner (C)