Canton’s Cameron Lange (30) had a game-high 18 points to lead the Warriors past Granby saturday night in the NCCC Tournament. (Photo courtesy Bill Brewster)
GRANBY, Feb. 27 – The Canton High boys basketball team has given away their share of leads this season – especially in the fourth quarter. It didn’t happen on Saturday night.
Connor Fallon drained a three-point shot with 38.4 seconds remaining to cut a six-point Canton lead to three. But the Warriors remained composed, sinking seven of their next eight free throw attempts and earned a 59-51 win over Granby in the quarterfinals of the NCCC Tournament.
The Warriors (15-6) get another shot at league co-champion Hartford Classical on Tuesday night in Hartford, at 7 p.m. in the tournament semifinal. SMSA (18-3), who shared the NCCC title with Classical with a 13-3 conference record, will host East Windsor (15-7). The championship game is set for Thursday night at a site to be determined.
Canton (15-6) nearly beat Classical last week as the two teams swapped the lead 10 times in the final quarter. Canton led by as many as 12 points in the second quarter but couldn’t hold onto the lead in a 66-65 loss.
It was a balanced effort from the Warriors, who were led by Cameron Lange’s 18 points. Ethan Burke scored 12 points while Rieley Hoffman, Luke Brown and Jake Schaetzel each had eight points. Jaiden Delaire led the Bears with 13 points.
Canton’s Rieley Hoffman (5) and the Warriors advance to the NCCC semifinals. (Photo courtesy Bill Brewster)
The Warriors led Granby by 10 points late in the fourth quarter, 52-42 before Tyler Disabella drained a jump shot, Jaiden Delaire sank two baskets and Fallon hit his three-point shot with 38 seconds remaining as part of a 9-2 Bear run.
Granby led by as many as eight points in the second quarter but the Warriors didn’t let this game get away from them. Down by eight late in the second quarter, Lange hit a three-pointer and Burke added two points to trim Granby’s halftime lead to three, 30-27. And Brown’s three-pointer early in the third quarter tied the game at 30-30.
Canton pulled away with a 15-2 run that gave them their 10-point lead with a balanced effort. Hoffman, Lange and Burke each had four points in the run.
It was the second straight year that the Warriors earned a NCCC Tournament victory in their opening contest. Canton beat Bolton by one point a year ago before getting bounced by Avon in the league semifinal. Canton’s last appearance in the NCCC Tournament championship game came in 2009 – a 71-65 loss to Avon.
Canton 59, Granby 51
At Granby
Canton (59) Rieley Hoffman 3-2-8, Azon Click 0-0-0, Luke Brown 2-2-8, Jake Schaetzel 4-0-8, Ethan Burke 4-4-12, Cameron Lange 5-5-18, Adam Eytan 2-1-5. Totals 20-14
Granby (51) Connor Field 3-0-7, Romelie Hardy 1-0-2, Tyler Disabella 4-0-8, Jaiden Delaire 6-1-13, R.J. Mooney 1-1-4, Connor Fallon 4-0-9, Freddy Moffa 3-2-8. Totals 22-4
Canton (15-6) 13 14 15 19 – 59
Granby (15-6) 17 13 10 11 – 51
Three-point goals: Brown (C) 2, Lange (C) 3, Field (G), Mooney (G), Fallon (G)
Bill Brewster contributed to this story.
NCCC Tournament
First round
Friday, Feb. 26
Ellington 60, Somers 50
East Windsor 57, Enfield 49
Quarterfinals
Saturday, Feb. 27
Hartford Classical 47, Ellington 45
Canton 59, Granby 51
East Windsor 54, Suffield 37
SMSA 62, Windsor Locks 50
Semifinals
Tuesday, March 1
Canton at Hartford Classical, 6 p.m.
East Windsor at. SMSA, 6 p.m.
Championship game
Thursday, March 3
Semifinal winners
Team NCCC Overall
x-Classical 13-3 16-4
x-SMSA 13-3 17-3
Suffield 12-4 15-5
Granby 12-4 15-5
Windsor Locks 11-5 13-7
Canton 10-6 14-6
East Windsor 10-6 13-7
Ellington 9-7 10-10
Somers 8-8 12-8
Enfield 7-9 9-11
East Granby 4-12 6-14
Coventry 2-14 4-16
Stafford 1-15 2-16
Bolton 0-16 0-20
x-shared league championship
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