Canton’s Paige Brown, left, and Gabbie Schinkel, right put pressure on Notre Dame-Fairfield’s Erin Harris (3) in earlier this season.
CANTON, February 12 – For the second consecutive season, the Canton High girls basketball team has earned the top seed in the North Central Connecticut Conference’s post-season tournament that begins on Wednesday.
Canton (19-1, 16-0) went undefeated in the league for the second year in a row and won their sixth league championship. They will begin play in the tournament on Friday night, February 16 in the quarterfinals against either No. 9 Windsor Locks (10-10, 7-9 NCCC) or No. 8 East Granby (11-9, 7-9 NCCC).
Windsor Locks will travel to East Granby on Wednesday night to play a first round contest.
The league semifinals will be Tuesday with the championship game on Thursday, February 21. All the games will be on the floor of the highest seed.
East Windsor is the defending NCCC Tournament champion. The Panthers won their first NCCC girls tournament last year with a 43-42 win over Canton. The Warriors are looking for their first NCCC Tournament crown since 1997.
The tournament field is nearly set and 10 teams have qualified to play.
The NCCC invites teams that have qualified for the CIAC tournaments to play in the league tournament. Coventry (6-12, 5-11 NCCC) can earn a NCCC Tournament berth with victories over Norwich Tech on Wednesday and Innovation on Thursday.
If Coventry wins both games, they will also earn the No. 10 seed in the NCCC Tournament, pushing Bolton (8-12, 5-11 NCCC) into the No. 11 spot. If Coventry doesn’t get eight wins, Bolton will take the No. 10 seed.
UPDATE (Feb. 14): Coventry won their final two games of the regular season to earn a bid in the NCCC Tournament. The Patriots (8-12) beat Norwich Tech on Wednesday night, 44-27 and beat Innovation-New Britain on Thursday night, 58-21.
2019 NCCC girls basketball tournament
Seeds: 1. Canton, 2. SMSA, 3. Granby, 4. Suffield, 5. East Windsor, 6. Ellington, 7. Somers, 8. East Granby, 9. Windsor Locks, 10. Coventry, 11. Bolton
First round
East Granby 35, Windsor Locks 34
Friday, February 15
First round
Somers 45, Coventry 25
Quarterfinals
Canton 56, East Granby 31
Suffield 47, East Windsor 23
Saturday, February 16
First round
Ellington 68, Bolton 27
Quarterfinals
SMSA 62, Somers 52
Quarterfinal
Ellington 48, Granby 40
Tuesday, February 19
At site of the higher seed
Suffield at Canton
Ellington at SMSA
Championship
Thursday, February 21
At site of the higher seed
2019 NCCC girls basketball standings
As of Monday, February 11
| Team | NCCC | Overall |
| x-Canton | 16-0 | 19-1 |
| SMSA | 15-1 | 17-3 |
| Granby | 13-3 | 15-5 |
| Suffield | 13-3 | 15-5 |
| East Windsor | 10-6 | 13-7 |
| Ellington | 10-6 | 13-7 |
| Somers | 9-7 | 12-8 |
| East Granby | 7-9 | 11-9 |
| Windsor Locks | 7-9 | 10-10 |
| Bolton | 5-11 | 8-12 |
| Coventry | 5-11 | 6-12 |
| Rockville | 5-11 | 5-15 |
| Stafford | 2-14 | 5-14 |
| HMTCA | 2-14 | 5-15 |
| Classical | 1-15 | 3-17 |
| x-won league championship | ||
Recent NCCC Tournament championship games
2018: East Windsor 43, Canton 42
2017: Suffield 53, East Windsor 29
2016: Enfield 48, Bolton 41
2015: Avon 60, Bolton 46
2014: Avon 43, Bolton 26
2013: Ellington 59, Avon 56
2012: Ellington 48, Suffield 45
2011: Ellington 60, East Granby 45
2010: Avon 54, Ellington 47
2009: Avon 33, Tolland 21
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