Ryan McGoldrick looks to dribble up the floor in Friday night’s 3 OT loss to Somers. (Photo courtesy Paul Amrose)
CANTON, January 31 – What a week of basketball it was for the Canton High boys basketball team. On Monday night, the Warriors erased an 11-point second quarter deficit to surge past Nonnewaug. Two days later, Canton rode a second quarter surge to a win over HMTCA.
On Friday night, the Warriors played a marathon game with Somers, going to triple overtime before dropping a 75-73 decision in North Central Connecticut Conference play.
Alex Barresi and Egan Foye scored 17 points each for Somers (13-2, 11-1 NCCC) while Brady Palazzesi scored 16 points and Aiden Miller added 15.
Matt Rose had a game-high 24 points for Canton (13-2, 9-2 NCCC) while Ryan McGoldrick scored 13 and Jack Rose added 12. But by the third overtime, four Canton starters had fouled out of the game (Matt Rose, Josh Burke, McGoldrick, Jack Rose) as Somers was able to find a way to win.
Somers had a 34-27 lead at halftime but Canton fought its way back into the game. Palazzesi hit a runner in the lane to give the visiting Spartans a 52-50 lead with 2:04 left in regulation. Matt Rose sank a pair of free throws with 1:48 remaining to tie the game at 52-52. Jack Rose’s three-point attempt at the buzzer missed.
Somers led by two, 58-56, with under two minutes left in OT before Matt Rose hit a short jumper to tie the game with 1:12 remaining. Somers milked the clock and Palazzesi missed a potential game-winning three-point shot at the buzzer.
In the second overtime, Somers took a four-point lead, 64-60, with 2:23 remaining. Barresi scored on a drive through two defenders and scored on a backdoor layup. Palazzessi sank one of two free throws with 1:33 left to push the lead to five, 65-60.
But Canton wouldn’t quit. Matt Rose sank a pair of free throws with 1:33 left to cut the lead to three, 65-62. After Somers’ Derek Hostetler missed two free throws, Matt Rose was fouled again with 1:17 remaining and sank both free throws to cut the lead to one, 65-64.Miller converted on one of two free throws for Somers to give the Spartans a three-point lead, 67-64.
Burke tied it up for Canton with a deep three-point shot with 30 second remaining. Burke finished with nine points and it was only successful three and it came at a pivotal moment.
It was becoming a game of attrition in the third overtime. Two Somers starters fouled out in the second OT. By the time there was a minute left in the third OT, the Warriors had three starters fouled out on the bench. Somers took a 74-70 lead with 33 seconds left after Baressi sank a pair of free throws.
Silas Sawtelle drained a three-point shot with 17 seconds left to cut the lead to one, 74-73. Cody Palazzesi made one of two free throws with 12 seconds left to increase the lead to two, 75-73. Chris Tenczar’s runner in the lane missed in the final seconds.
It was just the fifth triple OT game in school history and the first since Canton topped Hartford Classical in the 2016 NCCC Tournament semifinals, 74-68. The school record for most OT periods is five. In 1966, Avon beat Canton, 59-58 in five OTs.
Somers and Canton have a recent history of overtime contests. The Spartans beat Canton in OT last February, 58-53 and Canton topped Somers in OT in 2017, 43-40.
Josh Burke puts up a shot in Friday night’s loss to Somers. (Photo courtesy Paul Amrose)
Against HMTCA, Canton scored 33 points in the second quarter to turn a two-point deficit after the first quarter into a 17-point halftime lead. Josh Burke scored a career-high 28 points with five 3-point field goals. Burke topped his previous career-high of 25 points set a year ago in a win over East Windsor last January and on Monday against Nonnewaug.
Defense helped turn the game around against Nonnewaug. Burke caught fire scoring 11 points in a 13-1 run by the Warriors that gave Canton the lead late in the second quarter. Burke scored on four consecutive possessions including a pair of three-point shots.
Canton returns to the hardwood on Tuesday night when the Warriors travel to Coventry to take on the Patriots at 6:45 p.m. Canton returns home to host league-leading and undefeated SMSA (14-0, 11-0 NCCC) on Friday night at 6:45 p.m.
Somers 75, Canton 73, 3 OT
At Canton
Somers (75) Brady Palazzesi 7 1 16, Cody Palazzesi 1 1 3, Aiden Miller 5 5 15, Derek Hostetler 2 0 5, Alex Barresi 5 6 17, Egan Foye 8 1 17, Dimitri Sanchez 0-2-2. Totals 28 16 75
Canton (73) Chris Tenczar 4 0 9, Matt Rose 6 12 24, Silas Sawtelle 2 0 6, Josh Burke 3 2 9, Ryan McGoldrick 4 3 13, Jack Rose 5 1 12, Thomas Amrose 0-0-0, Colin Mackin 0-0-0. Totals 24 18 73
Somers (13-2) 13 21 11 7 6 9 8 — 75
Canton (13-2) 14 13 13 12 6 9 6 –73
Three-point shots: Barresi (S), Hostetler (S), B. Palazzesi (S), McGoldrick (Ca) 2, Burke (Ca), J. Rose (Ca), Tenczar (Ca)
NCCC standings
| NCCC | Overall | |
| SMSA | 11-0 | 14-0 |
| Somers | 11-1 | 13-2 |
| Canton | 9-2 | 13-2 |
| Granby | 9-2 | 9-3 |
| Ellington | 5-4 | 8-4 |
| HMTCA | 7-4 | 9-6 |
| Friday’s results Somers 75, Canton 73, 3 OT SMSA 72, Ellington 70 Granby 67, Coventry 45 |
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| Tuesday’s games Granby at SMSA HMTCA at Somers Coventry at Canton |
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Canton 68, HMTCA 56
At Hartford (Jan. 29)
Canton (68) Chris Tenczar 3 3 9, Colin Mackin 3 1 7, Matt Rose 2 2 6, Silas Sawtelle 1 1 3, Thomas Amrose 1 0 2, Josh Burke 9 5 28, Ryan McGoldrick 0 2 2, Jack Rose 4 1 11. Totals 23 15 68
HMTCA (56) Alex D’Attilio 5 4 16, Demir Kandic 1 3 5, Ethan Wellington 5 0 10, Brandon Rosemond 2 2 8, Richardson Mersan 2 0 4, Caron Henderson 2 0 4, Christian Smith 1 1 3, Jahzion Clarke 1 0 2, Zevion Morris 1 0 2, Benny Calderon 0 2 2. Totals 20 12 56
Canton (13-1) 6 33 13 16 — 68
HMTCA (9-6) 8 14 20 14 — 56
Three-point shots: Burke (Ca) 5, J. Rose (Ca) 2, D’Attilio (H) 2, Rosemond (H) 2
Canton 76, Nonnewaug 58
At Canton (Jan. 27)
Nonnewaug (58) Colby Steinfeld 3 1 9, Brendan Burke 0 2 2, Jackson Baker 2 0 5, Ben Conti 1 2 5, Tyler Lindberg 2 1 5, Jon Khazzaka 4 4 14, Anthony Bambino 2 0 4, Ethan Ciesielski 5 4 14. Totals 19 14 58
Canton (76) Chris Tenczar 3 1 8, Matt Rose 4 1 9, Silas Sawtelle 2 1 6, Thomas Amrose 2 0 4, Josh Burke 8 5 25, Ryan McGoldrick 1 0 2, Kyle Maher 1 0 2, Luke Maher 1 0 2, Jack Rose 7 4 18. Totals 29 12 76
Nonnewaug (7-4) 20 5 19 14 — 58
Canton (12-1) 12 14 12 28 — 76
Three-point shots: Steinfeld (N) 2, Baker (N), Conti (N), Khazzaka (N) 2, Tenczar (Ca), Sawtelle (Ca), Burke (Ca) 4,
