Seven-game win streak puts Canton into state tourney and first place in NCCC

Ben Cuniowski pulls down a rebound in a game earlier this season against Avon. The Warriors have won seven straight and are in first place in the NCCC.

The Canton High boys basketball team came into the season with a team full of seniors and high expectations to contend for the North Central Connecticut Conference title and a state championship.

However, the Warriors didn’t get off the start they expected. Canton lost four of their first five games, including a pair of losses to Suffield. Starting guard Luke Maher played just two games before getting injured in a skiing accident.

“When you lose a player who plays major minutes, everyone has to figure out their new roles and how to step up. The players and the coaches,” Canton High coach Craig Archambault said. “It took us a few games to get there.”

Canton has recovered nicely. The Warriors beat Stafford on Friday night, 56-55, for their seventh straight win and qualified for the CIAC state tournament for the tenth consecutive season, excluding the 2021 season when there were no CIAC tournaments due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Taylor Kim hit a three-point shot with 15 seconds remaining to put the Warriors ahead for good. He took the pass from leading scorer Brandon Powell, who drove into the lane and was immediately surrounded by Bulldog defenders.

Kim’s shot gave Canton the one-point lead and the Warriors defended well in the final seconds to secure the victory.

The winning streak has catapulted Canton (8-4, 7-1 NCCC) into first place in the league. Suffield (8-3, 5-1), Windsor Locks (9-1, 4-1), Somers (9-5, 4-2) and SMSA (8-4, 4-2) trail the Warriors.

“Our league is so balanced everyone has at least one loss already,” Archambault said.

Powell had 25 points on Tuesday night as Canton handed Windsor Locks their first loss of the season. Matthew Benedetti added a season-high 14 in the victory with Ben Cuniowski chipping with nine points.

In the previous week, the Warriors outlasted Coventry, 43-41 in overtime with Powell scoring 18 points and Khalil Thomas adding 11. The game was played on Saturday, Jan. 21 at noon because no officials were available on Friday night.

“It’s been a real collective group effort,” Archambault said. “Everyone has stepped up and our bench has been great.”

Canton High coach Craig Archambault and his Warriors have qualified for the CIAC state tournament for the 10th straight time, a program record for consecutive post-season berths.

Powell is a dynamic player but well known to the schools in the NCCC, who consistently collapse on the senior forward, resulting in additional passes and opportunities to score for his teammates. His game-winning assist to Kim in the Stafford game is a prime example. Kim is a defensive stopper on the team but his scoring has picked up in recent games with a career-high 13 points against East Windsor and 11 against Stafford.

Ben Cuniowski’s scoring has increased as seen in a career-high 19-point effort against Stafford. Matthew Benedetti had 19 points in a win over Granby along with his game-high 14 against Windsor Locks. Khalil Thomas had 11 points in the win over Coventry. Ryan Benedetti, Jake Dean and Ryan Cuniowski are supplying valuable minutes off the bench, Archambault said.

The winning streak began with a 52-41 win over Somers on Jan. 6 and includes a 56-40 win over Rockville, a 56-42 victory over Granby and a 65-43 decision over East Windsor.

The road ahead remains challenging. Canton travels to Hartford on Tuesday to face SMSA and then faces Cromwell (11-1) at home on Thursday night before battling Ellington Saturday at noon on the road. Two days later, the Warriors will travel to Northwestern Regional (11-2) in Barkhamsted on Monday, Feb. 6.

The SMSA and Ellington games will help define which team will be in position for an opportunity win the NCCC championship.

SMSA is the defending NCCC champion. Canton last won the league championship in 2018 with Windsor Locks’ last title coming in 2001 and Suffield last winning the championship in 2000.

Canton 55, Stafford 54
At Canton
Stafford (54) Colin Tozier 5-1-13, Tom Balanceau 4-0-11, Colin Gudeman 4-1-10, Zach Donovan 4-2-10, Dylan McLaughlin 1-3-5, Drew Ledbetter 2-1-5, Gavin Mills 0-1-1. Totals 20-9-55
Canton (55) Taylor Kim 4-0-11, Khali Thomas 1-0-2, Ben Cuniowski 8-3-19, Brandon Powell 5-7-17, Jake Dean 1-0-2, Matthew Benedetti 2-1-5, Ryan Cuniowski 0-0-0, Ryan Benedetti 0-0-0. Totals 21-11-56
Stafford (3-9)                14  17  11  13  — 54
Canton (8-4)                 14  16  13  13  — 55
Three-point goals: Tozier (S) 2, Balanceau (S) 3, Gudeman (S), Kim (C) 3

BOYS BASKETBALL, as of Jan. 28, 2023