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With win over Canton, Falcons finish week on a high note

Avon’s Haley Chisholm (5) drives to the basket during Friday night’s game against Canton. The Falcons won for their second straight victory.

AVON, January 24, 2025 – The Avon High girls basketball finished out the week on a high note with victories in their last two contests.

On Tuesday night, the Falcons dropped their fourth straight contest in a 69-38 loss to No. 7 Southington. But on Thursday night, Avon got back on the winning track with a solid 50-30 win over Wethersfield.

Avon made it two straight games on Friday night with a 45-29 win over Canton, limiting the Warriors to just nine points in the second half and moving two victories away from securing a CIAC tournament berth.

Avon (6-8) had a four-point lead at the half and extended it to seven after three quarters. The Falcons outscored Canton,13-4 in the fourth quarter.

“What we’ve been looking for is to put together a complete game,” Avon High coach Drew Faucher said. “Last night and tonight something finally clicked with the girls. Tonight, they brought their toughness. They were locked in mentally.

Lila Bosanac led all scorers with 13 points while Haley Chisholm added 11 points. Sam Srb and Bridget Zybourski each had six points.

“That for is the big difference,” Faucher said. ”When we are focused on doing all of the little things well, our transition defense, executing out offense, hunting down great shots, that is when we are at our best and it’s come together the last two nights.”

Canton’s Riley Ahlgren (4) tries to get a shot up past Avon’s Sam Srb in Friday night’s non-conference game in Avon. The Falcons won 45-29.

On Thursday night against Wethersfield, Bosanac had 13 points with Paige Bartolucci adding nine and Srb scoring seven. The Falcons gave up just seven points in the second and third quarters.

Canton (7-6) came into the game with victories in three of their last four games. But they struggled with Avon’s pressure defense and committed multiple unforced turnovers.

“We missed a lot of shots we don’t usually miss, a lot of lauyps around the basket,” said Canton High coach Brian Medeiros, who secured his 200th career win on Wednesday night with a victory over Lakeview High from Litchfield.

“You can’t score nine points in the second half and expect to win,” he said. “We didn’t play poorly but you have to make them pay at the other end of the floor when you get those opportunities (to score).”

Sophomore Ruby Theberge led the Warriors with 11 points with Helen Canny adding seven.

The Falcons led by four at the half but scored seven of the first nine points of the third quarter to take a 31-22 lead. Bosanac hit one of her three 3-point shots, Eleanor Aquilar scored in the lane and Bartolucci scored off the baseline.

Lucy O’Connor sank a foul shot and Canny scored on a pull-up jumper after an Avon turnover to cut the lead to six, 31-25 with 2:14 left in the third quarter.

Canny scored another basket on the run with 7:06 remaining to cut Avon’s lead to seven but the Falcons got back-to-back baskets from a hustling Chisholm to take an 11-point lead.

It was the first game between the two old rivals since December 2021. Avon has won three of the last four games in the series with Canton’s last win coming in 2019. Since 1974, the Falcons hold a 51-32 edge in the series.

Avon 45, Canton 29
At Avon
Canton (29)
Ruby Theberge 4-3-11, Brooke Czerwinski 0-0-0, Kenzie Yanke 1-1-3, Riley Ahlgen 1-0-3, Emery Howard 1-0-2, Lucy O’Connor 1-1-3, Helen Canny 3-1-7. Totals 14-6-29
Avon (45) Kara Blondin 1-0-3, Haley Chisholm 5-0-11, Sam Srb 3-0-6, Lily Anderson 0-0-0, Anna Kelley 0-0-0, Paige Bartolucci 2-0-4, Candance Graves 0-0-0, Eleanor Aquilar 1-0-2, Lila Bosanac 5-0-13, Bridget Zybourski 1-3-6. Totals 18-3-45
Canton (7-6)       7  13  5  4  — 29
Avon (6-8)         15   9  8  13  — 45
Three-point goals: Ahlgren (C), Blondin (A), Chisholm (A), Bosanac (A) 3, Zybourski (A)

Gerry deSimas, Jr., is the editor and founder of The Collinsville Press. He is an award-winning writer and has been covering sports in Connecticut and New England for more than 40 years. He was inducted into the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018.

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