Roundup: Canton prevails in 2 OT, Mills upsets SMSA

Canton’s Tate Bemis drives to the basket during Monday night’s double OT win over Windsor Locks in the first round of the CIAC Division IV state tournament (Photo courtesy Paul Amrose)

CANTON, March 3, 2025 – Windsor Locks’ Sincere Monroe had a game-high 43 points and hit seven shots from three-point range but the Canton High boys basketball team found a way to win on Monday night.

The visiting Raiders erased an eight-point deficit with 30 seconds left in overtime to force a second OT period.

The Warriors made two big plays in the final 30 seconds to lift No. 8 Canton to an 81-77 victory in double overtime over No. 22 Windsor Locks in the first round of the CIAC Division IV tournament.

Canton advances to Wednesday’s second round and will host No. 24 Woodstock Academy at 6:30 p.m. Woodstock upset No. 9 Lakeview Regional, 54-44.

Canton (16-7) had a three-point lead in the second OT but Windsor Locks’ Nasir Lewis hit a three-point shot to tie the game at 77-77. On the Raiders’ next possession, Ryan Cuniowski stole the ball and fed Chase Alhgren, who scored on a layup for a 79-77 advantage.

Locks missed on their next trip down the floor and Canton pulled in the rebound. David Grabowski drove the basket to score with about 10 seconds left and a four-point lead, 81-77.

Cuniowski led the Warriors with 28 points while Brayden Keefe added 21, including five shots from beyond the three-point line. Alhgren scored 13 in the win. Upset-minded Windsor Locks finishes at 9-14. Jack Grasso added 16 for the Raiders.

Canton got a nice drive to the basket from Cuniowski with about two seconds left in regulation to tie the game, 57-57, and send the game into overtime.

In the first OT session, Canton got a block from Cuniowski and a steal from Jayden Young to help build an eight-point lead, 70-62, with about 30 seconds remaining. But Locks wouldn’t fold.

Canton was hit for a technical foul for pushing a player. Grasso hit two foul shots to cut the lead to six and when the Raiders got the ball back, Grasso drained a three-point shot with 22 seconds left to cut the lead to three, 70-67.

Bemis hit one of two free throws and Monroe scored on a layup to cut the lead to two, 71-69. Keefe hit one-of-two free throws to extend the lead to 72-69 but Monroe hit a three-point shot to send the game into a second OT period.

Monroe had seven three-point shots for Windsor Locks.

It was the first OT game in a state tournament for Canton since losing to Wamogo, 52-50 in first round loss in 2022.

It was just the second multiple overtime game in the CIAC tournament in school history for Canton. The only other double OT game in the state tournament for the Warriors came in 1985 when Granby outlasted Canton, 66-65.

Canton 81, Windsor Locks 77, 2 OT
At Canton
Windsor Locks (77) Sincere Monroe 16 4-9 43, Jack Grasso 5 5-6 16, Garrett Hinckley 0-0-0, J’vion Laboy 2-0-4, Nasir Lewis 2 2-2 8, Jason Mournighan 2 1-2 6. Totals 27 12-19 77
Canton (81) Tate Bemis 2 2-4 7, Jayce Turner 1-0-2, Ryan Cuniowski 12 4-6 28, Jayden Young 1-0-2, Brayden Keefe 5 6-8 21, David Grabowski 4-0-8, Chase Alhgren 6 1-1 13, Mike Valenti 0-0-0. Totals 31  14-19 81
Windsor Locks (9-14)           15  10  19  13  15  5 – 77
Canton (16-7)                            13  18     8  14  15  9  — 81
Three-point shots: Monroe (WL) 7, Grasso (WL), Lewis (WL) 2, Mournighan (WL), Bemis (C), Keefe (C) 5
NOTE: Paul Amrose contributed to this story

Lewis Mills 66, SMSA 60
HARTFORD, March 3, 2025 – Tommy Dinunzio had a game-high 21 points and pulled down 14 rebounds as the No. 24 Lewis Mills boys basketball team held off No. 9 SMSA, 66-60 in a CIAC Division II tournament game on Monday night.

Mills (10-11) led wire-to-wire and had to hold off a furious Tiger rally to advance in the state tournament. Gavin Daly had 19 points, five rebounds and three assists while Brett Harding had 14 points and played some outstanding defense.

Chad Edmon scored nine points, including a pair of crucial free throws in the final minutes. Will Green also played well defensively for the Spartans.

Lewis Mills 66, SMSA 60
At Hartford
Lewis Mills (66) Gavin Daly 6-2-19, Brett Harding 6-0-14, Will Green 0-0-0, Logan Carrano 1-0-3, Tommy Dinunzio 8–5-21, Chad Edmond 2-4-9, Gage Kosak 0-0-0, Ethan Braddock 0-0-0. Totals 23-11-66
SMSA (60) Xzavion Rios 4-0-9, Ashton Wittingham 8-2-19, Marques Ross 3-0-8, Ja’Shawn Jernigan 1-0-3, Shamar Walton 5-0-10, Elijah Williams 4-0-8, Bishop Ross 1-1-3, Totals 25-3-60
Lewis Mills (10-11)      18  22  11  15  — 66
SMSA (17-7)                  10  21  19  20  — 60
Three-point shots: Daly (LM) 5, Harding (LM) 2, Carrano (LM), Edmond (LM), Rios (S), Wittingham (S), Ross (S) 2, Jernigan (S)

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Canton 69, Wolcott Tech 19
CANTON, March 3, 2025 – The Warriors tied a school record for fewest points allowed in a CIAC tournament game in their 69-19 win over Wolcott Tech in a first round Class S game on Monday night. No. 14 Canton (12-10) also gave up 19 points in a tournament victory over Ellis Tech ag year ago.

Canton advances to the second round where they will challenge No. 3 Coginchaug on Wednesday night in Durham.

BOYS HOCKEY
Newington co-op 3, Rocky Hill 0
NEWINGTON, March 3, 2025 – Goalie Anderson Claffey made 19 saves to earn the shutout as the Newington co-op ice hockey team concluded the regular season with a 3-0 shutout win at Newington Arena.

Josh Beaudoin, Paxton Kelly and Mason Buckley each had individual goals for the Nor’easters (12-8), who feature players from Newington, Canton, Cromwell, Berlin and Manchester. Jack Petronio had three assists for Newington while David Andrews and Danny Robison each had an assist.

Newington co-op 3, Rocky Hill 0
At Newington
Rocky Hill co-op (5-14-1)       0  0  0  — 0
Newington co-op (12-8)         0  2  1  — 3
Goals: Josh Beaudoin (N), Paxton Kelly (N), Mason Buckley (N); Assists: Beaudoin, Jack Petronio (N) 3, David Andews (N), Danny Robison (N); Saves: Anderson Claffey (N) 19, Kyle Kundrath (RH) 26. Shots: Newington 29-19