Canton advances to NCCC Tournament semifinals; Mills loses in CCC

written by Gerry deSimas, Jr., Collinsville Press | February 24, 2023

Brandon Powell had a game-high 14 points in Canton’s NCCC Tournament win over Somers on Friday night.

CANTON, Feb. 24, 2023 – League co-champion Canton received a game-high 14 points from Brandon Powell and limited visiting Somers to just 40 points in a 47-40 victory in the quarterfinals of the NCCC Tournament Friday night.

Canton (13-8) advances to Tuesday’s semifinals in East Granby where they will face Ellington at 7 p.m.

Ben Cuniowski scored 12 points for the Warriors while Matthew Benedetti chipped in with 10 points.

In other NCCC quarterfinal action, No. 2 and league co-champion Windsor Locks beat No. 7 Stafford, 53-38 with No. 4 Ellington outlasting No. 5 Suffield, 60-50. No. 3 SMSA beat No. 5 Coventry, 64-49. Windsor Locks will face SMSA in the other semifinal game on Tuesday night.

Canton 47, Somers 40
At Canton
Somers (40) Troy Maia 4-3-11, Trevor Gentile 1-0-2, Colby McCormick 2-2-8, Brandon David 2-0-5 , Andrew Cardwell 0-0-0, Jack O’Leary 0-0-0, Jake Young 2-2-8, Connor Marchi 1-1-5. Totals 13-8-40
Canton (47) Taylor Kim 1-0-3, Khalil Thomas 1-0-3, Ben Cuniowski 5-2-12, Brandon Powell 5-3-14, Matthew Benedetti 5-0-10, Ryan Benedetti 2-0-5, Jayden Young 0-0-0. Totals 19-5-47
Somers                                         4  17  6  13  — 40
Canton                                         16  7  14  10  — 47
Three-point goals: Young (S) 2, Davis (S), McCormick (S) 2, Maia (S), R. Benedetti (C), Powell (C), Thomas (C), Kim (C)

CCC Tournament
Glastonbury 45, Lewis Mills 37
GLASTONBURY, Feb. 24, 2023 – Andrew Burns scored 15 points while All-State forward Connor O’Leary and David Smith had 10 points each as No. 5 Glastonbury pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat No. 12 Lewis Mills in a first round CCC Tournament game Friday night, 45-37.

Glastonbury (15-6) led by just two after three quarters, 30-28, but held Mills to just  nine points in the fourth quarter to secure the win.

Excellent defense and rebounded enabled Lewis Mills (14-7) to have a one-point lead, 18-17 after one half.

Jack Stanislaw led the Spartans with eight points while Tristan Mooney added a career-high seven points off the bench.

Glastonbury 45, Lewis Mills 37
At Glastonbury
Lewis Mills (37) Gavin Daly 0-0-0, Jon Schibi 0-1-1, Eli Pelletier 1-0-3, Charlie Joiner 2-2-6, Jack Stanislaw 3-2-8, Tristan Mooney 1-4-7, Connor McAtee 1-2-4, Jack Nestor 0-2-2, Connor Evans 2-2-6, Totals 10-16-37
Glastonbury (45) David Smith 4-2-10, Owen Peterson 0-2-2, Brenden Hutt 1-0-2, Connor O’Leary 4-1-10, Jordan Sams 1-0-2, Andrew Burns 7-0-15, Gaige Haines 2-0-4, Totals 16-5-45
Lewis Mills (14-7)            8  10  10   9 — 37
Glastonbury (15-6)          7  10  13  15 – 45
Three-point goals: Pelletier (LM), Mooney (LM), O’Leary (G), Burns (G)