Game One of the State Tournament was against the Connecticut Premiere. 16 Red jumped out to an early lead but the Premiere team was able to comeback and retake the lead 29-25 going into the half. The second half was a lot of the same with Premiere slowly adding to their lead and being up as much as 9. But slowly the Starters chipped away by crashing the boards and moving the ball in the half court set. With just over 4 minutes left, the Red team tied up the game, and shortly after was able to take the lead and finish a very exciting game with a 58-48 win. Sara Kelley (Newtown High School) led the team with 14 points and two steals. Sara hit two 3-point shots late in the second half that help kept the momentum on the side of 16 Red. Jennifer Ruys (Lyman Hall High School) and Damika Martinez (Platt High School) both finished with 11 points. Jennifer also finished with 5 rebounds and a block, while Damika finished with 10 rebounds, 5 blocks and 4 steals. Amanda Cormier (Wethersfield High School) and Lindsay Karle (Lyman Hall High School) both finished with 7 points while Alexys Vazquez (Berlin High School) and Elise Chase (Rockville High School) combined for 7 points. Elise also had 9 rebounds and 4 steals in the win.
       The second round game was against the Magic. The first half was a back and forth affair with both teams exchanging baskets and leads. The Magic held a one point lead going into the half. The second half was more of the same, unfortunately in the closing minutes of the game the Starters were down 5 points. Coming out of a time out Lindsay Karle was able to come off a screen and attack the rim, hit the basket, get fouled and complete the "and 1". The Magic came back down the court, Red got a defensive stop and came back down the floor where Lindsay was able to come off another screen, attack the hoop and again hit the basket, get fouled and complete "the old-fashioned 3". This enabled the Starters to take a 1 point lead with about a minute left. Red was able to get one more stop and come back down the floor where Sara Kelley was fouled and hit one of two to give the Starters a 2 point lead with about 19 seconds left. But the Magic came down off of a time out and tied the game with a base line jumper. With about 9 seconds left, Alexys Vazquez inbounded the ball to Elise Chase who sent a cross-court pass to Lindsay Karle who pulled up three feet behind the 3-point line and nailed the shot at the buzzer to give Starters an exciting 53-50 win. Lindsay Karle finished with 17 points, while Damika Martinez had 12 points, 7 rebounds and Sara Kelly added 11 points.
       Game 3 was the winner's bracket semi-final against the Heat. 16 Red jumped out to an early lead, but the Heat wouldn't go away. The first half was anchored by Jen Ruys and Damika Martinez who combined for 20 of the team's 29 first half points. Jen finished the game with 12 points and 7 rebounds, while Damika finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 3 steals. Alexys Vazquez (11 points 4 rebounds) dialed up a pair of long-distance 3's in the final minute to give the Starters a 50-45 win. Elise Chase and Amanda Cormier both added 4 points in the win.
       Game 4 was the winner's bracket final against the CT Storm. The Storm jumped out to an early 5 point lead and was able to hold that going into the half. The second half was a back and forth battle; unfortunately the Storm was able to hold on for a 5 point win. Lindsay Karle led the team with 11 points, while Damika Martinez had 8 points and 8 rebounds. Amanda Cormier had 9 while Reynesha Archer finished with 7 rebounds in the losing effort.

       State Tournament-Yale University
       The CT AAU tournament started for the 15 Red against the CT Premier. The first half was a very sloppy display from the Starters totaling 18 turnovers. The Starters did find a way to survive from Ali Berman and Loren Pachesa by attacking the basket and getting to the free throw line. Taryn Roy also played hard and chipped in with two big threes and a total of 10 points. Despite the fact that the Starters were not playing well they found themselves down only one point at the half, 22-21. The second half started out much stronger for 15 Red and the Premier just could not hold on to the lead. Megan Roux made some great plays defensively and scored 8 points which allowed 15 Red to take control. Kerri Stolle had a game changing drive to the basket and also did a job on the boards with six defensive rebounds. Tara Higgins played a much more productive second half pulling down four defensive rebounds and two steals. The second half was all 15 Red! The final score was 40-33. It was great first win in the tournament.
       The second game was on Sunday morning against the very talented and athletic Lady Blazers. The Starters fought hard in the first half, but quickly became outmatched only scoring 12 points to their 33 in the first half. Unfortunately, the second half did not get much better. The Starters continued to play hard, but there was no stopping the Blazers. The final score was 55-24. After that loss the Starters had to play later in the afternoon against one of two teams that had already beaten during their season.
       Game three ended up against the Bristol Bandits. The first time the two teams were matched up the Starters won by twenty, but this time would be without their leading scorer Sarah Benedetti (who had 15 the first time) and leading rebounder Kerri Stolle. The Starters needed to win in order to continue in the tournament. The first half was decent with a 7 point lead at the half. However, in the second half one of the Bandits got hurt leaving them with only four players. It was a very ugly 7 minutes going four on five, but the Starters held on to the lead and won 46-38. Taryn Roy led all scorers with 16 points and Jessica Frawley helped out with 8 points. Loren Pachesa (two assists) and Sarah Raftery (three assists) took care of the rebounding with 9 and 7, respectively. Megan Roux played tough denial defense and stopped her opponent from scoring in the last five minutes. Ashley Kinney had three assists and did a really nice job on the offensive boards with 5 rebounds.
       The Starters will compete on Friday night against the Spirit at 8:45 PM at Yale. We will see everyone Tuesday at 7pm at Sheehan.

       14 Red finished 2-2 in the State tourney held in lovely New Haven. The team finished tied for fourth. Our first game of the tournament was against the East Coast Renegades. It was a physical game which saw both Claire Lang (Rocky Hill HS) and Olivia Sutherland (Lyman Hall HS) sustain minor injuries that kept them from playing a lot. We held a 23-17 lead at the half. Olivia Sutherland hit two 3's to help her team to its 6 point halftime lead. Cassidy Caravella (Somers HS) scored 7 of her game high 14 points in the first half. We were able to persevere and win by the score of 47-37. Gabby Desisto (Hamden HS) scored 7 points and AJ Levy scored 6. It was an impressive win because we only had 6 players for most of the second half.
       The second game of the tourney would match us versus the CT Cheetahs. We defeated the Cheetahs last weekend in beautiful Chicopee Mass. It would not be the 14 Red's day. We trailed 19-11 at the half. Chelsea Foster (Avon HS) scored a game high 9 points. She nailed two 3's in the first half. Cassidy Caravella scored 8 including 6 in the second half. AJ Levy was a perfect 6-6 from the FT line. We ended up losing by the score of 44-27. With the loss, we would be forced to play the CT Starters 14 Blue team.
       14 Red came out strong and led 18-6 at the half. The second half saw us go into a scoring drought. 14 Blue cut the defecit to 4 on a couple of occasions. Ashley Petrarca (Taft School) hit two big free throws to help us fend off the pesky Blue team. The final was 30-22. Brie Mcllelland (Mercy HS) also hit a huge basket to stop a long scoring drought. With the victory, the team would have a rematch with the East Coast Renegades next Friday night at Yale.

       It’s my favorite time of the AAU season as bragging rights are on the line in the state of Connecticut. We opened up the State Association Tournament on the beautiful campus of Yale University. Our first game was on Friday night against the CT Cougars. This was a hard fought contest from start to finish as Coach Nettle had his girls ready to play. They jumped out to an early 8-2 lead as they sliced and diced our 3-2 matchup zone. Changing defenses didn’t stop them either as they outsized us inside and out shot us from the outside to take an 18-7 lead midway through the half. Our girls started to crawl their way back into the game as they contested jump shots and did a very solid job on the boards as we boxed out our bigger opposition. The three headed monster of Sara Hubbard (Hartford, 13pts) Carrie Polomsky (Wethersfield, 9pts) and Megan Schuppe (Avon, 8pts) paced us offensively. The Berlin Connection came up huge on the defensive end as Demis Christodlous and Paige Young did a tremendous job on the boards and help defense from the weak-side of the floor. Allie Caponigro (Plainville, 4pts) made the go ahead basket with under 1 minute to give us the lead for good. STARTERS WIN! STARTERS WIN! Final Score Starters 36 Cougars 32.
       By beating the Cougars in a hard fought contest the night before the girls got the opportunity to play the #1 seed of the tournament, CT Cheetahs. We lost the services of Allie Caponigro (the Lord called her name) but gained “Sunshine” Dana Queno for the upcoming games. The Cheetahs came out real hot knocking down 3pt shot after 3pt shot, forcing us to switch defenses and play man to man against a much bigger team. The girls battled but never really got themselves out of the hole as we trailed at the half 26-12. The Cheetahs were content to stay in their 3-2 zone but Megan Schuppe (16pts) found open spots and started cashing in. Our pressure started to pick up and the game became very competitive by nature as our girls never gave up until the final whistle. The trio of Sara Hubbard, Carrie Polomsky, and Paige Young combined for 16pts, 8 rebs, and 5 steals in the losing effort. Final Score CT Cheetahs 50 CT Starters 31. OF NOTE- We shot 7-23 from the free throw line!
       The loss meant we played another game in the afternoon against the CT Storm. Win or go Home was the situation! This game was very competitive as neither team wanted to be eliminated from the state championships. Both teams had leads throughout the game and it was very nip and tuck all the way to the finish. This game became pretty physical as it got into crunch time, luckily cooler heads prevailed. Sara Hubbard (14pts, 5 steals, 5 rebs) and Megan Schuppe (12pts, 7rebs) led us offensively as we were able to handle the Storm pressure; to get many open looks for our teammates and themselves. Our aggressiveness on the offensive end was shown as we got ourselves to the charity stripe 37 times…..37 times….37 times…. However we were only able to cash in on 13 of those attempts. Our inability to knock down free throws gave the Storm one final chance but their 3pt attempt to tie the game came up short and we held on to win 35-32!! The Berlin Connection of Demis and Paige combined for 8pts and 8 rebounds in the victory.
       Sunday morning came with a renewed spirit as we held on to win a very competitive game from the day before and Allie returned from her Retreat! Next up for the Starters was CT Premier. The girls came out firing on all cylinders as we jumped out to a 12-0 lead to start the game and never looked back. We were in control for almost the entire game as our defense stifled them and our ability to run the pattern break gave us numerous scoring opportunities. (Thanks Coach Smernoff) This was a total team victory as everyone contributed in some fashion. Dana Queno played great on the ball defense against the Premier’s best ball handler forcing her to pick up her dribble very deep in the back court. Brenna Roy did a tremendous job on the weak-side playing help defense. Sara, Megan, Allie, and Carrie combined for 40 of the teams 52 points in the win. Final Score Starters 52 Premier 36.
       By beating the Premier earlier in the day we had the privilege of playing The CT STARTERS 14 Red team with the winner advancing to the next week’s final four. The girls made the first basket of the game, Allie Caponigro scored off a Sara Hubbard assist to take a 2-0 lead however we did not score again until Carrie Polomsky made one of her two free throws to cut the lead 17-3 with under 2 minutes to go in the first half. 14 Red used their size to start their break and that was something we did not have an answer for…..No FRANZLUEBBERS! The score at the half was Starters Red 19 – Starters Blue 5. The coaching staff (Shamika Jackson, Jeremy Pringle, and myself) devised a plan that we thought may help us and boy did it ever. Our pressure caused the Red team fits as we were able to turn them over frequently, which lead to easy scores for ourselves. The scared looks that we saw in the first half went away and we started to battle and we cut the lead to 26-22 with the ball with less than 2 minutes to go! Unfortuntaly, Sara Hubbard’s 3pt shot rimmed out and A.J. Levy cashed in on her free throws to secure the win for the Red Team… (29-22). The trio of Megan, Sara, and Carrie chipped in with 5pts a piece in the defeat. OF Note- Shot 3-16 from the free throw line.
       Weekend Thoughts- We finished tied for 5th with our 3-2 performance of the weekend. Very happy with the way you guys constantly battled throughout each and every game especially with our lack of depth off the bench. We must improve on our free throw shooting as we shot 31-92 for the weekend! Best of luck to all the remaining Starter teams as they enter into championship weekend. Last but not least we wish a speedy recovery to Sara Hubbard!!

       The Ct. Starters 12 Red team opened first round play in the State AAU Tournament playing the CT. Breeze. The Starters got out of the gate quickly by scoring the first 8 points. Fine pressure defense by Caroline Teti created many errant passes and turnovers which resulted in Starters points. Missy Bailey had a solid first half by scoring 9 points. Alexus Prince, Nicki Nash, Margaret Frawley and Sarah Thompson all scored 2 points in the first half and were solid under the basket and had complete control of the boards as the Starters "breezed" to a first half margin of 29-18. The 2nd half saw Nikki Nash create turnover after turnover which led to Kelsey Clemens two field goals and extending the Starters lead to 15 points. Solid play by Margaret Frawley and Mika Howard off the bench kept the Starters in complete control of this game. Lily Dolyak's ball handling ability kept the Breeze from ever mounting any comeback as the Starters cruised to a 48-31 win.
       The Starters played the CT. Cobras Black team in the second round.This game was a tale of two different halves of basketball. The Starters played to a 13-13 halftime stalemate. Missy Bailey's 6 points and Alexus Prince's 7 points was the only Starters scoring in the first half. Both teams had many wide open shots that couldn't find the bottom of the net as each team played great pressure defense which led to many turnovers by each team. Lily Dolyak's 5 steals and Caroline Teti's 4 steals and 3 offensive rebounds kept the Starters close in the first half. The Cobras put a lot of pressure on the ball at the start of play in the second half. Coach Saunders' Cobras played half court trap defense which forced turnovers that eventually led to the Cobras opening up a little breathing room. Kelsey Clemens contributed 6 second half points and Sarah Thompson chipped in a couple of points. Nicki Nash, Margaret Frawley and Mika Howard also had good minutes in the second half. Nicki Nash and Margaret Frawley each had 3 steals and forced turnovers. Mika Howard had 3 steals in the second half but all three found their efforts were not rewarded as the Starters shooting cooled down as the game ended with the Cobras winning 39-25.
       The Starters 12's faced elimination in the third game of the weekend against CT Premier. The look of determination on all of the girls faces led to the Starters completely overwhelming their opponent in the first half of play. Maybe the girls had something to prove to their opponents after their previous loss. Against the Cobras, the Starters were pressured into numerous turnovers which led to an early deficit, but from the opening tip the Starters controlled the game by executing their offense and playing the same defense that was played against them yesterday. Lily Dolyak, Caroline Teti, Margaret Frawley and Missy Bailey put intense pressure on the ball, forcing many turnovers which led to a 26-8 halftime lead. Kelly Clemens had one of her best halves of basketball, scoring 8 points. Lexy Prince played her best defense of the young season ending up with only one foul in the game. The second half was a copy of the first half of play. Nicki Nash, Sarah Thompson each had 4 points with Lily Dolyak chipping in with 8 points. Missy Bailey's 17 game high points led the Starters scoring.
       The Starters played two strong halves of basketball which will send them to the next round of play this Friday night at Yale University at 6:15 PM against the Northstars. There are now just 4 teams left in the 11-team bracket, and a win will guarantee the Starters of at least a Bronze medal.

       The CT Starters 11 Red team went 3-0 this past weekend at the state tournament and is headed into the Championship game this Saturday at 12 Noon at Yale against the winner of Friday night’s game between the Northstars and the Premier.
       In the first game on Saturday we played the CT Northstars. We won the game 31-23. Nicole Rojas was our leading scorer with 11 points and 4 assists, while Michaela Marcus chipped in with 9 points. Jeanna Willis played great defense and added 3 steals and 3 assists. Tashia Price and Cindirose Morgan combined for 17 rebounds.
       The second game of the day we played the CT Tsunami. The first half was back and forth but the team turned it up in the 2nd half, creating 21 turnovers. The scoring was balanced with everyone scoring in the game. Cindirose Morgan was the leading scorer with 8 pts, along with 10 rebounds. Natalie Ruel chipped in with 5pts., while Jessica Berry and Hannah Michalik both had 4 pts apiece. We won the game 38-24.
       Going into Sunday’s game we were 2-0 going up against a good CT Premier team. This was one of our best performances of the year. Our guards created a lot of ball pressure and our post players did a good job of rebounding. Michaela Marcus led all scorers with 14 pts, along with 6 steals and 3 rebounds. Cindirose Morgan added 10 pts and 2 steals. Nicole Rojas chipped in with 10 pts, 2 blocks and 4 steals. Hannah Michalik played well on the defensive end coming up with 3 steals and 4 rebounds. Tashia Price added 4 pts, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks, while Natalie Ruel added 7pts. Jeanna Willis again bothered the opposition guards and added 4 steals. We won by a final score of 48-27. Jessica Berry sprained her ankle in Saturday’s game and was unable to play Sunday. We hope for a quick recovery.

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