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The CIAC has released its pairings for the boys basketball state tournaments.
Six teams from the Berkshire League will begin play next week. Class S starts play on Monday while Class M will begin on Tuesday.
In Class S, the teams are No. 5 Northwestern, No. 8 Gilbert, No. 12 Terryville, No. 19 Housatonic and No. 25 Wamogo. The Highlanders have a bye in the first round.
Nonnewaug is the No. 13 seed in Class M.
In a matchup that has become commonplace during the state tournament, two Berkshire League teams will face off in Class S. Gilbert plays host to Wamogo on Monday night at 7.
The Yellowjackets and Highlanders will face each other in the BL tournament final. The game is scheduled for Thursday at  7 p.m. at Thomaston, but weather may postpone that game.
Here's a little bit about each game:

NO. 25 WAMOGO AT NO. 8 GILBERT (7 p.m.)
The Warriors and Yellowjackets have already played each other twice during the BL's regular season. Gilbert (17-4, 16-3 BL) won the first matchup 70-60 in Winsted on Jan. 6, then took the second game 75-57 on Feb. 14 in Litchfield. Wamogo's record is (8-13, 7-12).
The Yellowjackets have a balanced attack, led by 6'4" senior center Austin Brochu and 5'11" junior guard Robert Skinner. Brochu and Skinner both had 22 points in the first meeting while Skinner erupted for 34 points in the second game. Both average around 20 points per game.
Junior 6'1" guard Luis Cordova, 6'0" senior forward Dan Williams and 6'0" senior forward Devon Molway have been solid for Gilbert as well.
The Warriors get the bulk of their offense from 6'3" small forward Spencer Albano and 5'10" junior guard Nick Nemergut. Albano averages 16.4 points per game while Nemergut comes in at 14.4, according to MaxPreps.com. Nemergut connected on 34 3-pointers this season.
In the first game against Gilbert, Albano netted 20 points while Nemergut added 18. Nemergut had 20 in the second game, but Albano scored just 10.

NO. 21 STAFFORD AT NO. 12 TERRYVILLE  (7 p.m.)
The Kangaroos started the year without 6'0" senior guard Matt Sterner and went 1-3. Since his return, Terryville has gone 14-4 (15-7 overall, 13-7 BL). The Kangaroos have a balanced attack, led by Sterner and sophomore guards Jacob Johnson (6'0") and Tyler Trillo (5'7"). Junior 6'1" forward Jon Festa has been tough inside while 5'10" junior forward Arthur Trent has also provided valuable minutes. Head coach Mark Fowler said it took time for his young team to gel, but they have been playing well and were within striking distance against No. 1 Northwestern in the BL tournament semifinals before falling. Johnson was hurt in the third quarter and did not return.
The Bulldogs (10-10) play in the North Central Connecticut Conference, where they went 8-9 during the regular season. Stafford upset Suffield in the season opener and has hung tough against some of the NCCC's best teams this season. Junior guard/forward Zach Rollins (6'1") has been the team's most consistent scorers, according to results posted on the Hartford Courant's ITeams web site. Seven different Bulldogs have scored in double figures in a game this season. Rollins had the highest total with 30 points in a loss to Sports and Medical Sciences Academy.
The winner of this game plays No. 5 Northwestern on Wednesday at 7 in Winsted.

NO. 19 HOUSATONIC AT NO. 14 AMISTAD ACADEMY
(6 p.m., at Wilbur Cross High School)
Amistad has already played games against the BL this season.
On Dec. 22, Amistad defeated Wamogo 58-46 at the O'Brien Tech Holiday Tournament in Ansonia. Amistad overcame a 27-18 halftime deficit to pick up the victory.
On Jan. 4 in Winsted, Amistad lost to Northwestern 59-47. Amistad also played Gilbert in New Haven on Feb. 7 and lost 59-54.
Amistad is in just its third season as a varsity program. According to a season preview capsule from the New Haven Register, head coach Rich Walton scheduled 14 road games for the independent team to get them ready for the state tournament. Amistad finished the regular season with a record of 13-7.Senior forward Chris Gibbs (6'4") has been the dominant scorer for Amistad this season. In the O'Brien Tech tournament, Gibbs scored 27, 16 and 29 points in three games. In a one-week span against Goodwin Tech and Whitney Tech, Gibbs totaled 53 points.
Here's a great story from New Haven Register Schools Sports Editor Joe Morelli about Amistad.
The Mountaineers are coming off of a 54-48 BL tournament first round loss to Terryville. Housatonic is 11-10 overall (10-9 BL). Donyell Williams led the Mountaineers in scoring during the regular season at 15.8 points per game, according to MaxPreps. Ray Mohring was a close second at 15.4  while Tyler Dean was third at 11.5. 
Housy has had plenty of close losses this season. The Mountaineers lost nine times in the BL (including BL tournament), and seven of those losses were by seven points or less. Housy played two games outside the BL this season and went 1-1 in those games (75-62 loss to Classical Magnet, 60-34 win over Mt. Everett from Massachusetts).


NO. 20 PLAINFIELD AT NO. 13 NONNEWAUG (7 p.m.)
The Chiefs struggled their last time out in an 82-32 BL tournament semifinal loss to Gilbert. Nonnewaug will enter Tuesday's game with a record of 14-8 (13-7 BL). The Chiefs get their work done on the defensive end, led by 6'2" junior forwards Dylan Martland and Ben Timme. Timme is also the most consistent threat on offense for Nonnewaug.
The Panthers (11-10) lost their last time out, 65-37 the first round of the Eastern Connecticut Conference tournament against No. 6 Windham. Planfield can get offense from several different players, but it mostly runs through 5'8" sophomore guard Ryan Pambuku and 6'0" senior guard John Lorange. Both have gone over the 20-point mark several times this season, as has Brian Sullivan, acccording to game roundups on the Norwich Bulletin's web site. Seven different players have reached double figures for Plainfield. Lorange has scored 25 or more points four times, including two 30-point games. Pambuku has scored 20 or more six times, including two 26-point efforts.


Look for a Berkshire League-based preview in tomorrow's Register Citizen.


- Kevin D. Roberts

The No. 3 seed Thomaston girls basketball team will face No. 19 Lyman Memorial in Class S's second round on Friday at 7 p.m. in Thomaston. Lyman Memorial needed Overtime to knock off No. 14 Old Saybrook, 52-46. The box from that game is shown below.

LYMAN MEMORIAL 52, OLD SAYBROOK 46 (OT)(at Old Saybrook)
Lyman Memorial 16 12 8 7 9 - 52
Old Saybrook 10 12 11 10 3 - 46
LYMAN MEMORIAL (52)
Casey Kelly 1 1-3 4, Emily Von Edwyns 1 0-0 2, Breanna Puduaski 2 2-2 6, Allison Tacchi 9 0-0 18, Emily Peay 4 2-4 10, Chelsea Hussey 5 1-2 12. Totals: 22 6-11 52
OLD SAYBROOK (46)
Cori Reid 5 1-3 11, Mia Neas 3 2-2 8, Kelly Ratchford 1 0-0 3, Molly Beck 0 0-0 0, Paige Trabucchi 0 0-0 0, Mary Kate Morrison 0 0-2 0, Kayla McAvoy 9 6-6 24. Totals: 18 9-13 46
3-point goals: Lyman Memorial 2 (Kelly 1, Hussey 1); Old Saybrook 1 (Ratchford 1).
Records: Lyman Memorial 13-9; Old Saybrook 14-9

The No. 5 Wamogo girls will face No. 12 Morgan on Friday at 7 in Litchfield. The Huskies defeated No. 21 Bolton 50-46 on Tuesday. Jen Dawson scored 16 points while Tori Hopkins added 13. The box from that game is shown below.

MORGAN 50, BOLTON 46(at Clinton)
Bolton 7 13 16 10 - 46
Morgan 1 13 19 17 - 50
BOLTON (46)
Marissa Gudauskas 2 0-0 5, Emilie Vanasse 1 1-2 4, Ali Hanlon 0 1-2 1, Jaime Grzych 5 2-4 12, Orla Schipari 3 1-1 7, Erin Westerman 2 0-0 5, Kelsey Socha 3 0-1 6, Kate McGuire 2 0-0 4, Sarah Marshall 1 0-0 2. Totals: 19 5-10 46
MORGAN (50)
Lily Dawson 1 0-0 2, Sarah Thompson 2 3-4 7, Tori Hopkins 3 7-8 13, Jess Choronzy 1 0-0 2, Christy Coyne 3 2-2 8, Jen Dawson 4 7-12 16, Kelsey Donaldson 1 0-0 2. Totals: 15 19-26 50
3-point goals: Bolton 3 (Gudauskas 1, Vanasse 1, Westerman 1); Morgan 1 (Dawson 1).


Boxes and information from the Lyman Memorial and Morgan games are courtesy of the New Haven Register.


- Kevin D. Roberts

JENNIFER ROYALS/Register Citizen Correrspondent

The No. 5 Wamogo and No. 18 Shepaug girls basketball teams moved on to Class S's second round after easy wins on Tuesday night.
The Warriors made quick work of No. 28 Goodwin Tech, 55-14 in Litchfield. The Spartans moved on with a convincing 44-16 win over No. 15 Wolcott Tech in Torrington.
Wamogo's Kerri Stolle and Megan Layman were solid as always in the victory. To read correspondent Russ Coward's story, click here.
Wolcott Tech may have lost on Tuesday night, but the Wildcats made their first-ever appearance in the state tournament. Wolcott Tech head coach Brian Hurlock reflected on his team's season in this video.
To read Peter Wallace's story about the game, click here.
Girls basketball state tournaments resume on Thursday, weather permitting. In Class M, No. 4 Nonnewaug hosts No. 20 Sheehan at 7 p.m. in Woodbury.

- Kevin D. Roberts

The No. 5 Torrington girls basketball team now knows its opponent for Friday night's  Class L second round game at the Connie Donahue Gymnasium.
The Lady Raiders will face No. 12 Daniel Hand (Madison) at 7 p.m. The Tigers defeated No. 21 Bunnell 72-62 in a first round game on Tuesday night in Madison. Hand 6'0" senior forward Kelsey Cuddy had 23 points, 12 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 blocks. Kara McHugh added 17 points and Hannah Johnson scored 12 for the Tigers.
Bunnell was led by 6'0" senior center Shaquira Palmer, who had a monster game with 24 points, 21 rebounds, 10 blocks and 4 steals
Bulldogs head coach Marvin Tyson had this to say about Cuddy when he spoke to the New Haven Register's Chris Hunn after the game.
"Shaquira is a little more athletic, but Cuddy is a tremendously hard worker," Tyson said. "She got a hand on a lot of loose balls, kept second chances alive for them, just relentless. Both are all-state players."

- Kevin D. Roberts


By Chris Hunn
New Haven Register
MADISON — Tuesday’s game between Bunnell and Hand featured a pair of the top talents in the Class L state tournament field.
On one end there was Shaquira Palmer. On the other, was Kelsey Cuddy. Both versatile 6-foot seniors. The matchup lived up to the hype, but Cuddy had a little more help.
No. 12 Hand advanced to the second-round with a 72-62 win over No. 21 Bunnell. It was the Tigers’ sixth straight opening-round victory in the state tournament and now they will travel to face No. 5 Torrington on Friday at 7 p.m.
"They are almost mirror images of each other," Hand coach Tim Tredwell said. "It was kind of odd. I told the kids beforehand, they have another version of Cuddy. She’s very similar. She’s tough. She lived up to the billing. But I think player-for-player, we were a little deeper than them."
Palmer scored a game-high 24 points to go along with 21 rebounds, 10 blocks and four steals for the Bulldogs. Cuddy finished with 23 points, 12 rebounds, four steals and two blocks for the Tigers.
"She’s a really great player," said Cuddy about Palmer. "She can go to the hole really strong. We haven’t played anyone, besides Bria Holmes, that’s like her."
"Shaquira is a little more athletic, but Cuddy is a tremendously hard worker," Bunnell coach Marvin Tyson said. "She got a hand on a lot of loose balls, kept second chances alive for them, just relentless. Both are all-state players."
Kara McHugh added 17 points and Hannah Johnson chipped in with 12 for Hand. The Tigers opened the second half with a 20-6 run and shot 22-of-28 from the foul line, which proved to be the difference. Bunnell got as close as eight points with under 1 minute to go.
"Sixty is a great number for us," Tyson said. But giving up 70 isn’t. We can’t win giving up that many points."

BOX SCORE

No. 12 Daniel Hand 72, No. 21 Bunnell 62
At Daniel Hand, Madison
Bunnell 14 10 11 27 — 62
Hand 11 16 24 21 — 72
BUNNELL (62): Jess Bogdwicz 5 5-7 16, Shaquira Palmer 8 8-10 24, Lauren Kostopolus 4 0-0 10, Kelly Benson 2 3-4 7, Erin Koletar 1 0-0 2, Deja Fonsecca 1 1-2 3. Totals: 21 17-23 62.
HAND (72): Kelsey Cuddy 5 12-15 23, Kara McHugh 4 7-9 17, Jackie Strickland 4 1-2 9, Graceann Kraemer 0 2-2 2, Hannah Johnson 6 0-0 12, Lily Taylor 2 0-0 5, Cassidy Wygonik 2 0-0 4. Totals: 23 22-28 72.
3-point goals: Bunnell 3 (Bogdwicz 1, Kostopolus 2); Hand 4 (Cuddy 1, McHugh 2, Taylor 1).
Records: Bunnell 10-12; Hand 14-8Hunn is the girls basketball reporter for the Register and covered Tuesday night's game. His story is below, along with the box.

The Berkshire League Boys Tournament Final day was listed incorrectly in a graphic on B1 in today's Register Citizen. The game is on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Thomaston High School. I apologize for the mistake.

- Kevin D. Roberts

The No. 4 Nonnewaug girls moved on with a 60-40 Class M first round win over No. 29 Seymour in Woodbury on Monday night. Caitlin Drakeley and Katie Burke each had 21 points in the victory. Drakeley was especially solid with 7 rebounds, 9 assists and 6 steals.
"She had a great night," Chiefs head coach John Somero said.
Nonnewaug faces No. 20 Sheehan on Thursday night at 7 in Woodbury. To read more about Monday's win, click here.
No. 16 Northwestern's season came to an end after a 51-31 home loss to a tough No. 17 Ledyard squad. The Highlanders finish the season with a record of 13-8. To read Peter Wallace's story about the game, click here.
CIAC girls basketball state tournament action continues tomorrow with two Class S first round games. Wallace will be covering the No. 18 Shepaug at No. 15 Wolcott Tech game. Correspondent Russ Coward will be covering the No. 28 Goodwin Tech at No. 5 Wamogo game. Both games start at 7 p.m.

- Kevin D. Roberts

The top two seeds in this year's Berkshire League Boys Basketball Tournament will play in  Thursday night's final (7) at Thomaston High School. It will be the Battle of Winsted, Part III.



JENNIFER ROYALS/Register Citizen Correspondent

No. 1 Northwestern slid past a tough No. Terryvillle team 65-58 in the nightcap. John Stevens and Connor Guiheen each had 18 points for the Highlanders. The Kangaroos lost guard Jacob Johnson to an injury in the third quarter, which hindered their efforts to pull the upset. To read correspondent Russ Coward's story on this game, click here.

After the first quarter, No. 2 Gilbert blew away No. 3 Nonnewaug in the evening's first semifinal, 82-32. The Yellowjackets used a suffocating full-court press on defense and a balanced attack on offense to light up the Chiefs. Austin Brochu led Gilbert with 23 points while Robert Skinner had 18. Dan Williams scored 13 points while Luis Cordova added 12.

Nonnewaug head coach Tim Drakeley was not happy with his team's effort.

"[Gilbert] got after it and we just played passive and tentative," Drakeley said after the game. "I just think we had a lack of focus. They pressed us and we didn’t handle it and we just didn’t match their intensity."



JENNIFER ROYALS/Register Citizen Correspondent

The Chiefs will need to quickly forget about the loss and get ready for what comes their way when the state tournament pairings are announced Wednesday. To read John Nestor's story about Gilbert's convincing victory, click here.

Gilbert won both regular season matchups against Northwestern, but the Highlanders won the BL regular season title.

- Kevin D. Roberts

The CIAC girls baskeball state tournaments begin for area teams tonight.
In Class M, Peter Wallace is covering No. 16 Northwestern's 7 p.m. home game against No. 17 Ledyard (Eastern Connecticut Conference). The Highlanders last played on Feb. 21, a 49-40 loss to Thomaston in a Berkshire League Tournament semifinal. Check for updates from tonight's Northwestern game on Twitter @nwctsports and @PWallaceSports.
Also in Class M, No. 4 Nonnewaug hosts No. 29 Seymour from the Naugatuck Valley League at 7. The Chiefs also last played on Feb. 21, a 47-40 loss to third-seeded Wamogo in a Berkshire League Tournament Tournament semifinal.
The Berkshire League Boys Basketball Tournament semifinals are also tonight. Going on right now at Thomaston High School is No. 3 Nonnewaug against No. 2 Gilbert. Correspondent John Nestor is covering the game.
The second game, at 7:30, features top-seeded Northwestern against No. 4 Terryville. Correspondent Russ Coward is covering that game.
Freelancer Jennifer Royals is taking photos at the Berkshire League Tournament.
Check back tonight for stories, photos and video at http://www.registercitizen.com/.

- Kevin D. Roberts

KEVIN D. ROBERTS/Register Citizen

The Berkshire League Boys Basketball Tournament starts on Saturday at Thomaston High School with games at 5 and 7 p.m.
The seeds are No. 1 Northwestern, No. 2 Gilbert, No. 3 Nonnewaug, No. 4 Terryville, No. 5 Housatonic and No. 6 Wamogo. The Highlanders and Yellowjackets have first round byes.
The Chiefs and Warriors play in the 5 p.m. game while the Kangaroos face the Mountaineers in the 7 p.m. game.
Register Citizen correspondent Russ Coward is covering the 5 p.m. while Peter Wallace will be at the 7 p.m. game.
For a full preview, click here.

- Kevin D. Roberts

The second-seeded Torrington girls basketball team put up a valiant effort against top-seeded Holy Cross in Wednesday night's NVL Tournament Final at Kennedy High School in Waterbury, but came out on the losing end of a 57-54 score.

WHAT WENT RIGHT FOR TORRINGTON:
- The Lady Raiders were able to contain Briana Bradford, to an extent. Bradford still led Cross in scoring, but she had 19 points. In the second regular season game between the two teams, Bradford poured in 32 points, including 6 3s. Much better effort by Torrington on Bradford this time around.
- Torrington was able to avoid major foul trouble against Holy Cross, which allowed them to stay in the game.
- The Raiders hung in and didn't allow the Crusaders to put the game away when they were up 27-18 in the second quarter. Torrington erupted for a 9-0 run to tie the game.
- Torrington also dodged another punch in the third quarter. Holy Cross took a 40-35 lead, but Torrington got seven straight points from Mariah Cerruto to claim a 42-40 advantage.
- Torrington had chances to win at the end, which is what you want against one of the state's Top 10 teams.

WHAT WENT WRONG:
- Torrington was unable to cash in on opportunities late in the game. The Raiders led by four in the fourth quarter and held the Crusaders scoreless for over two and a half minutes, but couldn't put the ball in the hoop and put the game away.
- Torrington had the ball down a point with 22.1 seconds left, took two timeouts, and didn't get a shot off. The Raiders' final three possessions went turnover, turnover, no shot.
- Turnovers hurt Torrington again at key points in the game. The turnovers helped Holy Cross get back in and win the game. 

LOOKING AHEAD:
- Playing a close game in the NVL Final benefits both Torrington and Holy Cross, who haven't played many close games other than the last two this season against each other.
- Torrington is the No. 5 seed in Class and will play the winner of No. 12 Daniel Hand and No. 21 Bunnell of Stratford on March 2 at 7 p.m. at the Connie Donahue Gymnasium. Hand plays in the Southern Connecticut Conference while Bunnell plays in the South-West Conference. Both leagues are very tough.

To read more about Wednesday's game, click here.

- Kevin D. Roberts

Here's the box from Wednesday night's Naugatuck Valley League girls basketball tournament final between Torrington and Holy Cross at Kennedy High School.

Holy Cross 57, Torrington 54

Torrington 12-17-19-6—54

Holy Cross 21-11-12-13—57

TORRINGTON (54): Alyssa Otis 10-4-24; Caycee Williams 8-0-16; Mariah Cerruto 4-0-9; Nicole Kozlak 1-1-3; Caroline Teti 0-2-2; Megan Calabrese 0-0-0; Emily Eanniello 0-0-0; TOTALS: 23-7-54.

HOLY CROSS (57): Amy Stafford 1-0-2; Angelica Ariola 5-1-11; Briana Bradford 6-5-19; Danielle Dorsett 6-0-12; Kiera O’Donnell 5-0-11; Nicole Bray 1-0-2; Alana McIldowie 0-0-0; Robyn Grimshaw 0-0-0; TOTALS: 21-6-57.

3-point goals: T—Cerruto; HC—Bradford 2, O’Donnell.

Records: Torrington 19-4 (19-3); Holy Cross 22-1 (22-0).
OTHER STATS: T -- Williams had 17 rebounds, 2 blocks; Otis had 6 rebounds, 2 steals. HC -- O'Donnell had 17 rebounds; Dorsett had 13 rebounds; Bradford had 11 rebounds. 

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The Register Citizen may be covering tonight's NVL title game between No. 1 Holy Cross and No. 2 Torrington and giving live updates throughout, but we want to hear from you.
Who do you think will win tonight's game? If you want, you can tell us why.
Type in your comments in the comment section below this blog post. Look for live updates from the game on Twitter @kroberts023.
To read about the two regular season games between the NVL's top two teams, click here. To read about the keys to the game for the Lady Raiders, click here.
We will attempt to give you as much information as we can before, during, and after tonight's game, but we want to hear from you. Tell us who you think will win.

- Kevin D. Roberts

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Here are some key points for tonight's NVL tournament championship game between No. 1 Holy Cross and No. 2 Torrington (7 p.m., Kennedy High School in Waterbury).

CONTAINING BRADFORD
- Torrington must find a way to contain Holy Cross standout Briana Bradford. There are other solid players on the Crusaders (Angelica Ariola, Danielle Dorsett and Kiera O'Donnell), but Bradford is an explosive scorer.
Containing Bradford is much easier said than done. Bradford scored 32 points in the last meeting, a 67-62 win over the Raiders in Torrington on Jan. 31. In that game, Bradford had six 3-pointers. Bradford also has the ability to get the basket, which creates matchup problems.

TURNOVERS
- Torirngton needs to limit its turnovers against Holy Cross. In the game in Torrington, the Raiders turned the ball over 24 times. The Crusaders were off their game in the first half (31-26 THS), but they made the Raiders pay for their mistakes in the second half. Turnovers allow Holy Cross to pick up easy baskets, which can quickly turn a close game into a blowout. That was the case in the first meeting on Dec. 13, a 65-46 Crsuader victory. Holy Cross led 19-2 after the first quarter. Of course, Torrington standout forward Aly Otis didn't play for the first quarter and a half in that game, which was certainly a factor.

FOUL TROUBLE
- Torrington cannot afford to get in foul trouble against Holy Cross. In the first game, Caycee Williams picked up two early fouls and the Crusaders were able to exploit the Raiders. Holy Cross head coach Frank Lombardo would prefer that his team not get in foul trouble, but their aggressive style of defense can lead to that problem, so that is something to look out for in this game.

CONTROLLING THE BOARDS
- Torrington must limit Holy Cross' second chances tonight. In the first meeting, the Raiders were outrebounded 37-23 by the Crusaders. Dorsett (16 points) and O'Donnell (15) both hurt Torrington inside. Not having Otis in the first quarter and half of the game certainly hurt THS's rebounding.
In the second game, Dorsett and O'Donnell combined for just 12 points, but Bradford carried the Crusaders with 32 points.

- Kevin D. Roberts  

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The Holy Cross and Torrington girls basketball teams meet for the third time this season tonight at 7 at Kennedy High School in Waterbury.
This time, the Naugatuck Valley League tournament title is on the line. The Lady Raiders are the second-ranked team in the tournament while the Crusaders No. 1.
Torrington has lost to Holy Cross in the previous two games this season. In the first meeting on Dec. 13, the Crusaders raced out to a 19-2 lead after one quarter on the way to a 65-46 victory over the Raiders. In the second matchup, Torrington jumped out to an early lead and was ahead 31-26 at the half, but Briana Bradford (32 points, 6 3-pointers) helped lead Holy Cross to a 67-62 win.
In the NVL semifinals, Torrington narrowly escaped upset-minded Naugatuck 42-41 while Holy Cross pounded Ansonia 72-50.
The Raiders enter tonight's game with a 19-3 overall record (19-2 NVL). The Crusaders are 21-1 (21-0 NVL).
Look for live updates from tonight's game on Twitter @kroberts023.

- Kevin D. Roberts

JENNIFER ROYALS/Register Citizen Correspondent

The No. 1 Thomaston and No. 3 Wamogo girls basketball teams will meet in the Berkshire League tournament final on Friday night at Wamogo Regional High School in Litchfield.
The Golden Bears reached the final with a 49-40 victory over the fourth-seeded Northwestern Highlanders in a game that was anything but easy. Abby Hurlbert led Thomaston with 19 points, but had plenty of help from Laura Miller (11 points) and Maggie Eberhardt (10 points). Kellie Burns contributed 10 rebounds while Hannah Russo provided valuable minutes off of the bench. Northwestern was led by Rasa Hamel, who had 17 points and 10 rebounds. To read more about that game, click here. 



JENNIFER ROYALS/Register Citizen Correspondent

In the first game of the night, Wamogo knocked off second-seeded Nonnewaug 47-40. Kerri Stolle led the way with 19 points and 9 rebounds while teammate Megan Layman had 12 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Ariana Shemms put in 6 points and grabbed 8 points in the victory.
The teams were tied at 30 entering the fourth quarter, but the Warriors outscored the Chiefs 17-10 to take the victory. Caitlin Drakeley led Nonnewaug with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. Abby Jones added 11 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals while Katie Burke had 6 points and 7 rebounds. Jess Fengler added 8 rebounds in the loss. Read correspondent John Nestor's story about the game here.

Thomaston won both meetings against Wamogo in the regular season. Both games were decided by four points. 
In the first meeting between the two teams on Jan. 13, Maggie Eberhardt helped lead the Bears to a 42-38 overtime victory over the Warriors in Thomaston. 
In the second meeting, Wamogo's Kerri Stolle scored her 1,000th career point, but Thomaston rallied for a 51-47 victory on Feb. 1 in Litchfield.

Peter Wallace will be covering Friday night's final at Wamogo. Check out his updates from the game on Friday on Twitter @nwctsports.

- Kevin D. Roberts

No. 1 Thomaston and No. 3 Wamogo advanced to Friday night's Berkshire League girls tournament final (7 p.m., Wamogo Regional High School). Here are the boxes from the semifinals:

 No. 3 Wamogo 47, No. 2 Nonnewaug 40
Wamogo 12-7-11-17 — 47
Nonnewaug 9-8-13-10 — 40
WAMOGO (47): Hannah LaBonne 1-0-3; Jenna Lopardo 2-3-7; Ariana Shemms 2-2-6; Kerri Stolle 7-5-19; Megan Layman 5-1-12. TOTALS: 17-11-47.
NONNEWAUG (40): Caitlin Drakeley 5-1-13; Allie Rescsanski 2-0-6; Katie Burke 2-2-6; Abby Jones 5-0-11, Jess Fengler 2-0-4. TOTALS: 16-3-40.
3-pointers: W — LaBonne, Layman. N — Drakeley (2), Rescsanski (2), Jones.
Records: Wamogo 17-5 (16-4); Nonnewaug 18-3 (16-3).

No. 1 Thomaston 49, No. 4 Northwestern 40
Northwestern 16-8-6-10—40
Thomaston 8-14-15-12—49
NORTHWESTERN (40): Nicole Folino 3-0-7; Sam Cilenti 0-0-0; Liz Newkirk 3-0-6; Rasa Hamel 7-2-17; Kristin Olson 2-0-4; Kathleen Wysocki 0-0-0; Emma Beltrandi 3-0-6; TOTALS: 18-2-40.
THOMASTON (49): Hannah Russo 1-0-2; Maggie Eberhardt 3-2-10; Sarah Hafele 1-0-2; Abby Hurlbert 9-0-19; Sydney Keith 0-0-0; Kellie Burns 2-1-5; Laura Miller 4-2-11; TOTALS: 20-5-49.
3-point goals: NW—Folino, Hamel; T—Eberhardt 2, Hurlbert, Miller.
Records: Northwestern 14-8 (13-7); Thomaston 18-3 (18-1).

The Berkshire League girls basketball tournament is down to the final four teams tonight at Wamogo Regional High School.
In the first game, second-seeded Nonnewaug faces third-seeded Wamogo at 6. The teams split their two regular season meetings. In the first meeting, Wamogo rallied for a 44-42 win on Dec. 27 on Jessica Binkowski's two free throws with four seconds left. In the second meeting, the Warriors nearly pulled off another comeback. Megan Layman's 3-pointer tied the game at 39, but Caitlin Drakeley's 3 from the top of the key at the buzzer gave the Chiefs a 42-39 victory. Our correspondent John Nestor will be covering this game.
In the second game, top-seeded Thomaston squares off against fourth-seeded Northwestern at about 7:30. The Golden Bears won both regular seasons. In the first meeting, Thomaston won at home, 41-34, on Jan. 6. In the second meeting, the Bears clinched the BL regular season title with a rough 26-25 win over the Highlanders in Winsted on Feb. 13. The teams nearly had as many turnovers (48) as points scored (51).
I will be covering that game. You can get live updates on that game on Twitter @kroberts023.

Who will advance to Friday's final? Tell us who you think will win tonight and why in the comment section under this post.

- Kevin D. Roberts



KEVIN D. ROBERTS/Register Citizen

The Gilbert boys basketball team kept its quest for a Berkshire League title going with a 75-57 win at Wamogo on Tuesday night. Junior guard Robert Skinner had a huge night with 34 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists for the Yellowjackets. Senior center Austin Brochu added 22 points, 15 rebounds and 6 blocks. Gilbert (14-4, 13-3 BL) hit seven 3-pointers and dished out 20 assists as a team. The Yellowjackets are a game behind first place Northwestern (13-2) in the loss column.
"We just have no answer for that, when they shoot that well and have that presence inside," Warriors head coach Gregg Hunt said after the game.
Nick Nemergut led Wamogo (7-10, 6-9 BL) with 20 points while Mark Csehak added 13. The Warriors still need one more win to clinch berths in Class S state and Berkshire League tournaments. Wamogo faces Northwestern Thursday in Winsted, then takes on a red-hot Terryville team Monday before squaring off with Thomaston on Wednesday.
"There’s no easy games on our schedule," Hunt said. "It’s going to be an uphill battle all the way to get that [eighth win]."
To read more about Tuesday's game, click here.

BOX SCORE

Gilbert 75, Wamogo 57
At Wamogo
Gilbert 22-24-12-17—75
Wamogo 15-18-10-14—57
GILBERT (75): JP Duluc 0-0-0; Luis Cordova 3-1-8; Brian Albanesius 0-0-0; Alex Brunoli 0-0-0; Corey DeSanti 0-0-0; Robert Skinner 12-6-34; Paxton Lewis-Franklin 0-0-0; Mitch Maher 2-0-4; Devon Molway 2-0-4; Austin Brochu 9-3-22; Robert Smith 0-0-0; Dan Williams 1-0-3; TOTALS: 29-10-75.
WAMOGO (57): Greg Peck 1-0-3; Mark Csehak 5-3-13; Doug Whipple 0-0-0; Mark Davis 2-0-4; Spencer Albano 4-1-10; Nick Nemergut 8-3-20; Bill Grambo 2-0-4; Eric Davis 1-0-3; Jeff Peck 0-0-0; TOTALS: 23-7-57.
3-point goals: G—Skinner 4, Cordova, Brochu, Williams; W—Peck, Albano, Nemergut, E. Davis.
Records: Gilbert 14-4 (13-3); Wamogo 7-10 (6-9).

- Kevin D. Roberts

Register Citizen file art

The Wamogo boys basketball team (7-9 overall, 6-8 Berkshire League) enters tonight's Berkshire League contest against Gilbert (13-4, 12-3) one win away from a Class S state tournament berth. The Warriors started the season 2-8, but have won five of their last six games. Wamogo knocked off Housatonic 61-60 last night at home.
The game is also big for Gilbert, which trails Northwestern (13-3, 12-2) by one game in the loss column for first place in the BL.
In the first meeting between Gilbert and Wamogo on Jan. 6, the Yellowjackets took a 70-60 win in Winsted. Robert Skinner and Austin Brochu each had 22 points for Gilbert in the win. Spencer Albano led Wamogo with 20 points in the loss while Nick Nemergut added 18.
The Yellowjackets are coming off a hard-fought 72-65 home win over Housatonic last Friday. Gilbert has won four straight games since a 54-52 loss at Lewis Mills on Jan. 27.
Look for live tweets from the game @kroberts023.

- Kevin D. Roberts

KEVIN D. ROBERTS/Register Citizen

It was another wild ending between the Nonnewaug and Wamogo girls basketball teams. This time, Caitlin Drakeley's buzzer-beating 3-pointer gave the Chiefs a 42-39 victory over the Warrirors in Woodbury. Megan Layman tied the game for Wamogo at 39 with less than 10 seconds left, but Drakeley dribbled her way to the top of key and a put up a three-point shot that hit nothing but net.
In the first meeting between the teams in December in Litchfield, Jessica Binkowski's two free throws gave Wamogo a 44-42 win over Nonnewaug, who was undefeated at the time.
To read more about the game, and watch Drakeley's game-winning 3, click here.

BOX SCORE

Nonnewaug 42, Wamogo 39
At Nonnewaug
Wamogo 2-6-17-14—39
Nonnewaug 13-7-10—42
WAMOGO (39): Kerri Stolle 3-2-8; Megan Layman 6-2-16; Ariana Shemms 1-0-2; Hannah LaBonne 3-1-9; Jenna Lopardo 1-0-2; Jessica Binkowski 1-0-2; Kelly Shimo 0-0-0; TOTALS: 15-5-39.
NONNEWAUG (42): Caitlin Drakeley 6-3-17; Katie Burke 3-2-8; Abby Jones 2-0-4; Megan Mitchell 0-1-1; Erin South 2-0-4; Ali Rescsanski 3-1-8; Jess Fengler 0-0-0; TOTALS: 16-7-42.
3-point goals: N—Drakeley 2, Rescsanski.
Records: Wamogo 13-5 (12-4); Nonnewaug 17-2 (15-2).

- Kevin D. Roberts

The Nonnewaug girls basketball team looks to keep its Berkshire League title hopes alive with a win over Wamogo at Nonnewaug High School tonight at 7.
The Warriors (13-4 overall, 12-3 BL) will be looking to keep their slim title hopes alive by playing the role of spoiler again against the Chiefs (16-2, 14-2). Wamogo needs a win over Nonnewaug and two losses from Thomaston to tie for the Berkshire League title.
In the first meeting between the Warriors and the Chiefs, Jessica Binkowski hit on both ends of a one-and-one with four seconds left to give Wamogo a 44-42 victory on Dec. 27 in Litchfield. The Warriors outscored the Chiefs 14-3 in the fourth quarter to win the game.
I will be sending out live tweets from the game. Look for live updates @kroberts023.

- Kevin D. Roberts

KEVIN D. ROBERTS/Register Citize

TORRINGTON -- The Torrington girls basketball team honored its seven seniors, then pounded Crosby 57-26 on Tuesday night at the Connie Donahue Gymnasium.
The story of the night was senior Morgan Thulin, who got a chance to play for the first time this season. Thulin is rehabbing after tearing the ACL in her left knee before the 2011 soccer season began. Thulin hadn't stepped on the court in a game before Tuesday night.
All Thulin did was score four points and grab two rebounds. Read more about Thulin's night and the game itself here.
Before the game, Thulin was honored along with fellow seniors Aly Otis, Caycee Williams, Mariah Cerruto, Emily Eanniello, Mollie Bartles and Dia O'Brien in the Senior Night festivities.
Here's how each senior did on Tuesday:

OTIS: 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, 1 assist
CERRUTO: 11 points (3 3-pointers), 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal
WILLIAMS: 6 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals, 2 assists
THULIN: 4 points, 2 rebounds
BARTLES: 2 points, 2 rebounds
O'BRIEN: 2 points, 1 block
EANNIELLO: 0 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal

BOX SCORE

Torrington 57, Crosby 26
At Torrington
Crosby 10-3-11-2 — 26
Torrington 6-16-18-17 — 57
CROSBY (26): Danielle Outler 5-0-10; Sumaya Saunders 2-5-10; Shayla Perez 1-0-2; Kyra Perry 1-0-2; Carina Cardona 0-0-0; Cori Battle 0-0-0; Melody Davis 0-0-0; Za’Nayia Love 0-0-0; Aaliyah Siders 0-2-2; Shayndezia Thompson 0-0-0; Ciera Parchment 0-0-0; Daquessney Keith 0-0-0. TOTALS: 9-7-26.
TORRINGTON (57): Nicole Kozlak 0-2-2; Mollie Bartles 0-2-2; Caroline Teti 2-4-10; Morgan Thulin 1-2-4; Mika Howard 1-0-2; Aly Otis 4-6-14; Caycee Williams 2-2-6; Olivia Morrison 0-0-0; Emily Eanniello 0-0-0; Dia O’Brien 1-0-2; Mariah Cerruto 4-0-11; Megan Calabrese 2-0-4. TOTALS: 17-18-57.
3-pointers: C — Saunders. T — Cerruto (3), Teti (2).
Records: Crosby 1-17 (1-16 Naugatuck Valley League); Torrington 16-3 (16-2).

Tonight will be the final regular season home game for seven Torrington girls basketball seniors. The Lady Raiders (15-3 overall, 15-2 Naugatuck Valley League) host the Crosby Bulldogs (1-16, 1-15 NVL). 
Aly Otis, Caycee Williams, Mariah Cerruto, Emily Eanniello, Mollie Bartles, Dia O'Brien and Morgan Thulin are the seven seniors. Thulin hasn't played yet this season due to a knee injury sustained before the 2011 fall soccer season.
Torrington is coming off of a 52-29 win at Kennedy last Friday. The Raiders held the Eagles to just 12 second half poitns. Otis led the way with 14 points while Williams and Nicole Kozlak each had 11.

- Kevin D. Roberts