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14th-seeded E.O. Smith turns up defensive pressure on East Catholic, repeats as CCC champs

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E.O. Smith’s Taylor Golembiewski drives the lane during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
E.O. Smith’s Taylor Golembiewski drives the lane during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
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East Catholic’s Emily Jeamel looks to make a pass during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
East Catholic’s Emily Jeamel looks to make a pass during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
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E.O. Smith’s Courtney Doherty goes for a layup during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
E.O. Smith’s Courtney Doherty goes for a layup during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
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East Catholic’s Lilly Ferguson drives to the basket during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
East Catholic’s Lilly Ferguson drives to the basket during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
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E.O. Smith’s Courney Doherty dribbles the ball up the floor during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
E.O. Smith’s Courney Doherty dribbles the ball up the floor during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
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Action between E.O. Smith and East Catholic during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
Action between E.O. Smith and East Catholic during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
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East Catholic’s Lilly Ferguson looks to make a pass during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
East Catholic’s Lilly Ferguson looks to make a pass during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
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E.O. Smith’s Lillianna Clark goes up for a layup during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
E.O. Smith’s Lillianna Clark goes up for a layup during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
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East Catholic’s Lilly Ferguson goes up for a layup during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
East Catholic’s Lilly Ferguson goes up for a layup during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
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E.O. Smith’s Madison Hughes goes up for a layup during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
E.O. Smith’s Madison Hughes goes up for a layup during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
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East Catholic’s Lilly Ferguson drives to the basket during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
East Catholic’s Lilly Ferguson drives to the basket during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
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Action between E.O. Smith and East Catholic during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
Action between E.O. Smith and East Catholic during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
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E.O. Smith’s Allison Raynor drives to the basket during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
E.O. Smith’s Allison Raynor drives to the basket during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
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East Catholic’s Edisha Galan looks to make a pass during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
East Catholic’s Edisha Galan looks to make a pass during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
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East Catholic’s Cami Pasqualoni takes a shot during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
East Catholic’s Cami Pasqualoni takes a shot during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
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East Catholic’s Lilly Ferguson goes up for a layup during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)
East Catholic’s Lilly Ferguson goes up for a layup during the CCC tournament championship game at Glastonbury high school on Thursday, February 27, 2020. (Pete Paguaga, Hearst Connecticut Media)

GLASTONBURY – Seeding hadn’t mattered all week during the CCC girls basketball tournament and it didn’t matter in Thursday’s championship game, either.

Defending champion E.O. Smith, seeded 14th this year, repeated at CCC champions thanks to a suffocating defense that propelled the Panthers to a 42-28 victory over No. 4 East Catholic in the championship game Thursday night at Glastonbury.

“Unbelievable desire, the commitment to defense and the will to want to win,” E.O. Smith coach Mary Roickle said. “These kids really stepped up to the plate and when we went into the tournament (as the) 14th seed, we didn’t feel like we were the 14th seed, but we had to come out and prove it and these young ladies just did an awesome job over the last four games.”

CCC GIRLS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT BRACKET

The Panthers knocked off No. 3 Northwest Catholic, No. 6 Glastonbury, No. 10 Conard and then East Catholic on their way to retaining the title.

“We have faith in ourselves, we work so hard so we deserve to be here,” said E.O. Smith senior Courtney Doherty, who — once again — led all scorers with 19 points.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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The two teams met on Feb. 7 with East Catholic defeating E.O. Smith, 55-53. This time around, however, the Panthers’ defense stepped up.

“They had a really hard time scoring in the beginning, I think we really shut them down and we hit our shots this time, unlike last game,” Doherty said. “They weren’t getting easy buckets, they had to work for every shot, which was huge.”

East Catholic, which scored 73 points in the semifinals, struggled to get any offensive rhythm going, scoring in double digits in one quarter.

“We got those stops and we couldn’t score,” East Catholic coach Jeremiah Brown said. “We come down on fast breaks, everything was contested, but generally open layups and they weren’t going in.

“(E.O. Smith) just pressured us, essentially. A lot of active hands. They communicate very well, (they’re) very fundamental on defense.”

The Panthers took the Eagles turnovers and translated them into points all night.

“There commitment to defense has been awesome,” Roickle said.

E.O. Smith 42, East Catholic 28

E – 15 13 6 8 – 42
EC – 8 6 11 3 – 28
E.O. Smith
Olivia Verboven 1 0 3, Allie Raynor 1 1 3, Courtney Doherty 6 5 19, Taylor Golembiewski 3 0 7, Claire Greene 2 0 6, Maddie Hughes 2 0 4, Lilli Clark 0 0 0, Bella Mallory 0 0 0. Totals: 14 6 42
East Catholic
Kayliana Salazar 0 0 0, Edisha Galan 1 0 2, Alexis Jablonecki 0 0 0, Lilly Ferguson 2 2 6, Emily Jeamel 2 0 6, Lauren Trymbulak 2 1 5, Cami Pasqualoni 3 3 9. Totals: 10 6 28.
3 – pointers: E – Doherty 2, Greene 2, Verboven, Golembiewski. EC – Jeamel 2.