Ridgefield’s Cara Sheafe (5) looks to score as Staples’ Arianna Gerig (34) defends during FCIAC Girls’ Basketball Championship in Trumbull on Thursday. For more information, go to newstimes.com/sports.
Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media
TRUMBULL — The Ridgefield girls basketball team has been through three coaches over the past two seasons and nobody in the preseason was talking about the Tigers.
Now, they are all anyone in the FCIAC is talking about.
In a double-overtime classic, No. 7 Ridgefield, led by the upperclassmen who have been through so much turmoil, defeated top-seeded Staples 50-46.
FCIAC GIRLS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT BRACKET
Junior Cali Stietzel hit a huge 3-pointer in the second overtime, followed by a steal at midcourt and a layup, putting the Tigers up by five.
FCIAC final MVP Kate Wagner #ctgb pic.twitter.com/VImedggtZ9
— Scott Ericson (@EricsonSports) February 28, 2020
Then it was senior Kate Wagner scoring a basket and later knocking down a clutch free throw to ice it, sending Ridgefield and their fans into a frenzy at midcourt.
“I can’t describe the feeling, it is absolutely insane,” Wagner, FCIAC finals MVP, said. “We knew we were capable of it, but to actually have it in our hands, I can’t even describe it. Senior year, every single player on this team knew we could do this and to finally bring it home, it feels so good.”
Wagner was the game’s high scorer with 16 points with Stietzel adding 14.
Ridgefield coach Rob Coloney on his team’s dramatic FCIAC title. #ctgb pic.twitter.com/pspYtRDunu
— Scott Ericson (@EricsonSports) February 28, 2020
Ridgefield last won the FCIAC title in 2015.
The game was only in overtime because Ridgefield’s Katie Flynn knocked down a 3 from the wing with 16 second left in regulation, tying the game 37-37.
With 2.8 seconds left in the first overtime and Ridgefield leading 41-39, Staples’ Marley Lopez-Paul was fouled and went to the line.
Flynn ties it with :16 left and we are going to OT 37-37 #ctgb pic.twitter.com/37CAMxe3Ji
— Scott Ericson (@EricsonSports) February 28, 2020
The junior center hit both free throws, sending the game to a second overtime.
Staples was without All-FCIAC first team forward Arianna Gerig in both overtimes after she fouled out with 1:34 left in regulation and a team-high 11 points.
Staples was plagued all night by missed layups and free throws.
“This is hard. But, if you don’t play basketball, you’re not going to win the game and we didn’t play, tonight,” Staples coach Paco Fabian said. “It took two overtimes for us to get to 46 points and that’s not us. You got to make layups. Basketball isn’t a hard thing. You have to make layups and you have to make fouls shots.”
Staples was led by 11 points from Gerig and 10 from Lopez-Paul.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Katie Flynn, Ridgefield. Flynn’s 3 at the end of regulation was the biggest basket of the night and the season. She finished with 12 points.
QUOTABLE
“Katie Flynn hitting that shot at the end of the fourth quarter, what a shot,” Ridgefield coach Rob Coloney said. “As the overtimes went on we hit adversity, adversity, adversity. I am really proud that we were the last team standing but there is a lot of talent in this league and I am really happy to be a part of it.”
