Torrington’s Brittany Anderson goes up for a layup during the Red Raiders 71-41 win over Derby. Anderson finished with five points.
Marianne Killackey — Special to the Register Citizen
TORRINGTON >> On a frigid night, Torrington’s defense put out Derby’s fire early, 71-41, in a girls basketball game between two Red Raider teams at Torrington High School Tuesday evening.
Nine steals by Torrington’s Raiders (6-2) in the first quarter held Derby’s Raiders (2-5) to just three points for the period.
Off to an early start because the undermanned Derby Raiders have no JV team for a preliminary bout, the game stopped dead in its tracks right there.
Photos: Torrington 71 Derby 41
“We have just nine bodies,” said Derby coach Dave Chevarella. “It’s tough to play hard when there’s nobody behind them to push. We’ve been fighting it for four years. There’s just no girls basketball tradition to build on.”
Torrington’s girls live at the opposite end of the spectrum, with a demanding coach and high expectations year after year.
“We worked on some things tonight, but we’re still not where we want to be,” said Coach Mike Fritch.
The Torrington Raiders start with defense for a steady spot at or near the top of the NVL.
That part was fully in place through Tuesday’s first quarter. The offense remained a work in progress.
Senior point guard Caroline Teti (game-high 14 points) hit the first of her four three-pointers for the game in the opening seconds.
Then Torrington came up empty for the next two minutes.
Torrington’s shooting touch was off. Derby couldn’t get a shot off at all.
Torrington center Mia Barbieri, in one of her best overall performances, started providing multiple chances for her Raiders early in a strong rebounding night to go with the defense.
Barbieri hauled in the first Torrington miss, then fed Teti for the first three points.
From there, Torrington worked on its full court press: two steals, an offensive rebound by Taylor Howe; another Torrington steal; a shot block.
Two-and-a-half minutes into the game, Olivia Morrison drove the length of the court for the game’s second basket, 5-0.
Seconds later, Derby got off its first shot, a miss from beyond the arc.
Still, the game moved off its starting blocks.
Torrington’s press produced; now its offense joined in.
Barbieri grabbed a steal, then made a foul shot.
Paige Middleton (12 points) got a steal, then hit a three from the corner.
Midway through the period, Derby got its first point, on a foul shot.
Then the Torrington cycle repeated: Middleton steal, Middleton layup, 11-1.
Derby’s first field goal came on a layup, 1:48 left in the quarter.
Then Torrington rattled out the last four points — two foul shots by Brittany Anderson and a put-back by Middleton.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was 15-3. Derby was out of the game.
Derby’s poise rose as Torrington’s press loosened in the second quarter. The margins stayed the same or grew.
Derby freshman Anna Chevarella (team-high 8 points) hit outside. Torrington’s Middleton and Mika Howard doubled it with two threes plus a coast-to-coast sprint by Teti, 23-6.
Derby senior center Shyanne Garofalo hit three foul shots. Torrington junior center Barbieri answered with a put-back and a layup on a great pass from Howard, 27-9.
Derby junior guard got three of her seven points in the last two minutes of the first half.
Torrington freshman guard Brie Pergola had five of her nine in the same two minutes, 38-17.
“We got everybody in,” smiled Fritch on his way to scout Friday’s opponent at 4-4 Kennedy.
In a steady current of fresh legs against Derby’s small band, the Torrington wave rose to 57-22 after three quarters, then to its final margin.
Torrington 71, Derby 31
At Torrington High School
Derby 3 14 5 9—31
Torrington 15 23 19 14—71
Derby (31): Mia Mauro 0-0-0; Julie Butler 1-0-2; Rebecca Adanti 2-2-7; Shyanne Garofalo 1-4-6; Shelby Mendillo 1-2-4; Nicole Valko 1-0-2; Anna Chevarella 2-4-8; Amanda Dean 1-0-2. Totals: 9-12-31.
Torrington (71): Ashlyn Cook 0-0-0; Paige Middleton 5-0-12; Brie Peregola 4-1-9; Joann Duman 2-0-4; Caroline Teti 5-0-14; Brittany Anderson 1-3-5; Mika Howard 3-0-7; Mia Barbieri 2-1-5; Shelby Howe 1-0-2; Olivia Morrison 4-0-8; Taylor Howe 1-0-3; Lindsey Mathieu 0-0-0; Caitlyn Cornish 1-0-2; Kendra Covington 0-0-0. Totals: 29-5-71.
3-point goals: D—Adanti. T—Middleton 2; Teti 4; Howard; T. Howe.
Records: Derby 2-5; Torrington 6-2.
