Girls' hoops still
winless despite improved play at home
By Jay Turner
Citizen Staff
After five
tough games on the road to open the season, the CHS girls’
varsity basketball team was more than happy to play both of its
games at home last week, and it showed in the Bulldogs’
performance as they played both opponents closer and produced
more offensively.
 Now they just
have to win.
As it stands,
the Bulldogs are currently 0-7 following losses last week to
North Attleboro and Stoughton, but as head coach Kaitlin Mills
observed, the team is starting to show improvement in “all
aspects of the game.”
And that was
never more evident than on Tuesday night, when the Bulldogs
outplayed the Red Rocketeers through two quarters and led
throughout the entire first half.
“We came out
playing great defense,” Mills said. “We brought a lot of speed
and intensity, and we were able to contain North Attleboro’s
best shooters.”
Canton then
continued to play well in the second half, but North Attleboro
fought back to take a two-point lead at the end of the third
quarter before pulling away in the fourth for the 58-52 win.
Despite the
result, it was far and away the team’s most complete performance
to date, led by senior center Erika Bornemann, who had a huge
game with 29 points and 21 rebounds. Sophomore Olivia Murphy
also played well, finishing with 11 points, 11 rebounds and six
blocks, as did junior guard Nicki Fralick, who had seven points
and four steals.
“I was very
proud of our team’s effort,” Mills said afterward. “North
Attleboro is a good team in the league, and we really did a
great job defending their best players and making things happen
on offense.”
The Bulldogs
had a tougher time on Friday against Stoughton, falling 55-41 in
a game that featured too many Canton turnovers, especially in
the first half.
Mills said her
team had a hard time fighting through the Knights’ press – a
problem she has seen in other games this season.
“We have to do
a better job protecting the basketball against teams that
press,” she said.
One of the
bright spots in the Stoughton game was the play of sophomore
point guard Alana Pitts-Anaya, who led the team in scoring with
15 points, including nine from downtown. “She did a great job at
the point, and I see great potential in her offensive skills,”
Mills said.
Bornemann
posted her second double-double of the week, finishing with 14
points, 16 rebounds and six blocks, while junior guard Radiya
Buchanan and senior forward Elana Willinsky both played well
down the stretch.
Last night,
the Bulldogs traveled to Bedford for the first of three
nonleague games this season, and tomorrow they will head to King
Philip for a 6:30 p.m. game before playing the next five at
home, beginning with Mansfield next Tuesday. In other team news,
Bornemann and senior Laura O’Brien were named captains following
a team vote held over the recent vacation.
January 14, 2010
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