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03/12/2016 11:00 PMGirls’ Basketball
On March 7, the 8th-seeded Morgan girls’ basketball team played at top-seeded Cromwell in the quarterfinals of the Class M State Tournament and took a 50-38 defeat. It was the fourth time the squads faced off this season and Cromwell won for the fourth time to remain undefeated. Morgan finished its season at 21-5, while Cromwell moved to 26-0 before defeating Holy Cross to advance to the Class S final.
The Huskies hung tough early against Cromwell, but ultimately, the Panthers’ depth was too much to handle. Morgan trailed 12-11 at the end of the first quarter and then reversed that score in the second to go the half deadlocked at 23. Cromwell gained some separation in the third and took a 37-31 advantage into fourth. In the final period, the Panthers pulled away by using a combination of tough defense and timely baskets. Morgan was held to just 15 points for the second half in being eliminated from states by Cromwell for the second-straight season.
“Our defense had some breakdowns in the second half that let them get on a run. [Cromwell is] a very difficult team to play and should win Class M. I think they will win it because they have the most-balanced team—very deep, lots of bench players who can shoot and score,” Head Coach Joe Grippo said. “We lost five games all year and four of them came against an undefeated team, so I am very proud of my team and how they played this season. I think that speaks well to our guys.”
Morgan was led by senior captain point guard Sami Ashton, who scored 19 points. Ashton had broken the school’s all-time scoring record in the Huskies’ 50-36 victory over Waterford in the second round. She finished her career at Morgan with 1,722 points. Fellow senior captain Josie Sullivan had 11 points and hauled in 21 rebounds in the Cromwell contest.
“It goes without saying what Sami has done in her time at Morgan over the past four years. She is a tremendous player and competitor and I can’t wait to see her play at Connecticut College next year. She is irreplaceable,” Coach Grippo said. “Josie is irreplaceable, as well. She is the most relentless rebounder I’ve ever had. I can’t definitely say, but she probably would be the record holder for most rebounds in school history. They are two terrific players who cannot ever be replaced.”
Boys’ Basketball
The No. 26 seed Morgan boys’ basketball squad went on the road to face No. 7 Old Saybrook in the first round of the Class S State Tournament and was eliminated with a 67-53 defeat on March 7. Senior captain Dylan Ketch led the way with 14 points for the Huskies, who finished the year at 10-11.