The Morgan girls’ basketball team advanced to the championship game of the Shoreline Conference Tournament by earning a 41-40 victory against Cromwell in the semifinals at Coginchaug High School on Feb. 25. The Huskies, who are the No. 3 seed, will play top-seeded East Hampton for the title at Old Saybrook High School on Friday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. Morgan has an overall record of 17-5 on the year.

Morgan had reached the Shoreline semifinals by posting a 52-25 home win versus No. 6 seed Portland in the quarterfinal round on Feb. 2. 

Prior to that, Morgan wrapped up the regular season with a 61-36 home win against Valley Regional on Senior Night on Feb. 17, avenging a loss to the Warriors in the first game of the year. Head Coach Caitlin Woods was happy that her athletes got a little payback against Valley Regional, in addition to a Senior Night win.

“We really felt that we didn’t play well against Valley in our first game. Credit to them for getting that win in the first game. They played us so hard and shot well,” said Woods. “Our kids wanted to prove a point on their Senior Night. They went out with the desire to win that game. It took a quarter to really show it. They were ready to come out on top, and we certainly did by the second quarter.”

Both squads got out to slow starts with Morgan taking a 5-4 lead after the first quarter. In the second, it was all Morgan. The Huskies scored 27 and took a 32-12 lead by halftime. By the end of the third, it was 44-24, and the Huskies pushed it further in the fourth to reach the 61-36 final.

The Huskies received big contributions from senior captain Leah McComiskey who had a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds to go with five blocks, four steals, and two assists. Junior captain Catie Donadio also had a huge game with 17 points, eight assists, seven steals, seven boards, and three blocks. The two have been incredibly valuable leaders on the court for Morgan all season.

“They are our anchors. I couldn’t imagine where we’d be without them. They both play AAU, and they work together all year long,” said Woods. “It’s also amazing how much they’ve worked. They came in as great basketball players, but they’ve made themselves into phenomenal players and phenomenal leaders for this team.”

Seniors Rachel Lehn and Alyse Olcott also provided some meaningful minutes for the Huskies, and each of them came up with some important rebounds with three apiece. Even though it was Senior Night, a pair of freshmen in Caely Ayer (13 points, 6 steals) and Katie Martin (11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 assists) also got into the mix.

After dispatching Valley, Morgan had a four-day layoff with a bye through the play-in round of Shorelines. On Feb. 22, the Huskies trounced No. 6 seed Portland to the tune of a 52-25 home victory in the quarterfinal round. Coach Woods was pleased to get the win, but overall, she thought her squad played a little flat. It was another case of the Huskies starting out slow and then finding their stride.

“To be honest, we weren’t thrilled with the way we played, and Portland played us tough. We were slow to get to the final punch, but I was happy to get the win,” Woods said. “No matter what, it was a game that everyone was going to play hard. What’s most important was that we got it.”

The Huskies took a narrow 11-10 lead in the first quarter, but then started creating a bit of distance with a 15-3 second quarter to take a 26-13 lead at halftime. Portland closed their deficit slightly with Morgan up 34-24 heading into the final frame. The Huskies took over with an 18-1 fourth quarter en route to the 52-25 win.

“The second quarter we pulled it together as a team overall. Defensively and offensively, we were better,” Coach Woods said. “Our scoring got much better as the game went on, and we got contributions from a lot different players. That’s what we need to be a successful team.”

Donadio (19 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals) had another strong night, while Lehn (11 points, 3 rebounds) hit some big shots for Morgan. Ayer added 11 points, four assists, and two steals, and McComiskey hauled in 10 boards to go with six blocks, five points, three assists, and three steals. Junior Alex Kelly (5 rebounds, 4 points) and Alyse Olcott (2 points, 2 rebounds) also got involved.

Looking ahead, Coach Woods knows that her squad has to avoid slow starts and down quarters if the Huskies are going to be Shoreline champs.

“We’re a little unpredictable. Sometimes we come out strong. Sometimes it’s a little slow going. We’re a team that has proven that we can get it done in the end, but we’ve got to play well in all four quarters. We’ve got to put it all together. In a game-time situation you have to answer the call, but these kids work hard, and I couldn’t be more proud of that.”

From the Sidelines

The Morgan girls’ basketball team’s roster features senior captain Leah McComiskey; seniors Rachel Lehn and Alyse Olcott; junior captain Catie Donadio; juniors Madeline Dunham and Alex Kelly; sophomores Kasandra Gutierrez, Sydney Scanlon, and Ava Zirlis; and freshmen Caeley Ayer, Bailey Brown, Iris Dunham, Kacey Edwards, Alyssa Maikowski, Katie Martin, Eva O’Sullivan, Maddie O’Sullivan, and Sophie Passante.

Caitlin Woods is currently in her fourth season as head coach of the Huskies. Morgan’s assistant coach is Jessica Lynch.