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01/06/2019 11:00 PMThe Morgan girls’ basketball team picked up a pair of victories in its three-game slate last week. The Huskies improved to 5-3 on the season by defeating Haddam-Killingworth and Coginchaug, while taking a loss against Cromwell in last week’s action.
Head Coach Caitlin Woods’s squad is off to a solid start as the season approaches its midpoint. Woods, who’s in her third season at the helm of the Huskies, hopes to see that trend continue as the campaign unfolds.
On Dec. 28, the Huskies scored a 43-21 blowout over Haddam-Killingworth in a home game. Morgan held a 10-8 lead after the first quarter and then outscored the Cougars 12-2 in the second. Entering the second half with a 22-10 advantage, Morgan outpaced H-K by a 22-11 margin the rest of the way to emerge with the lopsided win.
Sophomore Catie Donadio led the Huskies in scoring with 12 points, while senior captain Joelle Vuilleumier provided seven points, six rebounds, and three steals. Senior captain Kylee Clifton had five rebounds, three blocks, six assists, and four steals for Morgan. Sophomore Rachel Lehn scored 10 points to go with seven rebounds, while Leah McComiskey also grabbed seven boards. Senior captain Becca Shamp added six points, five boards, and one block in the victory.
Coach Woods thought her squad made up for a rough start with a dominating finish versus H-K. Woods said the Huskies got a boost from their bench and then buckled down to take control of the game.
“We weren’t happy with the way we started. We didn’t work hard enough on defense, but we emphasized that going forward,” Woods said. “We started to shoot better. Rachel Lehn came on and gave us an offensive boost, and it sparked our team. Our slow start was an eye-opener for the kids that we had to work harder. Fortunately, we pulled away at the right time.”
On Jan. 2, Morgan hosted Coginchaug and recorded a 49-41 win against the Blue Devils. The Huskies were up 13-9 after first quarter, but Coginchaug had a 11-6 edge in the second quarter to take a 20-19 lead into halftime. However, Morgan controlled the second half by outscoring Coginchaug in both the third (20-14) and fourth (10-7) quarters to walk off the floor with the eight-point victory.
The Huskies were bolstered by another strong performance from Donadio, who finished with 20 points, three blocks, and five assists. Vuilleumier scored 12 points to go with six rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal. McComiskey added 10 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and two steals. Clifton had four boards, four assists, and two blocks, while Shamp contributed nine rebounds, three assists, one block, and one steal for the Huskies.
Coach Woods felt that Morgan’s approach entering the game paid off in the result. The victory came down to some great defense for the Huskies, coupled with a handful of standout performances.
“I think that we went in well-prepared with a solid defensive strategy. We had to cover Jessica King, who’s an outstanding shooter, and we had to focus on the post. We have no kids who are as big as theirs, but we played bigger and converted on offense. Vuilleumier and McComiskey were outstanding against kids with that kind of size,” said Woods. “Donadio had to take on a lot in the last two seasons, and she’s handled it well. She gets the first step by the defender to get to the basket. She’s a great defender, as well.”
Two days later, the Huskies took a 41-30 road loss at Cromwell. Morgan played the Panthers to a 6-6 tie after the first quarter, and Cromwell held a 16-13 lead at halftime. Morgan was only down five entering the fourth quarter, but the Panthers outscored Morgan 16-10 in the final frame to come away with the win.
Donadio led the Huskies in scoring for the third straight game by netting 12 points to go along with three assists and three steals. Clifton added eight points, three rebounds, four assists, four steals, and one block. McComiskey had five blocks and eight boards.
Coach Woods believes that the Huskies are looking good through their first eight games of the season. As long as everyone keeps bringing a consistent effort for four quarters each night, Woods thinks that Morgan should be right there in playoff conversation come tournament time.
“I think we’re at a good point right now. We just have to emphasize one game, one practice, one possession at a time. We need to play outstanding defense, or we will struggle,” Woods said. “If we can keep it up, we should be able to hold a top spot in the Shoreline and make a name for ourselves. It’s a matter of continuing to put all four quarters together. We get in trouble when we let down for a quarter.”