Hall Girls Basketball Rises To Class LL Final Four

Good old Gym B. What a "Pit."

The relic served a fundamental purpose earlier this week, helping the Hall girls basketball team achieve a postseason milestone that is nearly as ancient.

"It has had water damage. It's very confining and it has very tight rims," Hall coach Jeffrey Kaplowitz said.

It was just perfect, said Kaplowitz, who moved three practices from Gym A into the small backup gym to condition Hall for the notorious Holy Cross venue known as "The Pit."

“My feeling was that if we were going to go to Holy Cross and a smaller gym, basically with a hostile crowd, we needed to force our kids to concentrate … and in not-the-best of luxury,” Kaplowitz said. “I think it helped.”

Sara Binkhorst scored 23 of her 32 points in the second half and Hall beat Holy Cross 62-54 Thursday in Waterbury to advance to Class LL final four for the first time in at least 34 years.

The records, like Gym B, are a little creaky too:

• The 1977 Hall girls, coached by Kathy Walling, were No. 1 in Class LL and lost in state final to Lee-New Haven, finishing 23-1.
• The 1976 team was 21-1 under coach Jane Rosenkranz but did not play in a championship game. CIAC records show Shelton beat Lee for the LL crown, the first year girls titles were contested in four divisions.
• won West Hartford’s first girls state title in 1979, defeating Norwalk in LL. won Class S in ’96.

Hall (22-3), the fifth seed, will play ninth-seeded Career Magnet (21-5) in the semifinals Monday at Sheehan High School in Wallingford. Career, a two-time state champion, knocked off top seed Trumbull, 64-52.

The last time Hall was in this kind of atmosphere was Barbara Davis’ 1985 team that finished 17-3 and lost in the LL quarterfinals.

“This is wonderful. There are four great teams competing right now,” Kaplowitz said.

Holy Cross (23-2), which won Class M in 2007 and was a state runner-up three times, lost at home for the first time this season. They hardly ever lose at the Pit.

“I really felt a confident calm,” Kaplowitz said. “I think our kids were not intimidated at all.”

Hall opened its biggest lead, 56-44, on a free throw by Allanah Boyle with 1:20 to play. Binkhorst sank 12 of 14 free throws in the final period, including 6 of 6 in the last minute when Holy Cross was forced to foul.

Hall led 24-21 at halftime before the teams exchanged five three-point salvos to open the third.

“When they did take the lead [30-27], there was a timeout,” Kaplowitz said. “Coach [Steve] Boyle and I just told the team, look, we knew they were going to make a run at us. Now it’s time for you to stop it. And the best way to stop it is not to trade baskets. But to go and play tough defense.”

Hall went on a 12-4 run and never trailed again.

Moira Honyotski added nine points and Allyson Swaby seven for Hall.

“In the third quarter they really went after the boards,” Kaplowitz said. “Moira Honyotski had at least 15 rebounds. She was huge.”

So was Swaby, Kaplowitz said. Swaby, a freshman, led fast-breaks, forced turnovers -- 23 by Holy Cross -- and played tight defense, using her uncommon quickness.

“She has a tremendous amount of athletic instinct and she’s starting to realize what that is,” Kaplowitz said. “She’s a very, very quiet kid. The other day in practice she said, ‘Look Coach, look guys, if I’m on the side here and you throw it into space, I’ll just go and get it.’ That’s the first time she basically said, ‘I’m going to be a basketball player.’”

On Friday, Kaplowitz was waiting to review a scouting report on Career by Hall boys basketball assistant Matt Price. The New Haven team, ranked in most state top 10s, features Bria Moore (23 points against Trumbull), Nicole Anderson (16) and Jasmine Claxton (11).

No. 6 seed Glastonbury (24-2) plays second-seeded Mercy (23-2) in the second semifinal Monday at Sheehan.

Swaby turned an ankle in the fourth quarter but is expected to be OK. Anna Alferi, a captain with Binkhorst and Ariana Nestler, has sore ribs. Most are feeling the effects of a long season that could get pleasantly longer with a run to the Mohegan Sun next weekend.

“We’re a little banged up right now,” Kaplowitz said.

So is Gym B.

CIAC tournaments

Northwest Catholic 68, Bristol Eastern 42: JC Carr scored 18 points and Tony Seldon had 17 points and eight rebounds Thursday to lead NWC (23-1) into the Class L boys quarterfinals.

No. 1 NWC, which led 40-22 at halftime, will host ninth-seeded Bassick (20-5) Monday.

Northwest Catholic 5, BBD 2: Patrick Melanson had two goals and Matt Greenwood stopped 29 shots Thursday at Wesleyan as NWC advanced to its third consecutive Division III hockey final four.

Alex Hunter, A.J. Massaro and Jeff Greenwood also scored as eighth-seeded NWC (11-9-2) eliminated top-seeded Brookfield/Bethel/Danbury (16-5).

NWC will play No. 4 Watertown/Pomparaug (14-7) in a Division III semifinal doubleheader Tuesday at Yale’s Ingalls Rink. No. 3 Windsor/East Granby/Avon (17-4) will play No. 2 Staples/Weston/Shelton (15-6).

Kingswood Oxford wins Class B title

Tylon Smith scored 30 points and Mike Deffley 23 as defeated Berkshire 76-67 in overtime Sunday in Worcester to win its first New England prep school championship since 1991.

Smith averaged 26.7 points and was named the most outstanding player in the three-game Class B tournament.

Mike Deffley added 23 points and Elijah Foreman 14 for five-time prep champion KO (20-6), which won its first title in coach Garth Adams’ 11 years.