New Canaan 5th Grade Girls Basketball Team Beats Wilton to reach FCBL Final

In a semi-final game at Chelsea Piers on Sunday, the New Canaan 5th Grade Girls basketball team continued their playoff run by beating Wilton 26-13 to advance to the FCBL Finals. 
The game started as a defensive battle, with strong rebounding by Olivia West and Brynn Harris. Although Wilton scored first, New Canaan answered when Elizabeth St. George scored an inside jumper off a well-placed bounce-pass by Quinn McKiernan. From that point, New Canaan went on a 10-point run, with baskets by Julia Bazata, McKiernan, St. George and 2 inside jumpers by Claire Pittaro. Strong rebounding by Holly Knight and Emma Gibbens kept the game close, and after additional scoring by Gibbens and Marlee Smith, New Canaan led 16-4 at halftime.  

Wilton came out strong in the second half, but Smith had an outstanding defensive steal to take back the momentum. Harris was fouled and converted on the foul shot to increase the lead to 17-4. Tight defense by Chloe Reidy led to another defensive steal, and St. George converted on a basket from the top of the key. Eleanor Lapin's outstanding ball control helped New Canaan keep possession of the ball, and Pittaro scored 2 more baskets to lengthen New Canaan's lead. Cameron Murphy's ball movement kept New Canaan in control, and a timely defensive steal from Lapin deflated Wilton's momentum, along with defensive rebounding by Reidy and West, and New Canaan ended the 3rd quarter up 23-8.  
With such a big lead, the focus for the fourth quarter was ball control. Murphy's strong defensive prowess was crucial in keeping the ball out of Wilton's possession, and both St. George and Pittaro had key defensive rebounds to keep Wilton from maintaining momentum on their comeback. McKiernan capped off the scoring with a jump shot from the key, and the game ended with New Canaan winning 25-13. 
New Canaan's playoff run started with a bottom seed that required them to win a play-in game, but strong clutch performances have led their team to the finals, a Sunday game against New Fairfield in the FCBL Championship game.