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Schools

Who's Hotter? Manchester or Glastonbury?

Fourth meeting of season between CCC North rivals will send winner to Class LL semifinals.

Momentum can be fickle in high school sports – a team’s greatest ally when hot, its chief nemesis when cold. Manchester didn’t have much of it and Glastonbury had plenty when they met for the , a game won by the Tomahawks in the third meeting of the season between the teams.

The fourth game pitting the CCC North rivals – in the quarterfinal round of the CIAC Class LL girls basketball state tournament on Thursday in the Indians’ gym at 7 p.m. – could be the most intriguing because on the surface both teams are hot. Each team can claim to have momentum on its side.

So, something's got to give.

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The winner of Manchester-Glastonbury IV will meet the survivor of a Thursday quarterfinal between Mercy-Middletown and Lauralton Hall-Milford in a semifinal on Monday at a site and time to be determined. Last year, the Indians reached the state championship game only to lose to Norwich Free Academy 50-47.

The Indians (22-2), seeded third, have won nine of their last 11. They advanced to the quarterfinals by receiving a bye in the first round and by beating No. 14 St. Joseph-Trumbull 65-29 in the second round on March 4, Manchester’s first game since the CCC final. The Indians’ other loss in that stretch was to Glastonbury by 47-43 on Jan. 31 in Manchester. Their first meeting was a 58-51 win by the Indians on Jan. 4 in Glastonbury.

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Glastonbury (23-2), the sixth seed, has won 15 in a row, including a 67-53 victory over Manchester for the CCC crown. The Tomahawks have reached the quarterfinals by defeating No. 27 Stamford 69-49 in the first round on March 1 and No. 11 Danbury 75-51 in the second round on March 4.

Manchester’s momentum was officially AWOL in the CCC championship game. Captain Miofania Garcia was playing in only her third game back from an ankle injury, still shaking off some rustiness, and the Indians were without Talia Gabriel, an important role player who always brings a lot of energy to the lineup. Plus, coach John Reiser said the Indians were in a spell in which their signature suffocating defense wasn’t at its best, not weak but not forcing teams into countless turnovers.

Now with time to practice for nine days between games, along with the decisive victory over St. Joseph, most signs indicate to Reiser that Manchester is back where it needs to be.

“We had a solid game,” Reiser said. “We have to play solid as a whole unit and we realize that. We have to do things that have made us successful over the years. If we don’t, we’re in a situation where we’re fighting it out.

“I liked what I saw against St. Joe’s. We’ve tweaked some things. We’ve had time to prepare for Glastonbury. I think we’re ready.”

The key to the turnaround from the CCC finals loss to Glastonbury and heading into the quarterfinals is the health of the team, said junior captain Ashley Perez, the Indians’ leading scorer, herself recovering from a minor ankle injury in the CCC finals.

“We got all of our teammates back,” said Perez, who scored 17 points against St. Joseph. “That’s huge for us. It’s a big plus. We had been with at least one player out of the lineup since the Wethersfield game [on Jan. 20]. It had been a long time.”

Against St. Joseph, Manchester’s press produced 23 steals. Zanaija Gibson scored 14 points for the Indians and Gabriel added 10.

The Indians’ defense will have its hands full against Glastonbury. The Tomahawks boast of four players who can hit for 20 points. Cara Manfredi shot lights out in the CCC title game with a 23-point performance. Liza Otto scored 15 points against Manchester and Courtney Latham added 12 points and Kaley Watras 11.

“All four are capable of getting to 20,” Reiser said, “and their kids off the bench are really aggressive. They’re balanced and deep and got a lot of things going for them.”

For Reiser, the key is the Indians’ defense. He liked how they defended against Glastonbury the first time they played them. He expressed much confidence in where his team is heading into the showdown.

“The coach has been pushing us in the right direction and we push each other,” said Perez, Manchester’s all-time leading scorer. “Mostly we work hard. That’s the most important aspect of how we’re going to end up playing. If we work hard in a game, it will end up in a good outcome.”

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