Indians Fall to Tomahawks In State Tourney

When the home team girls were introduced prior to the Class LL tournament quarterfinal game Thursday, the packed house in the Manchester High School gym sounded like a rock concert.

And when the Indians raced to an 11-point first-quarter lead over rival Glastonbury, the screams sounded like the Beatles taking the stage at Shea Stadium back in '65.

Soon, however, the atmosphere changed, to the sound of whistles. And more whistles. And even more whistles.

Manchester was called for 30 fouls, sending Glastonbury to the free throw line an incredible 39 times. The Tomahawks converted 32 of those attempts, providing the difference in a 68-52 victory that eliminated the Indians from the tournament.

Glastonbury (24-2), which defeated Manchester for the third time in four meetings this season, advances to the semifinals Monday against second-seeded Mercy, which defeated Laurelton Hall, 60-47.

For the first six minutes, it appeared the Tomahawks would be run right out of the raucous building, as the Indians, paced by 10 points from Ashley Perez, opened up a 15-4 lead. Glastonbury ran off five straight points, but Perez ended the quarter with a running underhand scoop shot to give the Indians a 17-9 advantage.

Manchester was forced to change its defensive style of play due to early foul trouble for Perez and Miofania Garcia, who were charged with three personals each in the first half.

"We were going to hit them here and there with some traps and some different things, but then when they got in that foul trouble, we had to back off," Manchester coach John Reiser said.

Glastonbury took its first lead in the final minute of the first half, but a pair of free throws by Perez sent the Indians to the locker room in front, 25-24.

The Tomahawks grabbed the lead for good in the opening minute after intermission, running off five straight points. A three-pointer by Perez pulled Manchester back within one at 30-29, but the Indians would draw no closer.

Garcia fouled out of the game with 3:58 left in the third quarter, which cost Manchester dearly. "It was huge not having Garcia in there," Reiser said.

Glastonbury began pulling away, assuming a 44-35 margin after three quarters. The bulge increased to 18 midway through the final period, but a five-point spurt by Perez, including a three-pointer from beyond NBA range, gave the Indians a glimmer of hope. The Tomahawks were not to be denied, however, earning the semifinal trip to Sheehan High School.

Perez, a junior who is already Manchester's all-time leading scorer, finished with 36 points. Cara Manfredi paced Glastonbury with 25 points, including 16 in the second half. Liza Otto had 12 points for the Tomahawks, while Catherine Pinone added 11.

The Indians finished the campaign with a 22-3 record. Despite the bitter ending, Reiser and the Manchester faithful have something to look forward to in 2011-12: not one senior is on the current roster, giving the team a great shot at winning it all next season.