The Wilton High girls basketball team buried Danbury, 67-25, on Thursday night at the Zeoli Field House for its 13th consecutive win.
It's the third straight year that Wilton has beaten the Hatters in the regular season; however, Danbury has eliminated the Warriors the past two years in the FCIAC playoffs.
Wilton (13-1) opened the game with a 16-2 run and never looked back, taking a 20-9 lead at the end of the first quarter. Danbury senior Allie Smith scored all of her team’s first-quarter points.
Wilton's Makenna Pearsall hit two baskets to start the second quarter, with the second bucket a layup off a steal for a 25-9 lead. Pearsall and Karen Brosko led the Warrior charge in the period, giving the hosts a 38-11 halftime lead. Brosko had 16 first-half points, on her way to a career-high 19 points, while Pearsall added 11 points before halftime.
"We had good ball movement tonight and we moved it around until we found the open player,” said Brosko. “We had extra energy tonight because we were playing Danbury, a team that had ended our FCIAC season two years in a row."
Brosko said that even though Wilton's roster is basically the same as last year's, there is a notable difference.
“Our team chemistry is better this year," she said, "and we're going to have to control our nerves, stay focused, and don’t fold under pressure in the post-season this year to advance further."
It appeared that the Hatters' game plan was to shut down Wilton’s two top scorers, Erin Cunningham and Erica Meyer. Danbury did keep Meyer in check for the first half, but the Warriors worked the ball around the court and Pearsall and Brosko stepped up their games. Brosko and Pearsall had several baskets on open weak-side layups or short jumpers.
The Warriors stretched their lead to as many as 30 points at 43-13, and held a 50-25 advantage after three quarters.
Wilton then shut out Danbury in the final eight minutes of the game, and Cunningham scored Wilton’s final eight points to finish with a game-high 23 points.
“The girls are playing with a lot of pride and poise, which is different from last year,” said Wilton head coach Jaclyn Porco.“They’re all working toward a common goal and they don’t want to let each other down. They are staying focused and are building confidence as the season has gone on. But the team knows that in this league it’s anyone’s game to win and that they have to be at their best to get the win."
Meyer finished with seven points, eight rebounds, and five assists. Pearsall added seven rebounds and four assists, and Brosko had six rebounds. Haley English had seven points, six assists, and six steals.
Smith finished the game with 15 points for Danbury.