Pomperaug advances to Class L semifinals

BY ADAM BAKER
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN
SOUTHBURY — The Pomperaug High girls basketball team got off to a rocky start, but was able to weather the storm and defeat No. 22 Sacred Heart Academy, 56-42, in the Class L quarterfinals Tuesday night.
Third-seeded Pomperaug surrendered the first 11 points of the evening and was down, 11-0, until the 3:02 mark of the first quarter when Megan Todhunter made two free throws. Todhunter also recorded the Panthers’ first field goal and was fouled. Her three-point play made it 13-5 with 2:22 remaining in the period.
That play was the start of a 12-0 run by the Panthers. The rally was led by Karli Opalka, who scored nine of her game-high 29 points in that span to give Pomperaug a 14-13 advantage at the end of the first quarter. Opalka also grabbed 19 rebounds on the night.
“We were getting open looks, but just missing layups. Maybe it was the nerves,” said Panthers coach Joe Fortier. “I called a timeout and told them to take a deep breath and to settle down.”
Freshman guard Maddie Villa also provided a spark that Pomperaug (18-6) needed. Villa had four points, nine rebounds and four steals off the bench, and added some shutdown defense on Sharks star Allie Brennan. Villa held Brennan to only five points, and Brennan fouled out of the game late in the fourth quarter.
“She can run forever and is always giving 100 percent,” Fortier said of Villa. “She was in there to guard (Brennan), and it fired our girls up when she got in there and played the way that she did.”
Todhunter scored 14 points and grabbed 11 boards, while Ally McCormick contributed six rebounds, five assists and three steals. Claudine Legato chipped in with 11 rebounds and three assists.
Pomperaug advanced to face second-seeded Daniel Hand in the semifinals at Sheehan High on Friday at 7:45 p.m. Sacred Heart Academy finished the season at 9-12.
“During tournament time, if we can take the other team’s best punch and give it right back, then we’ll be all right,” said Fortier. “And we did that tonight.”