The scene was set for a rematch of last year’s conference championship game as Greenwich High drew defending champ Ridgefield High in the quarterfinals of this year’s FCIAC postseason tournament.
The Tigers, who defeated Greenwich by one point to claim last year’s league title, spoiled any chance of the Lady Cardinals getting revenge Saturday, surging to a 66-40 victory at Stamford High School and securing their trip to the semifinals.
“We were actually excited about the matchup,” said GHS head coach Chrys Hernandez.
The Lady Cardinals had suffered a 67-42 loss to Ridgefield in the regular season before finishing with identical 13-3 league records. The Tigers outscored the Greenwich 133-82 in their two matchups this season.
“Unfortunately, there was a lot of deja vu. Our game plan was to attack their zone and we wanted to get to the heart of their defense. We didn’t get enough penetration and we allowed them to push us out.”
Ridgefield eliminated Greenwich from the FCIAC tournament for the second straight postseason thanks to a balanced inside and outside game from the Tigers’ seniors Jessica Camarda and Rebecca Lawerence.
Camarda finished with 19 points, connecting on four three-point shots and collecting five assists in the process. Lawerence added 12 points, six blocks and five boards for the Tigers who are looking to repeat as FCIAC champs.
From the opening tip, Ridgefield went on a 9-0 run and forced four Greenwich turnovers in the first quarter, thanks to junior center Elizabeth Middlebrook’s efforts on the defensive end that caused problems for Greenwich from the get go.
“I feel that Elizabeth is our best defender,” said Ridgefield head coach Tom DiMarzo. “She plays on the ball, she helps and she deserves some recognition for that. She’s played Abbie Wolf five times, and once she scored 20, but Elizabeth held her to single digits four times. She’s a great kid and teammate.”
For the Lady Cardinals, senior center Abbie Wolf scored 18 points, pulled down seven rebounds, blocked two shots and went 8-for-10 from the free-throw line. Senior guard Caroline Beneville added 16 points, including four shots from behind the arc.
Leading by seven points after the first quarter, Ridgefield went on a 15-2 run to open the second quarter and led 37-18 at halftime.
“This needs to burn a hole in their memory, but we can’t hang our heads,” Hernandez said following the game. “We just need to focus, pepare and be ready for states.”
Ridgefield will face the top-seeded Fairfield Warde in a semifinal match-up Tuesday while Greenwich has an extended break until the CIAC LL tournament begins on February 27.
