Bunnell Comes From Behind, Tops Fitch For 2nd Straight Div. III Title

UNCASVILLE, CT — For much of the opening quarter of Saturday's CIAC Div. III basketball championship game at the Mohegan Sun Arena, Bunnell High School looked nothing like the team that won the title last year, nor like the team that had posted double-digit victories in each of its first three tournament contests this winter.

The Bulldogs fell behind 5-0 to Fitch in the first few minutes, and did not score a field goal until nearly three and a half minutes had elapsed. Meanwhile, seventh-seeded Fitch played as if it had nothing to lose, opening up an 8-poout lead late in the quarter and entering the second period with a 21-15 advantage.

Bunnell looked like a completely different squad from the outset of the second quarter, holding the Falcons without a basket from the field until 2:43remained before intermission. By then, the Bulldogs had reversed the 8-point deficit into a 6-point lead, and a three-point field goal by JT Turnage at the buzzer sent them to the locker room with a 42-31 halftime edge.

The Bulldogs opened up a 13-poiint lead after the break, but Fitch hung tough, trimming the margin to eight late in the third quarter. In the final period, the Falcons twice closed within five points, but Bunnell held on for a 70-61 victory and its second straight state championship.

Both teams wound up with balanced scoring, with Bunnell sophomore Rody Ricketts claiming game-high honors with 21 points. Alex Munoz had 15 points, Turnage had 13 and Karell Brown chipped in with nine, while Jordan Pierce contributed eight points and a game-leading 10 rebounds.

For Fitch, four players scored in double figures: Xavier Goode (15), Si'kis Reels (14), Calvin Sebastian (12) and Luke Wenger (10).