2023/24 CIAC Postseason Recap
The CIAC season came to an end last month with five new state champions being crowned.
The highest prize in the state went to Notre Dame-West Haven, as they knocked off defending state champs St. Bernard 52-46 to take their first CIAC Division I State Championship, which also followed a thrilling double-overtime victory over Notre Dame-Fairfield in the semifinals.
This completed a perfect 28-0 season for the Green Knights. Sophomore wing Abdou Toure was a big name for this squad all year long, as he averaged north of 20 points per game throughout the season, also leading NDWH with 8 rebounds in the finals.
Floor-general junior guard Travis Upchurch really stepped up in the championship game, tallying 15 points, a whopping 7 assists, and 5 rebounds. Sophomore forward Landon Krygier chipped in 11 points with 5 rebounds.
Junior guard Amyre Gray and senior guard Colin O’Leary led the scoring charge for St. Bernard with 14 and 11, respectively. Junior forward Geno-Amare Marshall contributed a game-high 13 rebounds, but the collective effort wouldn’t be enough, as Head Coach Jason Shea and Notre Dame-West Haven emerged victorious.
In Division II of the CIAC, it was a much different path to decide a champion, as #1-seed Manchester fell in only their second playoff contest, which followed a win by a margin of only 2 in their first game.
In a much more even display of competitiveness across the bracket, #12-seed West Haven advanced all the way to the finals. However, the title would ultimately be claimed by #2-seed Windsor 59-57 in overtime, despite trailing by 14 in the second half.
Senior wing/forward Anthony Williams and junior wing/forward Gyan Davis led the balanced charge with double-doubles of 13/17 and 14/16, respectively. Freshman star guard Missoni Brown also added 14 points with 8 rebounds, helping bring the Warriors their fifth state title. Williams will be a post-grad at Putnam Science Academy next year to compete in the Power 5-AAA and NEBL conferences.
Senior guard Bernett Scott and wing Aaron Johnson led the way offensively for West Haven with 15 each. Junior forward Ethan Griffin and senior forward Isaiah Jackson were big on the glass, tallying 10/10 and 9/15, respectively. However, it wasn’t enough, as Head Coach Ken Smith and Windsor High School came away with the title.
#5-seed Bunnell defeated Lewis Mills 45-40 in the CIAC Division III Championship, taking their second state title in program history. The championship run also included a 7-point upset over #1-seed SMSA in the semifinals.
Senior guard Jordan Ricketts earned MVP honors for his performance throughout the game, scoring 15 with 6 rebounds on 7/12 from the floor. Junior guard Jordan Pierce also came up big for the Bulldogs, adding 9 points with 5 rebounds.
Senior wing Connor Evans led the charge for Lewis Mills with 10 points and 13 rebounds on 5/6 from the floor, but the double-double effort wouldn’t be enough, as Head Coach Dannie Powell and Bunnell High School would ultimately bring the trophy to Stratford.
In Division IV of the CIAC, things were even more unpredictable, as #32-seed Tolland knocked off #1-seed Morgan in the first round. While this was a theme throughout the bracket, it would ultimately be #3-seed Innovation defeating #4-seed Cheney Tech 55-48 to take the state title.
Innovation senior guard/wing Amari Cruz was predictably one of the biggest names of the story, as he averaged 16 points and 6 rebounds throughout the season. Even though he sat for most of the first half with foul trouble, he erupted for 15 of his 17 points in the second half.
While senior guard Jamal Kulaib only added 10 in the finals, he averaged over 16 points and 3 steals throughout the season. Junior wing/forward Ibrahim Sidik also came up big, contributing 15 points and 13 rebounds, similar to his 15-point/9-rebound statline from throughout the season.
Junior guard Da’mnic Gittens of Cheney Tech had all eyes on him heading into the contest, as he has averaged 24 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals per game across both of the past two seasons. He dropped an impressive 27 points with 12 rebounds in a stellar all-around performance, but it wasn’t enough. Matthew Lance and the Academy of Science & Innovation emerged as this year’s CIAC Division IV champions.
Division V was taken by #3-seed Old Lyme, who defeated #8-seed Coventry by a score of 55-42 in the state championship game. 21-year old Head Coach Brady Sheffield might be the biggest name of this story, as he had fallen in the championship game at the very same arena while playing for Old Lyme just 5 years earlier as a senior.
Freshman star Edward “Eddie” Fiske Jr. led the balanced effort as he did all season long with a game-high 14 points. Senior forward Leland Hine, who was named Most Outstanding Player, and sophomore wing Colman Curtiss-Reardon each added 10, also dominating the glass with 9 and 7 rebounds, respectively. Senior guard Charles Sahadi contributed 9 points and 6 boards after leading Old Lyme with 13 points in the semifinals.
Senior guard Gavin Covell led the way for Coventry, but his 12-point/7-rebound performance wouldn’t be enough to survive Old Lyme.
Stay tuned as we continue our state-by-state championship recaps over the next few days.
Abdou Toure