NCCS News Stories
Cougars Roll Wick in Rematch, on Precipice of Greatness
Today, the NCCS JV Cougars showed just how much they have improved this season as they defeated the Brunswick Bruins for a second time. Game 1 was a down-to-the-wire, one point victory. Today, the Cougars dominated from start to finish, winning 37-20.
From the tip today, the Cougars played stifling defense and crashed the glass as a team. In Game 1, Wick attacked the paint and moved the ball well, beating our help defense to the spot and earning second, third, and fourth chances at buckets. They barely got first looks today. The Cougar D was all over the place. The boys were sliding their feet on help rotations, clamping down on dead balls to force steals, and jumping pass lanes. When Brunswick was able to get a shot off, the Cougars gobbled up the rebounds. C Colin Buda (four steals) and G/F Graeson Smith (7 boards) led this charge, but everybody stepped up on this side of the ball today.
Like we have talked all year, good defense paves the way for good offense. The Cougars started slow, but they leaned on their defense in the second half to generate fast break points in bursts. The first quarter saw only eight Cougar points, but they were pretty. Two picture perfect out of bounds plays led to back-to-back Cougar buckets from F Charlie Smith (8 points, 3 boards) and G Dezy Springer (9 points, 2 boards, the Cougar scoring leaders on the day. It looked like the game was going to be tied after one, but F Townsend "T" LeConey splashed down a corner three at the buzzer, putting the boys up three.
The Cougs didn't score much in the second quarter, but they didn't need to, as they only allowed one basket on defense in the eight minute span. Offensive highlights this quarter included G Nicholas Robertson banking in a midranger and Buda sprinkling in a beautiful lefty layup on a fake dribble handoff. 14-7 Cougs at half.
This is right where we wanted to be. The Cougars have been a second half team all year, and they were again today. The boys blitzed Brunswick in the third quarter, allowing no baskets and just one free throw during this quarter. G Griff Overbay tore it up in the third, forcing two steals on defense and starting a fast break party on offense, where he put up five points himself within the quarter. Add an and-one layup from Charlie Smith, a dead swish three from Graeson, and a beautiful fast break layup from Nicholas, and the Cougars brought their lead up to 20 by the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth, the Cougars called off the dogs on defense, but behind a five point burst from Dezy, the boys kept the lead comfortable until the final whistle. Cougs 37, Bruins 20. Last game of the year next Thursday if you can believe it! St. Luke's comes to NCCS for a rematch as the boys will attempt to finish an undefeated season. We hope to see you there - 3:30 sharp!
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From the tip today, the Cougars played stifling defense and crashed the glass as a team. In Game 1, Wick attacked the paint and moved the ball well, beating our help defense to the spot and earning second, third, and fourth chances at buckets. They barely got first looks today. The Cougar D was all over the place. The boys were sliding their feet on help rotations, clamping down on dead balls to force steals, and jumping pass lanes. When Brunswick was able to get a shot off, the Cougars gobbled up the rebounds. C Colin Buda (four steals) and G/F Graeson Smith (7 boards) led this charge, but everybody stepped up on this side of the ball today.
Like we have talked all year, good defense paves the way for good offense. The Cougars started slow, but they leaned on their defense in the second half to generate fast break points in bursts. The first quarter saw only eight Cougar points, but they were pretty. Two picture perfect out of bounds plays led to back-to-back Cougar buckets from F Charlie Smith (8 points, 3 boards) and G Dezy Springer (9 points, 2 boards, the Cougar scoring leaders on the day. It looked like the game was going to be tied after one, but F Townsend "T" LeConey splashed down a corner three at the buzzer, putting the boys up three.
The Cougs didn't score much in the second quarter, but they didn't need to, as they only allowed one basket on defense in the eight minute span. Offensive highlights this quarter included G Nicholas Robertson banking in a midranger and Buda sprinkling in a beautiful lefty layup on a fake dribble handoff. 14-7 Cougs at half.
This is right where we wanted to be. The Cougars have been a second half team all year, and they were again today. The boys blitzed Brunswick in the third quarter, allowing no baskets and just one free throw during this quarter. G Griff Overbay tore it up in the third, forcing two steals on defense and starting a fast break party on offense, where he put up five points himself within the quarter. Add an and-one layup from Charlie Smith, a dead swish three from Graeson, and a beautiful fast break layup from Nicholas, and the Cougars brought their lead up to 20 by the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth, the Cougars called off the dogs on defense, but behind a five point burst from Dezy, the boys kept the lead comfortable until the final whistle. Cougs 37, Bruins 20. Last game of the year next Thursday if you can believe it! St. Luke's comes to NCCS for a rematch as the boys will attempt to finish an undefeated season. We hope to see you there - 3:30 sharp!
New Canaan Country School
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New Canaan Country School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin and are afforded all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid policies or any other school-administered programs.