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GameTimeCT Boys Basketball Top 10 Poll (Jan. 17): CCC still in control of top 3 spots

Joe Morelli
Donovan Clingan had 24 points, 16 rebounds, 10 blocked shots to lead Bristol Central over Springfield Central Friday in the HoopHall Classic.

Donovan Clingan had 24 points, 16 rebounds, 10 blocked shots to lead Bristol Central over Springfield Central Friday in the HoopHall Classic.

Joe Morelli / Hearst Connecticut Media

For the second straight week, there was movement in the GameTimeCT Top 10 poll, but no new teams were able to break the group already there.

Last week, it was East Catholic’s turn to lose consecutive regular-season games, to Windsor and Mater Dei (Calif.), respectively to fall to 4-3, but like Wilbur Cross, managed to remain in the top 10. The loss to third-ranked Windsor came in overtime at home and facing Mater Dei in the HoopHall Classic was literally too tall an order: That team started two players at 6-foot-6, another at 6-8 and yet another at 6-10.

But East catholic managed to only fall two spots to No. 8. Norwich Free Academy, which lost its first game at the buzzer to New London, also only dropped two spots, to No. 9. Wilbur Cross had to rally from 13 down to defeat Hand and avoid a three-game losing streak.

Bristol Central had a 19-point lead in the second half in a road game against Springfield Central, but struggled for parts on the second half, especially when Donovan Clingan was in foul trouble. But the Rams never lost the lead and made enough plays at both ends of the court down the stretch to extend their winning streak to 23 games.

The Game of the Week is on Saturday afternoon as No. 3 Windsor visits No. 5 Ridgefield.

TEAM
REC
PTS
LAST
CLASS

1. BRISTOL CENTRAL (17)

8-0
538
1
II
Last Week: Def. Newington 69-35; def. East Hafrtford 70-47; def. Springfield Central (Mass.) 53-44.
This Week: Monday vs. Maloney, 6 p.m.; Tuesday vs. Middletown, 6:45 p.m.
The Bottom Line: Donovan Clingan posted a triple-double (24 points, 16 rebounds, 10 blocked shots) in the win over Springfield Central, basically a road game at the HoopHall Classic at Springfield College’s Blake Arena.

2. NWC (1)

7-1
492
2
II
Last Week: Def. New Britain 68-41; def. Simsbury 74-48 .
This Week: Friday at Maloney, 6:45 p.m.
The Bottom Line: Quality win for the Lions over a previously-undefeated Simsbury team.

3. WINDSOR

6-1
458
3
I
Last Week: Def. East Catholic 70-66 (OT); def. New Britain 89-64.
This week: Monday vs. Glastonbury, 6 p.m.; Saturday at Ridgefield, 3 p.m.
The Bottom Line: Tyler Betsey scored 31 points as the Warriors outlasted East Catholic in overtime on the road in what is is argubaly the state’s best rivalry.

4. ND-WEST HAVEN

9-0
426
5
I
Last Week: Def. Career 86-10; def. West Haven 76-43.
This Week: Monday at Wilbur Cross, 4 p.m.; Wednesday vs. Amity, 7 p.m.; Friday at Xavier, 7 p.m.
The Bottom Line: The Green Knights’ average margin of victory has been 33.3 points thus far.

5. RIDGEFIELD

6-0
420
4
I
Last Week: Def. Bridgeport Central 81-38; def. Fairfield Warde 65-63 (OT).
This Week: Tuesday vs. Trumbull, 7 p.m.; Thursday at New Canaan, 7 p.m.; Saturday vs. Windsor, 3 p.m.
The Bottom Line: Tigers to face the only FCIAC team to beat them last season — New Canaan — before Windsor comes to town for a top-5 showdown Saturday afternoon.

6. KOLBE CATHEDRAL

6-0
322
8
III
Last Week: Def. Pomperaug 62-53; def. New Milford 73-30.
This Week:Tuesday, vs. Bunnell, 7 p.m.; Friday vs. Barlow, 7 p.m.
The Bottom Line:Najimi George had 15 points and three blocked shots in the Cougars’ win at New Milford.

7. NAUGATUCK

8-0
314
9
I
Last Week: Def. St. Paul 66-63; def. Woodland 82-51; def. Notre Dame-Fairfield 70-62.
This Week: Tuesday at Wolcott, 7 p.m.; Friday vs. Seymour, 7 p.m.
The Bottom Line:Greyhounds managed to escape at St. Paul despite shooting just 6 of 17 from the free-throw line.

8. EAST CATHOLIC

4-3
275
6
I
Last Week: Lost to Windsor 70-66 (OT); lost to Mater Dei (Calif.) 73-58.
This Week: Wednesday vs. Enfield, 6:45 p.m.; Friday at Southington, 6:45 p.m.
The Bottom Line: Eagles made a great fourth-quarter comeback to force overtime against Windsor, but was only able to score two points in the extra session.

9. NFA

9-1
238
7
I
Last Week: Def. Killingly 91-59; def. Bishop Hendricken (RI) 68-62; lost to New London 62-60.
This Week: Friday at Fitch, 6:30 p.m.
The Bottom Line: Wildcats lost their first game to the Whalers on a buzzer-beating putback by Savahn Warren.

10. WILBUR CROSS

5-2
218
10
I
Last Week: Def. Hand 67-64; def. Law 71-46.
This Week: Monday vs. Notre Dame-West Haven, 4 p.m.; Tuesday vs. Hamden, 7 p.m.; Thursday vs. Hillhouse, 7 p.m.
The Bottom Line: Governors avoided a three-game losing streak by rallying from 13 points down to defeat Hand at home.

Dropped out: None.

Also receiving votes: New London (7-1), 152; St. Bernard (8-0), 126; Amity (7-0), 106; Fairfield Warde (5-2), 74; Prince Tech (6-1), 64; Hand (6-2), 60; RHAM (9-0), 49; Simsbury (6-1), 44; Wilton (6-1) and SMSA (7-0), 43; Hillhouse (6-2), 37; Fairfield Prep (6-1), 34; Conard (7-1), 24; Farmington (5-3), 9; Guilford (7-0), Holy Cross (8-2) and Westhill (7-1), 8.

The Following Voted: Paul Augeri, Middletown Press; Bill Bloxsom, Milford/Trumbull Pubs; Mike DiMauro, The Day of New London; Scott Ericson, Stamford Advocate; Matt Finkel, WVIT-30; Tim Jensen, Patch Media Corp.; Sean Krofssik, Record-Journal of Meriden; Mike Madera, GameTimeCT; Kyle Maher, Journal-Inquirer of Manchester; Joe Morelli, New Haven Register; Dave Phillips, Shore Line Newspapers; Dave Ruden, The Ruden Report; Chris Saunders, WATR-AM; Ben Talbott, Bird’s Eye Sports; Richard Zalusky, The Chronicle of Willimantic; Jimmy Zanor, Norwich Bulletin; Joe Zone, WFSB-3.

Written By
Joe Morelli