2013 FCIAC Champs

Ancrum, Central beat Trinity Catholic to claim FCIAC title

Dave Ruden

Thursday, February 28, 2013 

FAIRFIELD -- Trinity Catholic had the best player, but Bridgeport Central had the best players.

That version of basketball poker made the difference as the Hilltoppers won their second FCIAC boys

basketball championship and first since 2010 with a 75-67 win over the Crusaders Thursday night at

Fairfield Warde.

Tournament most valuable player Tyler Ancrum scored 13 of his team-high 24 points in the final

quarter. He added eight assists.

Ancrum, who didn't start the second half due to what he called a minor thigh injury, said, "The

fourth quarter had to be mine. I couldn't let the team down. I had to man-up. This feels really great.

It's a blessing. I prayed for this every day."

Antwan Pettway added 18 points, ShaQuan Bretoux finished with 16 and Marcus Blackwell 15 for the

fourth-seeded Hilltoppers (19-4), who will ride an eight-game winning streak into the state

tournament.

Central needed the consolidated effort to overcome a spectacular performance by Trinity guard

Schadrac Casimir. The second-seeded Crusaders (21-2) went on a 20-4 run in the second quarter to

overcome a 10-point deficit after Casimir erupted for 15 points during a 51/2 minute span.

Casimir finished with 35 points.

"It's tough," Casimir said. "I'm a senior and this was my last chance for a (league) title and I didn't

get it."

In a sense, Casimir's explosiveness led to the Crusaders' demise. Central coach Barry McLeod, with

his team trailing, 32-28, opened the second half in a 1-3-1 trap that Trinity never solved.

Blackwell opened the third quarter with consecutive baskets that spurred a 13-2 run. Central led at

the end of the third, 49-45. Trinity had six turnovers in the quarter.

"It worked out for us, but I really had no choice," McLeod said of his strategic ploy. "We couldn't stop

the kid one on one and we had to make them pass the ball. We got lackadaisical in the first half once

we got the lead. I told our guys if you think they are going away, you're nuts."

Said Casimir, "I try to take it upon myself to do what I have to in the man-to-man defense. That was

a great coaching move by the Central coach. I give him credit."

Brandon Wheeler and Tremaine Fraiser each had 16 points for Trinity, which lost in the final for the

second straight year and last won the title in 2008. Teams from Bridgeport have won the last four.

Central won despite not having a senior on the roster.

"They are good and they are going to be even more scary next year," Trinity coach Mike Walsh said.

"I thought we didn't attack their pressure well early. I think we got a little tired at times. They found

an inner strength to come back in the fourth quarter. Now we have to regroup for states."

Ancrum, whose dynamic play and maturity down the stretch has mirrored the Hilltoppers', scored his

team's first 8 points of the final period as Central got its biggest lead, 63-51, with 4:26 left.

The Crusaders made one final run, as Casimir scored on consecutive drives. Wheeler then scored

eight of Trinity's next nine points, with a free throw cutting the deficit to 68-65 with 58 seconds

remaining.

But Pettway answered with a basket and Trinity then turned the ball over on a 5-second inbounding

violation.

The game ended, perhaps fittingly, with Ancrum alone on the foul line -- in the spotlight -- scoring

his team's final two points.

"He made some big plays and when he slashes in the middle like that he's hard to stop," McLeod said.

"I think this team just got hot at the right time. They started trusting one another and looking for

each other. One of the big things was the unselfishness."

Then McLeod paused.

"And stopping Casimir," he added.

dave.ruden@scni.com; Twitter: @DaveRuden

BRIDGEPORT CENTRAL 75, TRINITY CATHOLIC 67

BRIDGEPORT CENTRAL (19-4)

Dondre Daniels 0 1-2 1; ShaQuan Bretoux 6 4-4 16; Tyler Ancrum 7 8-9 24; Rickardo Grant 0 1-2 1;

Antwan Pettway 8 2-4 18; Marcus Blackwell 6 2-4 15. TOTALS: 27 18-25 75.

TRINITY CATHOLIC (21-2)

Schadrac Casimir 15 3-6 35; Tremaine Fraiser 6 3-4 16; Brandon Wheeler 7 2-4 16; Neno Merritt 0

0-0 0; Tyrell St. John 0 0-0 0; Danny O'Leary 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 28 8-14 67.

BRIDGEPORT CENTRAL 18 10 21 26--75

TRINITY CATHOLIC 10 22 13 22--67

3-point shots: BC--Ancrum 2, Blackwell; TC--Casimir 2; Fraiser