Monday, February 4

After having a week-long break, the Canaan Eagles were back in action Monday night with a showdown against the Stratford Lions. The Eagles' team, with several key players suffering from the flu, appeared lackadaisical at times in this game. The Lions gave their best effort, but foul trouble hindered any possibility of an upset in this one. The Eagles used a big third quarter run to pick up the win by a score of 63-53.

The Lions came out firing in the first quarter. The Canaan zone defense was allowing the open shots from the perimeter, and the Lions were taking advantage. The scoring went back and forth, but the Eagles were drawing fouls inside. Stratford took a big hit when center Mike McGee was forced to sit the final few minutes of the first quarter after picking up his second personal foul. With the quarter winding down, Canaan center Jake Smith got to the line after a strong move to the basket. Smith hit the first free throw, but missed the second. Zack Daley snared the offensive rebound and scored the put-back as time expired to give the Eagles a 16-12 lead.

The Eagles defense clamped down in the second quarter, holding the Lions to only 7 points. Adam Brousseau came off the bench and provided some much needed defensive intensity, pressuring the opponent's ball handlers the length of the floor and recording several steals. The Lions continued to struggle with fouls, as McGee and Robert Sullivan both received their third personals midway through the second quarter. The Eagles would stretch their lead to double-digits by halftime, leading 29-19.

The Eagles offense finally starting clicking in the second half. The Lions strategy to play a triangle-and-two defense in an effort to slow down Zack and Connor Daley proved difficult with the team's foul trouble. Canaan coach Nelson Mayhew implemented a new offense to free up for more open shots for the cousins, and it paid off. Zack promptly connected with two jumpers and a three-pointer to get the Eagles a comfortable lead. A late three-pointer from Connor gave the Eagles a 17-point lead, their largest of the game, heading into the fourth quarter.

The pace of the game slowed as the Eagles began taking more time in their half-court offense. On the defensive side, the Eagles switched from their zone defense to full-court man-to-man. The added pressure forced the Lions to take more time getting the ball up the court, which proved costly. The Eagles were able to sustain their lead into the final minutes of the game, when the Lions made one last push. McGee scored back-to-back baskets inside, and Brandon Lynch nailed a three-pointer to slice the Canaan lead down to 10. Jake Smith had the answer for the Eagles converting several nice shots in the post late to ensure the victory for his team.

The win is the sixth straight for the Eagles, who now boast a 10-5 record on the season.