Mohegan — Windham coach Andy Gonzalez is very well aware that by expending a great deal of energy on a halfcourt trap — bringing everyone on defense, much like a blitz in football — is what he calls “high risk, high reward.”
“So sometimes we’re going to get beat down low, but for us to go back and just sit there, we’re too small and teams take advantage of their size,” Gonzalez said. “Even when we miss, they get rebounds and putbacks. … Our girls kept their heads up even when things weren’t easy. In the second half we brought even more energy with that halfcourt trap. We got a lot of layups for Sienna (Ortiz) and Aniya (Jenkins).
“So I’m proud of their effort for sure.”
Third-seeded Windham, which trailed by three points after three quarters, took advantage of a defensive onslaught in the fourth quarter to beat No. 4 Plainfield 38-33 for the Eastern Connecticut Conference Division II girls’ basketball championship Tuesday night at Mohegan Sun Arena.
It was Windham’s third trip to the Division II final in four years and its second title, also winning the 2019 championship over Montville.
Ortiz, one of four seniors, finished with 19 points to win the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player honor. She was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates Ady Gonzalez, the daughter of head coach Andy Gonzalez, and Jenkins, as well as Plainfield’s Karley Belisle and Morgan Yonush.
It was the 5-foot-10 Yonush who was causing trouble for Windham inside, especially in the third quarter. Windham took an 18-17 lead early in the third quarter on a pair of free throws by Jenkins, but Plainfield began throwing the ball to Yonush, a sophomore, who had eight points in the third. Yonush once got hit and still finished and closed the quarter with a drive,…

