Farmington Girls Basketball Wins with Defense

As they sat side-by-side following a spirited practice Monday morning, the four girls basketball captains couldn't help but laugh at the question being posed.

Which of the four captains is the most vocal leader?

Without a second's hesitation, three index fingers pointed to the left, all in the direction of senior point guard Kellie Nissen. Nissen even raised her hand, affirming the opinion of her three fellow quad-captains – Michelle Truncali, Uju Momah and Tiajah Dejesus.

"We definitely try to just lead by example and we definitely are the voices of the team," Nissen said in an attempt to deflect some of the attention. "We kind of like get everyone going and get all the energy up."

Nice try, Kellie.

Head coach Russ Crist has coached his four seniors long enough to know their tendencies and personalities. And while it's almost always Nissen getting the Indians revved up for practices and games, each of the four captains adds a unique attitude to the equation.

"Their different styles really cover all the bases," Crist said. "Some of them are quiet and lead by example. Kellie, for instance, is very vocal. That's really her personality too. She gets everyone up for the games, she gives the fired-up speeches and really gets everyone going. ... They hate to lose, so you know every time they step on the court, you're going to get everything from them."

There hasn't been much losing on the seniors' watch this season. Farmington sits at 9-3 overall through its first 12 games, particularly impressive considering the team has played nine of those 11 games on the road.

After a two-game losing skid in early January snapped a season-best four-game winning streak, the Indians bounced back with back-to-back wins over Newington and Southington last week.

The first two wins – 65-62 against Newington and 31-28 against Southington – both came against rival CCC West teams with winning records, which helps keep the Indians' goal of winning the West division alive.

The pair of victories also pushed Farmington's season win total to eight games, clinching the team's third-straight Class L state tournament berth.

"That's always the first goal to get that done," Crist said of clinching a state playoff berth. "We still have the goal of winning our conference and winning the West. We're two games behind Hall and we get them one more time."

Farmington's biggest problems in the first game against Hall – a 51-38 loss at home on Jan. 3 – were rebounding and ball control. With Momah – the Indians' top post presence – and Nissen – the team's primary ball handler – both battling foul trouble, Farmington surrendered 21 offensive rebounds and committed 29 turnovers.

Yet the Indians fixed that in a 33-32 loss to Northwest Catholic just three days, turning in a strong all-around effort on defense and on the boards. Instead, it was the offense that failed the Indians, as the team struggled to find any offensive rhythm.

"We're really starting to put things together defensively," Crist said. "It's been something that our coaching staff has just been preaching every single day, defense and rebounding. And we're really starting to do that on a more consistent basis."

Farmington is still inconsistent on the offensive end – the team has scored 38 points or less in three of its last four games – but Crist is confident that will turn around once the team starts playing at home.

Seven of Farmington's final nine games will be played at Farmington High School, a stretch that should help gear the Indians up for deep runs in both the CCC and state tournaments.

The four seniors – Nissen and Truncali in the backcourt and Momah and Dejesus in the frontcourt – have been trusted performers for Crist this season. But a pair of sophomores have also stepped into key roles.

Brittany Belisle has emerged not only as one of Farmington's top outside shooters, but also a reliable defensive presence and one of the team's top rebounding guards.

Allison Walsh is the team's second-leading rebounder, pulling down just under six boards per game. Walsh seems to have also earned Crist's trust in key pressure situations.

"She hasn't been starting games, but she's finished almost every game on the court," Crist said. "She's a good free throw shooter and she's a very good defender, so we've kept her out there a lot at the end of games."

A third sophomore, Cally Lombardi, made her season debut just three games ago after working her way back from summer foot surgery.

"We've got good depth going into our bench, especially during the games," Truncali said. "We've got Brittany Belisle, who can shoot. Ally Walsh ... A lot of sophomores play."

Crist will continue to increase Lombardi's minutes and work her into the rotation, which right now features 10 players on most nights.

"We get it from different girls on different nights," Crist said. "Against Newington I think Michelle had 24 [points] and Uju had 25. A couple weeks ago against Berlin, Kellie had 21. And Tiajah's been between seven and 10 points pretty consistently. ...

"The seniors really help to set the tone. They work hard every day. They have made a commitment to defense and rebounding for four years, so to them it's almost second nature. And I think that the younger kids feed off of that."

Farmington's game against Conard, originally scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, was postponed because of inclement weather. The Indians beat Simsbury Thursday 58-30, and will play a three-game stretch against Plainville, Conard and New Britain next week.

All three games will be played at home, so Crist will continue to strive for improvement on the offensive end.

"This team has the makeup to really go far and to really make an impact in both of the tournaments that, hopefully, we'll get a chance to play in," Crist said.