Windham girls' b-ball heads to finals for ECC tourney

A jubilant Taylor McBride embraces Carlee Smith after the Whippets' semifinal win against Plainfield. Photos by Melanie Savage.

A jubilant Taylor McBride embraced her teammates after the Windham High Schoolgirls’ basketball team’s 67-47 win against Plainfield in the semifinal round of the Eastern Connecticut Conference tourney on Feb. 23 at Norwich Free Academy.

McBride was all over the court during a game dominated by the Whippets. She set the pace for a quick game that disrupted Plainfield’s offense from the outset. “I try to keep a fast pace, because everybody out there is fast,” said McBride. “I had to keep pumped for our team. If we’re pumped now, hopefully we’ll stay pumped for finals.”

ECC finals are scheduled for Friday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. at NFA. Windham will face top-seeded Bacon Academy, a team that remains undefeated after a 67-32 win against East Lyme in the semifinal round.

Senior guard Carlee Smith was the top scorer against Bacon, with a total of 24 points. “She was the best player on the floor, hands-down,” said coach Ken Valliere. “And McBride controls the tempo.”