North Branford girls basketball holds off Haddam-Killingworth to advance to CIAC Division V final

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Skylar Gage scored 12 points, including the final four for North Branford, to lead the Thunderbirds to their CIAC Division IV semifinal win over Haddam-Killingworth on Monday, March 16, 2026. (Jim Fuller/For Hearst Connecticut Media)


MERIDEN - Skylar Gage grabbed the ball one last time and raced up the court as the final seconds ticked off the clock. Once her final shot of the night dropped through the net, she was greeted by screams of joy from her teammates as North Branford punched its ticket to the CIAC Division V girls basketball title game with a 39-36 victory over rival Haddam-Killingworth on Monday.

Gage gave seventh-seeded North Branford the lead on a 3-pointer with just over a minute to play. Maizie Irons pulled the 11th-seeded Cougars back within a point. After a North Branford turnover, the Cougars had a chance to win the game on their final possession. However, North Branford's Emma Preiss forced a turnover. Gage took the inbounds pass and put the finishing touches on the semifinal victory to set up a championship matchup with Innovation.

"I just knew it," said Gage, who scored seven of her 12 points in the fourth quarter. "I knew we were finally going, we made it and we deserve every bit of it."

The CIAC will release the schedule for this weekend's championship games at Mohegan Sun later this week.

North Branford defeated Haddam-Killingworth in three of the four meetings this season. In those games, the Thunderbirds scored 204 points - two more than the Cougars.

"It is what you want for girls basketball, two teams evenly matched, great players on both sides," Haddam-Killingworth coach Ann Deibert said. "Execute the playbook and show the magic that is the game of basketball."

The Cougars led by six points in the third quarter, but five consecutive points from Preiss helped North Branford tie the game heading into the fourth quarter. It was tied again before Gage put the Thunderbirds ahead following a pair of North Branford offensive rebounds.

"It definitely was nervewracking for all of us but it was all about keeping our composure," North Branford coach Sabrina LeMere said. "I knew going into the fourth quarter, it was tied but the thing is we love the fourth quarter, we are a fourth quarter team.

"I knew this team was something special. I had a lot of returners coming back. We knew we were ready this year. They never give up, they fight to the end."

Alia Martone had seven points and six rebounds for North Branford as well as the offensive rebound and assist on Gage's go-ahead basket.

Payton Rich had nine points and 11 rebounds and Maizie Irons also had nine points for Haddam-Killingworth (17-9).

Player of the Game​

Skylar Gage, North Branford:She had 12 points, including the final four for North Branford.

Quotable​

"It was hard work, hustle, we worked together in everything we do. We find that grit in the last few seconds of every game." Skylar Gage

North Branford 39, Haddam-Killingworth 36​

Haddam-Killingworth 6 14 7 9-36
North Branford 10 11 6 12-39

Haddam-Killingworth (17-9)
Ava McNamara 0 0-0 0, Emma Giaccone 1 0-0 3, Grace Natanzon 2 0-4 5, Payton Rich 4 1-2 9, Payton Kaplowitz 2 0-0 4, Maizie Irons 4 1-4 9, Ava Geissler 2 1-2 6, Keira Lundt 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 3-12 36.

North Branford (20-7)
Ellie Chasanoff 3 0-0 7, Siena Podzikowski 1 2-3 4, Emma Preiss 2 1-3 5, Zoe Desimone 2 0-0 4, Skylar Gage 5 0-0 12, Alia Martone 2 3-5 7. Totals 15 6-11 39.

Three-pointers: HK-Giaccone, Natanzon, Geisser; NB-Gage 2, Chasanoff 1.

This article originally published at North Branford girls basketball holds off Haddam-Killingworth to advance to CIAC Division V final.

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