Weaver freshman Taeleyona Ramey scored a team-high 16 points, including the go-ahead basket late in the fourth quarter.
HARTFORD - The No. 3 Weaver girls basketball team found itself in a back-and-forth battle against No. 5 International/Aerospace/Bloomfield in the Greater Hartford Conference tournament final Wednesday evening.
The Beavers had to survive a good look at a winning 3-point shot by the Dragons to claim the GHC championship 46-44 at the Water "Doc" Hurley Sr. Fieldhouse on the campus of Weaver High School.
"My girls, they've been in situations like this before," Weaver coach Levar Mitchell said. "We keep our composure, set our priorities, and then we let it fall where it falls. At the end of the day, I'm proud of my girls."
The conference title was the second for Weaver, and the first since 2023, when the GHC was known as the CRAL.
Freshman Taeleyona Ramey led the Beavers with 16 points. Her final bucket of the evening gave Weaver the lead for good 44-43 with under two minutes to play in the fourth quarter.
"We just played as a team, and I like playing as a team," said Ramey. "When things don't go my way, I have my teammates on the side of me to help me."
Weaver got just a free throw each from Rianna Torres and Kylee Muse the rest of the way after Ramey's fast break layup, but it kept International from tying the score or getting ahead. The Dragons had chances from the floor and at the foul line, but couldn't take advantage.
Azaria Ware had a game-high 17 points to lead International.
Weaver led 15-13 after one quarter. International took a five-point lead 22-17 on a layup by Ware, but the Beavers scored the last five points, including a Ramey 3-pointer at the buzzer, to send the game to halftime tied 22-22. The game was still tied after three quarters 35-35.
Weaver scored the first four points of the fourth quarter, but International answered with the next eight for a 43-39 lead. Raina Young-Scott scored on a fast break to get the Dragons to within 39-37. Jordyn Holley tied the game 39-39 on a rainbow floater in the lane.
When Young-Scott scored on her own floater, International had a 41-39 lead. Ware scored to extend the Dragon advantage to 43-39. International had the lead and momentum, but couldn't hold on.
Still, it was a great run for the Dragons, the fifth and final seed in the GHC tournament, which defeated No. 4 Parish Hill and No. 1 Innovation to reach the final.
The Beavers slowly chipped away with three free throws from Muse to get within 43-42 with 2:19 to go. Ramey, who has scored over 500 points this season as a freshman, then connected for her biggest basket.
"It feels great. It's only the start, it's the beginning, and I'm ready to go farther," Ramey said about winning the GHC title.
Player of the Game
Taeleyona Ramey, Weaver:
Quotable
"They came through, they handled business in the conference. Now the conference championship is over with. We brought it back for the Greater Hartford Conference, but now we're going to take it one game at a time for the Run to the Sun." - Weaver coach Levar Mitchell.
Weaver 46, International/Aerospace/Bloomfield 44
INTERNATIONAL 13 9 13 9-44
WEAVER 15 7 13 11-46
I/A/B (18-5):
Weaver (19-3):
3-point field goals: I/A/B-Holley 2, Ware 1; W-Ramey 2, Boland 1.
Team records: International 18-5; Weaver 19-3.
This article originally published at Weaver girls basketball edges International to claim Greater Hartford Conference crown.
Category: General Sports
