Common Thread Dots Top 5 of Girls Basketball Poll

CONNECTICUT — In the innocent spirit of Sesame Street, where each show was "brought to you by the letter ___," this week's Connecticut high school girls basketball poll is apparently sponsored by the letter N, as the top five teams all begin with that letter.

Notre Dame-Fairfield maintained the top position in unanimous fashion, collecting all 17 first-place votes. Newtown moved up two spots into second, followed by New London, Newington and Norwalk.

Here are the top 10, with last week's ranking in parentheses, as well as all other teams receiving votes.

1. Notre Dame-Fairfield (lw: 1)
2. Newtown (lw: 4)
3. New London (lw: 2)
4. Newington (lw: 9)
5. Norwalk (lw: 3)
6. East Catholic (lw: 6)
7. Stamford (lw: 5)
8. Staples (lw: N/R)
9. Norwich Free Academy (lw: N/R)
10. Southington (lw: N/R)

Also receiving votes: Trumbull, Shelton, Wilbur Cross, Bacon Academy, Berlin, Daniel Hand, Wethersfield, Sheehan, Glastonbury, Canton, Pomperaug, Greenwich, St. Joseph, East Hampton, St. Paul, E.O. Smith, Sacred Heart Academy.

Voters: Tim Jensen, Patch Media Corp.; Lori Riley, Hartford Courant; Scott Ericson, GametimeCT; Mike Madera, New Haven Register; Dave Phillips, Shoreline Newspapers; Dave Ruden, The Ruden Report; Jimmy Zanor, Norwich Bulletin; Scotty Nails, Rye Country Day School; Brian Medeiros, Canton; Vickie Fulkerson, New London Day; Fred Williams, Northwestern Regional; Rick Wilson, Waterbury Republican American; Sean Krofssik, Record-Journal; Ryan Chichester, Bristol Press; Rich Zalusky, The Chronicle; Dave Danko, Fairfield Warde; Adam Betz, Journal Inquirer. Compiled by Scott Ericson.