Ledyard — Mike Morgan had been waiting all winter for his Ledyard girls' basketball team to play like they did Wednesday night.

The Colonels held East Lyme scoreless for over seven minutes in their Eastern Connecticut Conference South Division first round game and rolled to a 54-26 win at Judy Dowe Standish Gymnasium.

Seventh-seeded Ledyard had just given up an open 3-pointer to watch its lead dwindle to 20-16 with four minutes, 50 seconds left in the first half. Morgan called timeout and implored his team to play harder.

The No. 10 Vikings made only three field goals the rest of the game.

"They looked amazing today," Morgan said. "They wanted it today and they went out there and played like they wanted to win the game."

Colonels junior Natalyah Williams said, "This is the team we've been looking for all season from us. We have been iffy, but we were finally able to bond together, share the ball and get it done."

Williams had 16 points, 10 rebounds and four steals for Ledyard (5-6) and classmate Samantha Money had 14 points and three steals. Sophomore Monet Augmon added eight points, five assists and two steals.

"That they came out with that intensity was all I've been asking from them all year long," Morgan said. "I've been trying to get them to treat every game like this game because I knew where we were going."

The Colonels are going to second-seeded Bacon Academy in Friday's quarterfinal round at 6 p.m.

The Bobcats (6-1) won the only meeting between teams, 61-44, on March 12.

Sophomore Izzy Pazzaglia scored 14 for East Lyme (1-10).

The Vikings had limited chances to score as Ledyard ravaged them on the glass, 43-20.

"We know with our lack of size we're going to struggle rebounding," Vikings head coach PJ Zipser said. "We need that effort there. We kind of lacked that to start the game. We lacked that in the second half, and I think that's what keyed us in a little bit in the second quarter to cut (Ledyard's) lead.

"I probably said it 100 times at practice (Tuesday) — 'We can't give up those offensive rebounds.' If I had to guess, we probably gave up 20-plus."

The Colonels had 22 offensive rebounds. They don't have much size, either, with reserve Nicole Walker (5-foot-10) being their only player listed at over 5-6.

"It's heart over height because we're probably the smallest team in the league right now," Williams said. "We really need that heart."

Consistency has been an issue all season for Ledyard with four of its losses being by five-or-less points. Some of that can be attributed to youth because it doesn't have any seniors.

"It did stink at first (having no seniors)," Morgan said, "but the fact that my juniors are stepping up for me is exactly what I needed. My juniors have been the leaders. ... Going into next year, that will only make us stronger."

The Colonels led 16-6 after one quarter.

East Lyme opened the second quarter with a 10-4 run. Pazzaglia scored eight during that run, including two 3-pointers. Her second three cut Ledyard's lead to 20-16.

Vikings senior Jess Wood made a short jumper with 2:16 left in the second half and Ledyard leading, 25-18.

East Lyme didn't score again until Pazzaglia made two free throws with 3:11 remaining in the third quarter.

The Vikings didn't have another field goal until there was 2:15 left in the game with the Colonels ahead, 52-24.

"We're hungry right now," Williams said. "We want to go to the championship game and we're going to do everything we can to get there."

n.griffen@theday.com