New London — The Weston girls’ basketball team has faced some quality teams playing yon South-West Conference way this season.

The Trojans faced the likes of Newtown, Pomperaug of Southbury and Immaculate of Danbury, all of which are top three seeds scattered across the CIAC’s five state tournament divisions.

Nalyce Dudley, Serenity Lancaster and the rest of New London made quite an impression on Weston head coach Gene Cellini on Thursday night.

“(Dudley and Lancaster) are probably two of the best girls’ basketball players I’ve seen since I’ve been the head coach of Weston,” Cellini said after the sixth-seeded Whalers nearly doubled-up his team, 60-35, in a Class MM second round game at Conway Gymnasium.

“I would put (New London) at one of the top spots in our (conference), especially with those two girls on the floor.”

Dudley had 31 points, eight rebounds and four steals for the Whalers. Lancaster had 11 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks.

New London (18-6) will play at No. 3 Sheehan of Wallingford in Monday night’s quarterfinals at 7. The Titans beat No. 14 Rocky Hill, 49-37, in its second-round game.

“It’s a duel between me and Serenity,” Dudley smiled. “We just know if we just play and feed off each other that it helps our team really get their energy going.”

New London head coach Tammy Millsaps said, “(They’re) pretty special but those kids have developed their skill sets.”

Freshman Nyarah Dudley added 12 points and five steals for the Whalers while sophomore Ky-Ani Allgood had eight rebounds and two blocks and junior Italia Salls had five assists.

The combination of Nalyce Dudley and Lancaster are a match-up nightmare. Dudley, a 5-foot-11 senior, scored all 16 of her team’s points in the first quarter. That included four 3-pointers.

If that wasn’t daunting enough, Dudley runs the point so deftly for a player her height, something one doesn’t see too often in Connecticut high school basketball. She towered over Weston’s guards as she defended them on the perimeter.

“Nalyce wasn’t like that when I first came here (in 2020),” Millsaps said. “She was strictly a catch-and-shoot kid but this summer she really developed her ability to handle the ball.

“We told her straight-up. ‘In the fall league and the summer league you’re going to play the point. Why? Because you’re going to have to play it when you get here (this season). So figure it out.’

“The many games she played over the summer and the fall handling the ball, handling the pressure, running the team, has allowed her to improve and get better over the season.”

Lancaster, a 6-foot-2 sophomore post, dominated around the basket. She wowed Cellini when she grabbed a rebound, brought the ball up the floor and drove the lane for a lay-up.

“I’d put her running the floor the way she did, if she’s not number one, she’s got to be top three in the state,” Cellini said. “To be able to cover the floor in six steps from the other foul line is a different world.”

Senior Anna Brendsel scored 14 for No. 22 Weston (10-12).

n.griffen@theday.com