CIAC and RIIL Announce Second Annual Jiggs Cecchini Basketball Challenge

CIAC and RIIL Announce Second Annual Jiggs Cecchini Basketball Challenge

The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference and The Rhode Island Interscholastic League proudly announce the second annual Jiggs Cecchini Basketball Challenge to be held on December 14, 2023. The tournament will be played at Mohegan Sun Arena and feature four games, two boys games and two girls games.

“On behalf of the RIIL and our member schools, we look forward to returning to Mohegan Sun Arena for year two of the Jiggs Cecchini Challenge,” said RIIL Executive Director Mike Lunney. “Fans will have a tremendous opportunity to see some great high school basketball and watch both Connecticut and Rhode Island student athletes compete in a first-class environment.”

“The CIAC is excited for the second annual Jiggs Cecchini Challenge between several of Connecticut’s and Rhode Island’s top girls and boys basketball programs,” said CAS-CIAC Executive Director Dr. Glenn Lungarini. “Through the support of the Mohegan Sun Arena, student-athletes and fans will engage in a world-class experience.”

The inaugural Cecchini Challenge was successfully held in December of 2022, also featuring 8 participating schools from the bordering states. The matchups for this year’s event have been set with tipoff times. Ticket information to be announced at a later date.

The 2023 (Dec. 14) Jiggs Cecchini Basketball Challenge

Rhode Island vs Connecticut

Boys Games

    La Salle Academy (Providence) vs Northwest Catholic (West Hartford) 8:00

Barrington High School vs Bloomfield High School 4:00

Girls Games

Moses Brown School (Providence) vs Sacred Heart Academy (Hamden) 2:00

North Kingstown High School vs East Hampton High School 6:00

The Jiggs Cecchini Basketball Challenge is named in honor of Robert “Jiggs” Cecchini, the retired Suffield High School principal, athletic director and coach who served as the longtime chairperson of the CIAC Boys Basketball Committee and was the driving force behind moving Connecticut’s basketball state championships to Mohegan Sun.