BRISTOL CENTRAL 57, BRISTOL EASTERN 48
from the Thomas M. Monahan Gymnasium, Bristol
Bristol Central 13 15 19 10 – 57
Bristol Eastern (0-2) 16 12 10 10 – 48
BRISTOL CENTRAL (57): Mike Allan 2 3 9, Tre Blair 2 0 5, Mason Stokes 7 2 19, Aaron Brown 3 0 6, Dan Astacio 3 0 6, Jayeson Van Beveren 1 0 2, Julius Powel 4 2 10. Totals 22 7 57.
BRISTOL EASTERN (48): Brayden Dauphinais 4 2 12, Nate Fries 3 4 13, Ray William 1 1 4, Connor Policarpio 1 0 3, Caleb Molinsky 0 0 0, Ben D’Amato 0 0 0, Lukas Sward 2 0 5, Preston Guarda 1 0 2, Max Stavens 2 0 6, Connor Cyr 1 0 3, Isaiah Bynum 0 0 0. Totals 15 7 48.
Three-point goals: Ray William (BE), Connor Policarpio (BE), Lukas Sward (BE), Brayden Dauphinais (BE) 2, Nate Fries (BE) 3, Max Stavens (BE) 2, Connor Cyr (BE).
Record: Bristol Eastern 0-2.
By Michael Letendre
BRISTOL – The Bristol Central JV boys basketball team had its hands full against crosstown rival Bristol Eastern on Friday, February 12.
But the Rams ended up going on a big second half run to give the visiting squad an eventual double-digit lead en route to a 57-48 victory from the Thomas M. Monahan Gymnasium.
Central had just seven players available but each athlete contributed to the winning effort.
Mason Stokes dropped in a game-high 19 points while teammate Julius Powel added 10.
There was even more balance as Mike Allan added nine points, Aaron Brown and Dan Astacio scored six apiece while Tre Blair tallied five to lead the Rams.
Nate Fries led Eastern with 13 points to go along with five rebounds and six steals.
Brayden Dauphinais played well, coming up with 12 points, three rebounds, and five steals.
Also for the Lancers, Max Stavens (six points) hit two three-pointers and grabbed three rebounds while Lukas Sward rounded up five points, dished out six assists and scooped in four steals.
Central, employing a big line-up with Powel firing away in the middle, out-rebounded the Lancers by a 2-to-1 margin but was forced into 29 turnovers which kept the contest close until the end.
Eastern attempted 38 three-pointers, connecting on 11 while Central was 6-of-12 overall from downtown for the game.
The Lancers committed just 11 turnovers but just couldn’t keep pace offensively over the final 12 minutes of the showdown.
Nine lead changes and three ties highlighted a busy back-and-forth affair that was all knotted up at 28-28 when halftime commenced.
Eastern canned four threes over the first eight minutes of play as a long-range connection by Dauphinais made it a 16-11 game in the home team’s favor with 2:23 left to play in the period.
Leading by three (16-13) after one, Eastern increased its edge to 25-18 on a Dauphinais lay-up with 3:10 remaining before the half.
But Central’s defense picked up as a 10-0 run – highlighted by 3s from Stokes and Allan – posted the Rams to a 28-25 edge with thirty seconds to go in the second tilt.
Fries then hit a late 3 to close out the scoring as the teams were all notched up at 28-28 going into intermission.
Stokes scored Central’s first seven points of the third frame to give the visitors a two-point edge but a 3 by Fries saw the Lancers capture a 36-35 lead with 5:15 to go.
The Rams then used a 16-2 burst to make it a 51-38 game with 5:25 left to play – all but sinking the Lancers in the process.
Eastern never gave up and dropped the deficit to single digits late as a steal and layup from Sward chopped the score to 53-45 with 3:26 remaining.
The Rams went up by double-figures one more time before a 3 by Eastern’s Connor Cyr ended the scoring as Central tallied the victory, 57-48.
