By Michael Letendre
BRISTOL – Bristol Eastern junior guard Ciara Collins knows what it takes to win basketball games.
Since her freshmen campaign, she’s more than proven that fact and this year, her game is coming together at an All-State level.
Her numbers are staggering: 24.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.9 blocks-per-game – all team-leading totals for the Lancers (6-1).
Throw in 2.3 steals-per-game, 46-percent shooting from the field, 38.5-percent from deep and she’s only missed four of 42 free throws this season (you do the math!).
Again, those are All-State numbers.
Against Avon on Monday night, a 49-37 victory for the Lancers, Collins piled up 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, seven blocks and four steals while committing just one turnover.
The individual efforts have been tremendous but she understands it’s a team game and that’s the most important part.
But in the win over Avon, Eastern struggled on the floor from time to time.
Hustling forward Sage Scarritt was not available for the Avon challenge, leaving a void that the entire team filled without much advanced notice.
And the junior sensation knew exactly what went wrong against the Falcons and where team needed to improve upon going forward: boxing out and rebounding.
She also understands that those issues have been a season-long challenge for the program and to keep pace with CCC Region B leader Southington (the Knights are 6-1), boxing opponents out and snatching those pesky rebounds are areas that need shoring up.
“Well, we worked as hard as we could,” said Collins after the Avon game. “We didn’t play our best game but we need to work on boxing out. That’s our main struggle throughout the season. It’s been what our downfall is. Just boxing out, rebounding.”
“Avon came out and just played and honestly, at some points of the game, they played harder than us which should not have happened at all. [But] as long as we keep playing hard, we’ll be right there with Southington.”
Though Eastern averages about three rebounds more that its opponent this season, it’s on the offensive rebounding end that Collins may be referring.
Avon was able to out-rebound Eastern on the offensive glass by a 2-1 margin and Collins knows that is an area of concern.
What is not an area of concern is putting points on the scoreboard as Collins is an expert marksmen on the hardwood.
She is well on her way to scoring 1,000-plus points this season and when the Lancers go a bit on an offensive slump, a Collins hoop usually jumpstarts the team again.
In 2019-20, Collins was second on the team in scoring with a solid 16.6 points-per-game average.
But one year later, she averages nearly eight points more per game and that offense makes a huge difference.
It’s a major reason why the Lancers have been so successful this year.
“Last year, I relied a lot on Jordan [Ouellette]. She was a big part of our team,” said Collins. “She was a key player. Having her was someone to fall back on almost and this year, I have that support from everyone else on the team.”
“I feel like this year, I had to step it up being a junior and no longer an underclassmen.”
The Lancers want to go 11-1 in the regular season but have huge road dates against Plainville, Lewis Mills and New Britain standing in the way of that lofty ledger.
And don’t think for a second Collins and company doesn’t have Monday, March 8 circled on the calendar, the date when Southington comes to the Thomas M. Monahan Gymnasium with a likely CCC Region B title hanging in the balance.
Beating the Knights would avenge the squad’s only loss but the team is not looking ahead of Plainville this coming Thursday.
It’s a ‘one game at a time’ method for Collins and the Lancers.
“We want to win them out,” said Collins of the remainder of the season. “Just keep winning, keep playing hard [and] having fun.”
With head coach Tony Floyd out due to COVID protocols, assistant coach Mark Camden has been leading the charge on the sidelines for the Eastern program.
Floyd, known to yell a little bit during games and practice, might not be present but his assistant can be just as vocal.
But does coach Camden yell even more than coach Floyd?
“Ah, it’s honestly close,” laughed Collins. “I think [Coach Camden] might [yell more].”
