By Michael Letendre
NEW BRITAIN – The Bristol Eastern girls basketball team did its part in attempting to qualify for the championship round of the upcoming CCC Tournament next week.
And that meant winning out its games while watching some of the other heavyweights in the CCC lose, dropping lower in the standings.
To complete regular season play, the Lancers toppled New Britain on the road by a 59-48 final as the locals moved to 10-2 overall as the postseason is about to commence.
The top eight teams in the CCC have the right to play for the tournament title and Eastern took the No. 8 seed in the fray once all the pieces fell into place.
The reward? A shot against No. 1 Newington on Monday, March 22 in a huge showdown.
The Hurricanes (5-7) gave Eastern a bit of a battle early in the regular season finale but a 15-0 first quarter run by the Lancers forced the home team to play catch-up the rest of the way.
Approaching a thousand points for her career, Ciara Collins belted New Britain for 22 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and three steals over another tremendous effort.
She’ll need to score 12 points against Newington for her 1,000th-point.
Janessa Gonzalez also did well, hitting for 11 points and six rebounds while teammate Sage Scarritt nabbed 10 points, four rebounds, and two blocked shots.
Cali Doyon filled the ledger with five points, nine rebounds, nine assists, and a couple steals, Alyssa Kehler collected six points, four rebounds, and rejected three shots, Emma Stavens came off the pine for five points, three rebounds, and three steals while Taigan Parent and Audrey Tice also made critical contributions over the winning effort.
Maya Slisz did well for the Hurricanes, cashing in with 22 points and a couple three-pointers while Lailanna-Faith Mejia added 14.
Trailing 5-4 early – just like at Lewis Mills earlier in the week – that 15-0 dash by the Lancers saw Collins score seven quick points and off a neat little spin move producing a hoop, Eastern led 13-5 with 3:45 left to go in the first frame.
From there, Collins and Parent found Scarritt for hoops while Stavens knocked in two free throws and with 1:35 to go in the first, it was a 19-5 contest with Eastern in firm command.
New Britain unleashed an 8-0 spurt off the Eastern run, with a 3 from Slisz chopping the deficit to 19-13 early in the second quarter.
After that run, the Hurricanes couldn’t get any closer than six points of the lead the rest of the evening.
The squads traded hoops for most of the second stanza but to end the half, Gonzalez drained two buckets and Collins coolly sank two free throws to commence intermission as Eastern held a 35-22 cushion at the half.
Immediately to open the third tilt, Collins made a nifty steal for a hoop five seconds into things and when Doyon found Scarritt for an open hoop, Eastern’s 39-22 edge with 6:50 to go was the largest lead of the game by the Kingstreeters.
Collins then scored seven straight points for the Lancers to close out the third, but Slisz started to heat up and when her lay-up fell in at the buzzer, New Britain still trailed but was hanging around at 47-35.
Once again, the Hurricanes traded baskets with Eastern to open the fourth frame and the home team didn’t get anywhere fast.
Kehler found Doyon for a big three-pointer, making it a 53-38 contest with 5:41 to play as the Eastern lead never fell below double-figures.
Late in the fray, Collins passed off to Stavens for a quick basket and with 1:12 remaining, Collins hit one final basket as the Lancers won its 10th game behind an impressive 59-48 triumph.
NOTES…The contest marked the final regular season games for seniors Cali Doyon, Alyssa Kehler and Sage Scarritt.
CCC Region B girls basketball
BRISTOL EASTERN 59, NEW BRITAIN 48
from New Britain high school
Bristol Eastern (10-2) 19 16 12 12 – 59
New Britain (5-7) 8 14 13 13 – 48
BRISTOL EASTERN (59): Taigan Parent 0 0 0, Ciara Collins 9 4 22, Cali Doyon 2 0 5, Alyssa Kehler 3 0 6, Sage Scarritt 5 0 10, Audrey Tice 0 0 0, Emma Stavens 1 3 5, Janessa Gonzalez 4 3 11. Totals: 24 10 59.
NEW BRITAIN (48): Xandra Silva 0 0 0, Maya Slisz 9 2 22, Kaylie Lee 2 0 4, Nevaeh King 1 0 2, Jamily Carter 0 0 0, Kaylee Cahill 2 0 6, Lailanna-Faith Mejia 5 2 14, Maya Kelly 0 0 0. Totals: 19 4 48.
Three-point goals: Doyon (BE), Slisz (NB) 2, Cahill (NB) 2, Mejia (NB) 2.
Records: Bristol Eastern 10-2 overall; New Britain 5-7
