By Michael Letendre

BRISTOL – Issac Aguilor hit a 16-foot baseline jumper at the buzzer as the Avon boys basketball squad came-from-behind to defeat Bristol Eastern by a 46-45 final from the Thomas M. Monahan Gymnasium in Bristol on Saturday.

It was the third consecutive game for Eastern (2-8) as the squad led 41-30 with 3:20 to go before the Falcons (5-5) went on a 16-5 burst to end the showdown.

Will Soucier led all players with 22 points as the high-scoring Jack Hall was limited to just two field goals and four free throws for eight points.

The team shot 1-for-19 overall from three-point territory (5.3-percent) and missed 23 of its first 29 field goals (21-percent) before getting hot towards the tail-end of the third period.

The Falcons went 11-of-19 from the field to end the contest (58-percent), turned several Eastern turnovers (21 overall) into points and did just enough to steal the game away in the end.

“I thought we did well, pretty much, on their whole team” defensively said Eastern coach Bunty Ray. “At the end of the game, we self-destructed. Our half-court defense was incredible. We just lost our head at the end.”

That 11-point edge with 3:20 melted within 78 seconds as Avon made it a 41-38 contest with 2:08 left.

“We were missing shots, we were doing different things, we let one of their players go to their left hand which we shouldn’t have done, we were screaming from the sidelines. We have things defended and taken away but we lost a couple of assignments in a one-possession game.”

Elijah Parent led the Lancers with 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting including four three-pointers while making three steals.

His offense helped to make it a double-digit affair midway through the fourth frame.

“[He played a] great game” said Ray of Parent. “That’s what we need out of him. We need him to make shots, for the other guys to create, and he was – all-around – one of our best players today by far.”

Josh Kolano added 13 points and eight rebounds, Trini Otero scored five points and captured all eight of his rebounds in the second half, Dylan Woodsome added five points and three rebounds, while Nasir Walker-Jenkins flipped in two points and three assists.

Defensively, Woodsome and Trevor Nohilly did an amazing job slowing down Hall as the volume scorer was forced into shooting NBA range 3-pointers and was frustrated every time he ventured into the paint.

“We had a lot of contributions from other guys playing great defense,” said Ray.

Over the first quarter of play, neither squad led by more than four points and after Avon’s Tyler Brokershire flipped in a lay-up, a three by Kolano chopped the deficit to 13-12 through eight minutes of work.

The Lancers slowed down the pace in the second stanza, retook the edge off a Parent 3 as the senior scored all of Eastern’s points in the period but Soucier canned two free throws to end the half with the teams all knotted up at 18 going into intermission.

The Falcons were limited to a combined 11 points over the second and third quarters and off a 3 and a steal and lay-up by Parent, Eastern led 23-18 with 4:11 left in the third tilt. 

The Lancers entered the fourth quarter ahead by three but once the deficit was chopped to one (30-29) with 6:18 to play, Eastern went on a big run.

A 11-1 push, capped by a huge baseline 3 from Kolano, made it 41-30 and the Lancers were cruising with 3:20 remaining.

“We handed off, we ran shots, we created for each other and guys made shots,” said Ray. “It was good offense. It was a great job. Guys cut to the basket, we were able to execute based on what they did. If they took something away, we were able to counter it. It was a good game. It was good basketball.”

Turnovers doomed the Lancers down the stretch as Avon made its run to make it a one-basket game.

Woodsome found Parent for a lay-up with 2:07 left that gave Eastern a 43-38 lead but two lay-ups from the Falcons chopped the deficit all the way to one (43-42).

Eastern then ran some clock, taking timeouts along the way, as Avon had to foul to get into the one-and-one bonus.

Once in the bonus, Kolano was fouled and dropped in two free throws to give Eastern a 45-42 lead with 37 seconds showing on the clock.

A lay-up by Aarsh Moza 10 seconds later trimmed the Eastern lead down to one again.

On the ensuing play, Parent threw the ball away to Hall and when the senior attacked the hoop, Woodsome was in the way to draw an offensive foul that gave Eastern back the ball, still in front by a single point.

Parent was then fouled with 14.5 seconds left but missed the front end of a 1-and-1 situation with the rebound eventually going to Avon.

But the Falcons misfired on the ensuing drive as Eastern regained possession with 1.5 seconds left.

The ball was inbounded under the Avon basket but Brokershire intercepted it at half court with a second left on the clock as a time out was called.

To end the game, Aguilar received the ball and hit the game-winning shot as the Lancers dropped a 46-45 heartbreaker in Bristol. 

CCC Region B boys basketball

AVON 46, BRISTOL EASTERN 45

from the Thomas M. Monhan Gymnasium

Avon (5-5) 13 5 6 22 – 46

Bristol Eastern (2-8) 12 6 9 18 – 45

AVON (46): Isaac Aguilar 3 0 6, Jack Hall 2 4 8, Will Soucier 8 5 22, Tyler Brokershire 2 2 6, Cameron Dawicyzk 0 0 0, Aarsh Moza 2 0 4. Totals: 17 11 46.

BRISTOL EASTERN (45): Nasir Walker 1 0 2, Elijah Parent 8 0 20, Josh Kolano 4 3 13, Dylan Woodsome 2 0 5, Trevor Nohilly 0 0 0, Axel Fernandez 0 0 0, Trini Otero 2 0 5, Jack Stavens 0 0 0, Tyler Donohue 0 0 0, Brayden Dauphinais 0 0 0. Totals: 17 3 45.

Three-point goals: Soucier (A), Parent (BE) 4, Kolano (BE) 2, Woodsome (BE), Otero (BE).

Records: Avon 5-5 overall; Bristol Eastern 2-8