By Michael Letendre
NEWINGTON – In Bristol Eastern’s first round showdown against Newington in the Central Connecticut Conference’s championship bracket, junior sensation Ciara Collins scored her 1,000th point of her scholastic career.
With 2:52 left to play in the second stanza, Collins drained a straight on 3 for point number 12 against the Indians – becoming the ninth Eastern player in program history to score her 1,000th point.
Unfortunately, Eastern just couldn’t generate the victory against Newington as the locals fell by a 55-35 final from the Richard E. Rogalski Gymnasium in Newington.
The home squad moved to 13-0 overall while the Lancers fell to 10-3 and will play at Middletown on Wednesday to wrap up the campaign.
Collins finished the contest with 15 points, seven rebounds, and two assists.
Sage Scarritt added six points and four rebounds while Taigan Parent nabbed two points and four rebounds for the Lancers.
Lilley Ferguson led all players with 19 points while Karissa Zocco had 13 to pace the winners.
Eastern never had a chance in this one as Newington scored eight points over the first 56 seconds of the showdown and eventually rack up a 21-4 push with two minutes to play in the first quarter.
But the Lancers tried to make a game of it as Janessa Gonzalez (three points, two rebounds) put back a miss, Collins hit a 3 and when Scarritt drained a free throw, Eastern trailed 21-10 through one but was hanging around.
Cali Doyon (three assists) found Scarritt for a bucket early in the second stanza and when Collins put in her own offensive rebound, the game was a single-digit affair (23-14) with 6:30 remaining in the half.
Ferguson followed up with a 3 and a jumper and with 5:02 left in the second stanza, Newington led 28-14 and was never in serious trouble again.
Collins drained her historic 3, with 2:58 left in the second, that chopped the deficit to 30-18 but Newington extended its cushion to 33-19 at the half and the score ballooned from there.
In the third tilt, Collins and Scarritt hit hoops towards the end of the quarter but with eight minutes to play, the contest was a 47-25 game.
Late in the fray, Audrey Tice scooped in a hoop and Vanessa Drury banked in a shot but in the end, Newington picked up a twenty-point win to advance in the championship bracket.
CCC Girls Basketball Tournament, Championship Bracket – Round One
NEWINGTON 55, BRISTOL EASTERN 35
from the Richard E. Rogalski Gymnasium, Newington
Bristol Eastern (10-3) 10 9 6 10 – 35
Newington (13-0) 21 12 14 8 – 55
BRISTOL EASTERN (35): Taigan Parent 1 0 2, Ciara Collins 5 3 15, Cali Doyon 0 2 2, Alyssa Kehler 0 0 0, Sage Scarritt 2 2 6, Audrey Tice 1 0 2, Emma Stavens 0 1 1, Vanessa Drury 2 0 4, Janessa Gonzalez 1 1 3, Gracie Lamar 0 0 0. Totals: 12 9 35.
NEWINGTON (55): Karissa Zocco 5 0 13, Alexie Armour 2 1 5, Madison Romaniello 3 1 7, Kayleigh Sanchez 0 1 1, Lilley Ferguson 8 2 19, Maya Johnson 1 0 2, Marliese Zocco 3 0 8. Totals: 22 5 55.
Three-point goals: Collins (BE) 2, K. Zocco (N) 3, Ferguson (N).
Records: Newington 13-0 overall; Bristol Eastern 10-3
