By Michael Letendre
BRISTOL – The train keeps rolling for the Bristol Central boys basketball team and on Thursday night, Windsor got run over by the Rams one more time.
And once again, All-World center Donovan Clingan put himself into the Bristol scholastic records book.
Behind a school record 51 points, Clingan and Central passed yet another test – sinking No. 5 Windsor by an 83-67 final from the Charles C. Marsh Gymnasium in Bristol.
Undefeated Central moved to 16-0 overall and has won a school record 31 straight games.
Clingan just missed out on a triple-double but the senior’s double-double was of epic proportions.
Along with his 51 points, Clingan posted 31 rebounds and nine blocks as the big man played nearly the entire game – keeping pesky Windsor (12-3) at bay.
The 51 points was just one point off the city single-game scoring record held by Mark Noon who dumped 52 points against Prince Tech in 1974.
After the scoring onslaught, Clingan now averages 29.6 points-per-game and is a couple three-point shots away from netting 1,900 for his career.
Victor Rosa notched a career-high 12 points, Damion Glasper added 10 while Steven Alseph netted five to pace the winners.
After blasting Bulkeley (1-16) for 106 points in its previous game, basketball karma caught up with Windsor as the squad was limited to just 67 points.
Tyler Betsey scored 19 points while Prince Samuel added 12 to lead the Warriors.
But this contest wasn’t any kind of push over as Windsor netted the first seven points of the game and led 11-7 with 4:12 remaining in the first frame.
But Central took the lead for good off a 12-3 burst as Clingan scored twice, Rosa made a steal for a hoop and then blasted in a 3 and when Glasper hit a wrap-around at the basket – plus a foul – the Rams were in charge at 19-14 with 33.6 seconds left.
Central opened the second quarter, leading 19-17, with a 9-0 push as Alseph mixed in a lay-up and when Jayeson VanBeveren blasted home a big three-point bomb with 4:50 before the half, the Rams were on top by a 28-17 push.
Windsor trimmed the deficit to single-digits moments later but both program made runs.
Clingan scored three straight hoops, Windsor then canned consecutive 3s before Central used an 8-0 jaunt – highlighted by steals and hoops by Rosa and Glasper – and with 1:27 before intermission, the Rams’ 42-25 cushion was the largest of the half.
Central held a 42-28 lead at the break and never let that cushion fall under 13 the rest of the way.
Clingan dropped in 16 third period points, scoring Central’s last 10 points over the final 2:43 of the stanza, as the home team nabbed a 64-44 edge with eight minutes remaining.
With the possibility of a Windsor comeback, Clingan played most of the fourth and final frame as his second hoop of the quarter made it a 68-48 game with 6:45 to play.
An 8-2 burst by Windsor, including a trifecta by Rashawn Tibby, trimmed the deficit to 70-56 with 4:35 left but the home team had a loud response.
A Clingan dunk, backed by a 3 from Alseph, pushed the Warriors’ deficit back out to 19 at 75-56 with 3:35 to go and the only thing left was for Central’s big man to put together another scoring record.
His dunk with 1:44 remaining gave him 49 points and with 56.5 seconds left, Carson Rivoira found Clingan for his basket that led to his 50th and 51st point – leading to an 83-67 victory in the end and another school record.
Central is back in action on Saturday as Berlin comes to town for a CCC South but at 5 p.m.
BRISTOL CENTRAL BOYS BASKETBALL
BRISTOL CENTRAL 83, WINDSOR 67
from the Charles C. Marsh Gymnasium, Bristol
Windsor (12-3) 17 11 16 18 – 67
Bristol Central (16-0) 19 23 22 17 – 83
WINDSOR (67): Jakeel Martin 2 0 4, Tyler Betsey 6 5 19, Rashawn Tibby 3 0 8, Prince Samuel 5 1 12, Raymond Rodriguez 3 0 7, Quintin Floyd 3 0 7, Jon Stapleton-Georges 1 2 4, Johnny Pierce 1 0 2, Anthony Williams 1 0 2, Kaiden James 1 0 2. Totals 26 8 67.
BRISTOL CENTRAL (83): Victor Rosa 5 0 12, Carson Rivoira 1 0 2, Julius Powell 0 0 0, Donovan Clingan 23 5 51, Damion Glasper 4 2 10, Steven Alseph 2 0 5, Jayeson VanBeveren 1 0 3, Mike Allan 0 0 0, Zach Vanesse 0 0 0, Mason Stokes 0 0 0, Aaron Brown 0 0 0, Jelani Walton 0 0 0. Totals 36 7 83
Three-Point goals: Tibby (W) 2, Samuel (W), Floyd (W), Betsey (W) 2, Rodriguez (W), Alseph (BC), Rosa (BC) 2, VanBeveren (BC).
Records: Bristol Central 16-0 overall; Windsor 12-3
