By Michael Letendre
BRISTOL – Since beating Berlin by three points on January 25, the Bristol Eastern girls basketball program just can’t catch a break over close games.
And with Emma Stavens back in the line-up, the Lancers have been ultra-competitive but have dropped four games by eight points or less over that stretch.
The latest setback came on Saturday when Eastern dropped a heartbreaking 52-48 decision at home to Conard of West Hartford in a CCC Interdivisional tilt from the Thomas M. Monahan Gymnasium in Bristol.
The Chieftains (11-8) were led by freshmen dynamo Callie Cosgrove as she kicked in a game-high 27 points – along with three 3-pointers – while Emily Knowles scored 15.
Eastern (7-10) never led but never let the deficit get to double-figures before chopping it to 50-48 with less than three minutes to play.
“They played okay,” said Eastern coach Tony Floyd of his squad. “I think timing wise [and] defensively, they just didn’t talk and bull down. We didn’t get a consistent quarter.”
Ciara Collins zipped in 22 points, 10 rebounds, and two assists, Janessa Gonzalez added 16 points and 12 rebounds while Taigan Parent flipped in four points and three rebounds.
“I thought overall, we have some good play by Ciara, Taigan and Venessa. “They really came on at the end of the second half, kept us alive, kept us in the game.”
Stavens (four points), Vanessa Drury (three assists), Lauren Ayotte and Leah Roy all gave something to keep things close throughout.
The Lancers ended up missing seven free throws along the way which could have been important run stoppers.
“We missed some key foul shots,” said Floyd. “The last couple of games we’ve been [shooting those] very well. But missed some key ones today.”
Neither squad did well from the charity line as the Chieftains missed six of 11 free throws.
The Lancers trailed by six off the bat though the squad drew even twice over first half play.
“We started off slow again like usual in the first quarter and then we came back a little bit in the second,” said Floyd. “In the third quarter, we sort of came back, [especially] at the end of the quarter and into the fourth quarter. We just didn’t put it together defensively, just be consistent and execute offensively.”
“At the end of the game, we didn’t lock them down like we needed to.”
After an 8-0 Eastern burst, capped by Collins’ three-point play, it was an 8-8 contest with 1:34 left in the stanza.
Parent later found Drury for a hoop with 6:12 remaining in the first half, knotting things up at 14-14, but the Kingstreeters never drew even after that again.
Collins dished off to Stavens for a basket with 1:52 in the second quarter, chopping the score to 23-22 but the Lancers trailed by three (27-24) at the half.
Eventually, Conard ramped up a nine-point lead – via a 3 three bomb by Cosgrove – and with 3:45 left in the third tilt, it was a 37-28 game.
“[Conard] played hard defensively and they scraped,” said Floyd. “They got the ball to fall for them and that kept them in the game.”
Eastern hung around as Collins scored six straight points for the Kingstreeters and with 1:27 remaining in the third, it was a two-point game (39-37).
The Chieftains then scored seven consecutive points and with 7:38 showing on the clock, the visitors were again in control and leading by nine (46-37).
“They would make a big [stop] and then they’d get a lay-up or get on the foul line,” said Floyd. “That’s what happened today.”
Conard then went scoreless for about four minutes, Eastern notched five straight points – missing three free throws in the process – but had it down to two again at 46-44 with 5:09 left.
A jumper by Gonzalez with 2:56 remaining made it 50-48 but the home team finally ran out of steam.
Both teams missed opportunities late and when Cosgrove banked home an insurance hoop with 40 seconds to go, Eastern trailed 52-48 and just couldn’t get over the hump in the end – falling by four.
“We’re doing better, we’re playing better,” said Floyd. “We’re just not getting any consistent play. My bench, they’ve given me play we’ve had in the past in the last game or two. They have to understand we can always get through it. We can always play defense and we can always make foul shots and get into transition.”
BRISTOL EASTERN GIRLS BASKETBALL
CONARD 52, BRISTOL EASTERN 48
from the Thomas M. Monahan Gymnasium, Bristol
Conard (11-8) 10 17 17 8 – 52
Bristol Eastern (7-10) 8 16 13 11 – 48
CONARD (52): Callie Cosgrove 10 4 27, Emily Knowles 7 1 15, Tatiana Harrison 3 0 6, Sophia Lynch 0 0 0, Courtney McPhee 2 0 4. Totals: 22 5 52.
BRISTOL EASTERN (48): Taigan Parent 2 0 4, Vanessa Drury 1 0 2, Ciara Collins 9 3 22, Leah Roy 0 0 0, Janessa Gonzalez 5 6 16, Lauren Ayotte 0 0 0, Emma Stavens 1 2 4. Totals: 18 11 48.
Three-point goals: Cosgrove (C) 3, Collins (BE).
Records: Conard 11-8 overall; Bristol Eastern 7-10
