By Michael Letendre

BRISTOL – It was senior night for the Bristol Eastern girls basketball program on Monday and the duo of Ciara Collins and Janessa Gonzalez made it a memorable one.

The seniors combined for 35 points and 17 rebounds as the Lancers knocked off Bristol Central, 63-51, in a CCC South tilt from the Thomas M. Monahan Gymnasium in Bristol.

Eastern, qualifying for state tournament play with the win (8-10), led wire-to-wire but had to fend off several challenges made by the Rams (9-10).

The Lancers led by just three points early in the third period but made two big runs – one to start the stanza and another to finish it – and when Taigan Parent (season-high tying 16 points, five rebounds) dropped in a 3 at the buzzer, Eastern was in charge at 48-30 with eight minutes to play.

“They executed and they took advantage of the shots that they had,” said Eastern coach Tony Floyd. “They were more patient this time and a lot of kids knew what their role was out there. It’s not like it’s the first time they were seeing it. Now they know what to expect and how to execute.”

But Central never gave in despite the 18-point fourth period deficit and foul trouble by Lillian Sirois (six points).

The road warriors made it a single-digit affair (50-41) with 3:47 left to play off stellar long-range shooting.

“I’m proud of all of them,” said Central coach Steve Gaudet. “This is our fifth game in six days and we ran out of a little gas. I’m not making excuses or anything. We ran out of gas and [Eastern] played well.”

Collins had one more outstanding game against Central despite box-and-ones and other defenses that attempted to slow the All-Stater down.

But she came alive, especially over third period play, as she kicked in a game-high 24 points to go along with six rebounds and three steals.

“Collins is outstanding,” said Gaudet.

And then Gonzalez scooped up her fifth double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds, snatching eight boards on the offensive end.

“Janessa, she was terror down there rebounding,” said Floyd. “She had offensive rebounds. I think she shot one ball, [missed it], and went to the other side [of the hoop] and got the ball and got her own rebound. That was the key. She’s been playing tough for us lately.”

With Sirois in foul trouble, Brooke Watson was sensational, flipping in 14 of her team and season-high 20 points in the fourth quarter, and canning four threes over the final frame to keep the Rams within reach.

“She’s just ultra-competitive,” said Gaudet of Watson. “She just fights, and fights, and fights. I’m proud of her.”

Eastern went up early in the first quarter, snaring a 12-5 edge with 4:21 left as two free throws by Leah Roy and an offensive rebound and put-back from Parent had the home team humming.

But Central hung around, trailing 14-7 through one period and picked it up offensively in the second.

Off a 3 by Parent, Watson and Ariana Rivera (15 points) made back-to-back buckets and with 3:44 remaining before the half, the visiting aggression had the deficit chopped down to 19-17.

“I thought defensively, we came out playing very good,” said Floyd. “But we started getting lackadaisical, getting into foul trouble, and we didn’t keep focus on what we were doing. They were able to get us in a little bit of foul trouble in the first half.”

Collins got herself on track a bit to end the half, sinking in two free throws and when Roy found the senior shooter for one final hoop, Eastern grabbed a 25-20 halftime lead.

Sirois kicked in a hoop to open the third tilt but Eastern turned defense into offense and a ninety second burst saw Eastern hit three consecutive three-point plays – with Emma Stavens (five points, five assists) canning a 3 along the way – that made it a 34-22 game with 5:47 left in the stanza.

“We didn’t do too bad playing the zone” defense said Floyd. “It kept us out of foul trouble, keeping the kids in the game. But they were able to execute on our zone. [Central] has a couple good kids that can shoot and that’s tough.”  

Pesky Central kept fighting, trimming the deficit back to ten (40-30) when Rivera slipped in a lay-up with 1:39 left in the third but the home team scored eight straight points to end the quarter.

Collins dropped in a 3 and then hit a shot via a pretty spin move and when Parent’s 3 hit pay dirt at the buzzer, it was a 48-30 game through three.

“We just made some mental mistakes,” said Gaudet. “I think fatigue, maybe some mental fatigue [hurt us]. We made some [bad] decisions.”

Watson drained two 3s over a stretch of 52 seconds to open the fourth frame and when Rivera hit a lay-up with 4:24 left in regulation, it was a 10 point game again at 48-38.

Watson jammed in another 3 with 3:47 showing on the clock to trim the deficit to nine but the Rams could not get it any closer the rest of the way.

Vanessa Drury (five points, three assists) hit a big three for the Lancers, as did Collins, and when Parent cashed in two free throws with 1:53 to play, Eastern was ahead 58-44 – eventually hanging on to win by 12 to qualify for state tournament play.

“The other night, in the Conard game, we lost a tough one there,” said Floyd. “We probably lost five two-point games [this year]. It really came down to execution and [making] foul shots [which we did tonight].”

Eastern is back to work today against Watertown in the team’s final home game of the year while Central has a great chance to draw even against Hartford Public on Wednesday after a great showing versus the Kingstreeters.

“We competed,” said Gaudet. “We got one of two [against Eastern this year]. And we’ve got a chance Wednesday to get back to .500 at 10-10 after starting 0-7. These girls are awesome.”

CITY SERIES GIRLS BASKETBALL

BRISTOL EASTERN 63, BRISTOL CENTRAL 51

from the Thomas M. Monahan Gymnasium

Bristol Central (9-10)            9 11 10 21 – 51

Bristol Eastern (8-10)           14 11 23 15 – 63

BRISTOL CENTRAL (51): Brooke Watson 7 2 20, Lillian Sirois 3 0 6, Arianna Rivera 7 1 15, Callie Lodovico 3 0 6, Ella Watson 1 0 2, Kaley Laird 1 0 2. Totals 22 3 51.

BRISTOL EASTERN (63): Ciara Collins 7 7 24, Leah Roy 0 2 2, Taigan Parent 5 3 16, Janessa Gonzalez 3 5 11, Vanessa Drury 2 0 5, Emma Stavens 2 0 5, Leah Roy 0 0 0, Lauren Ayotte 0 0 0, Tavia Swain 0 0 0. Totals 19 17 63.

Three-point goals: Parent (BE) 3, Lodovico (BC), Collins (BE) 3, Stavens (BE), B. Watson (BC) 4, Drury (BE).

Records: Bristol Eastern 8-10 overall; Bristol Central 9-10.