By Michael Letendre 

The Bristol Eastern girls basketball team had an extremely competitive 2021-22 campaign which included several big wins along the way and a near upset of No. 12 Bethel in the first round of the Class L state tournament. 

Three players from the Lancers nabbed CCC South All-Conference honors this season which included seniors Ciara Collins and Janessa Gonzalez along junior Taigan Parent. 

Gonzalez manned the center position for several games this season and had a tremendous finish to the campaign. 

In her final 11 games, Gonzalez dropped in averages of 11.9 points and 9.5 rebounds-per-game – shooting a solid 45-percent from the field over that stretch. 

Over Eastern’s last 36 contests, Gonzalez was the only player not named Collins to lead Eastern in scoring during a game. 

Gonzalez saved her best for last as she dropped in 18 points – hitting 8-of-10 field goals – in Eastern’s tough 46-45 loss to Bethel in a Class L first round game back on February 28. 

She either led or co-led the team in rebounding seven times and over her final six games, Gonzalez scooped in 58 rebounds for an average of 9.7 rebounds-per-night – snaring a career best 15 rebounds – along with 20 points – in a tough loss to Naugatuck Valley League challenger Watertown. 

Her 79 offensive rebounds led the team as she gobbled up eight offense rebounds in a game twice. 

She snared six double-doubles this season, tallied at least 11 points in four out her five final games and added two contests of three steals and blocked three shots twice. 

She also displayed an underrated passing game as Gonzalez co-led the squad in assists four times. 

Gonzalez was a great leader for the program and was easily the most improved player on the squad this year.  

Parent was second in three-pointers made this season, scored her share of points, and grabbed several rebounds to help Eastern reach the state tournament once again. 

She tallied three games of 11-plus points which included two 16-point performances and had a huge game versus Bristol Central the second time around on February 14.  

And she stepped up her game over her final six games of the year. 

Parent dropped in 8.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists-per-game over that half-dozen game stretch. 

She had Central’s number from downtown over the two city series games this season, draining 6-of-13 shots from deep and averaging 13.5 points-per-game against the Rams. 

Her 16 points against Central on February 14 was important as she canned a 3 at the third period buzzer to give the Lancers a big 18-point push heading into the final frame of play.    

Parent, like everyone has in her family over the years at Bristol Eastern, was the squad’s leader in free throw percentage at 83.3-percent. 

Along the way, she snared a career-high seven rebounds at Middletown while dishing out five assists on three different occasions. 

Parent either led or co-led the program in assists this year nine times. 

Her four steals against Edwin O. Smith to open the season was her career high. 

Overall, the junior guard was third on the team in scoring and assists and in the top five for rebounds. 

Her improvement from 3-point territory, another staple of the Parent family, was remarkable as she dropped in 23 trifectas after just hitting one over her first two campaigns. 

Final Numbers

Gonzalez – Season Numbers: 21 games played (20 starts), 9.3 points-per-game (second on the team), 8.4 rebounds (second). Shot 40-percent from the field. Scored 196 points and snatched 177 rebounds overall.   

Parent – Season Numbers: Over 21 games played, Parent averaged 6.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and a steal-per-game.