By Michael Letendre

BRISTOL – For the second consecutive game, the Bristol Eastern girls basketball team was just one hoop away from pulling out Tony Floyd’s historic 600th victory.

But the program from Enfield had a different agenda on Thursday night, making the long time coach from Eastern wait at least one more game for that milestone win.

Trailing for most of the contest, the Eagles went on a game-ending 7-2 burst as the Lancers fell by a 45-42 final over a CCC Interdivisional showdown in Bristol.

Eastern (5-7) just couldn’t get a late shot to fall while Enfield (10-3) showed composure to steal away the game against the Lancers.

“You can see the” youth said Floyd of his squad. “The inexperience shows up. That happened but they’re getting better. They settled down a couple times [Enfield] came at us and we got our composure. We still struggled a little bit out here at still understanding what we want to run at times and recognizing things.”

“I’m very pleased about the way we played.”

Eastern freshman Autumn Udoh had another tremendous showing, posting 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field to go along 13 rebounds, five blocks and three steals while clogging the middle against Enfield’s Alyssa Rossignol (game-high 18 points).

“I thought Autumn did a good job inside with that big kid,” said Floyd of Udoh guarding Rossignol. “The big kid is good. She’s a good player.”

The Eagles got 12 points from Sydney Marshall while Taylor Gochee scored eight points over the final 17:11 of the showdown.

“That’s a good team,” said Floyd of Enfield. “Even though their point guard [Mya Rosado] was out, they were still a good team.”

Eastern’s Taigan Parent notched 15 points behind three 3-pointers while adding four rebounds and two assists over another complete game effort.

Amanda Noel, the only Eastern reserve to see action that evening, added six points and four rebounds, Vanessa Drury zipped up four points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals while teammate Leah Roy did not score but loaded the stat sheet with three rebounds, six assists and five steals.

Lauren Ayotte nabbed four rebounds and a steal for the Lancers.

Six lead changes and five ties highlighted an amazing back-and-forth showdown – a game that saw Eastern nab a 12-point second quarter edge before giving up the lead.

“It showed me that we can play with good teams,” said Floyd. “Now we have to find a way how to win the games, those close games and get through it. But you can’t win a game when you go 4-for-14 from the foul line. That’s a lot of foul shots missing, and I think that’s a thing they need to understand because we’re not as strong as some of the teams that we’re playing.”

Trailing by two, Eastern used a 9-0 run to take an early lead as a turnaround jumper by Udoh and a 3 by Parent helped the home program to an 11-2 cushion with 1:18 to play in the first period.

To end the stanza, Noel canned a jumper and Parent hit a leaner to help the Kingstreeters take an 11-4 push through one.

Roy found Udoh for a jumper with 6:20 left in the second period – leading to an 18-6 edge – before Eastern’s offense went cold.

The Lancers didn’t score for nearly 5:30 off that Udoh hoop as missed shots fueled Enfield’s 14-0 burst, giving the visitors a 20-18 lead with 1:11 before the half.

“You’ve got to make the bunnies. We missed a lot of bunnies, at key times of the game,” said Floyd. “And that’s the key, making the little things.”

But Udoh added a hoop and then hit two late charity tosses to end the half as Eastern nabbed a 22-20 push at the break.

Rossignol dropped in a jumper with 3:32 to go in the third period to give Enfield a momentary lead before Eastern struck back with a 9-0 run.

Udoh put back a miss, Noel had a lay-up, and Udoh added one more field goal before a blistering Parent 3 with 1:05 remaining in the third put Eastern ahead 34-26.

“I was very pleased how they executed and how they played today defensively,” said Floyd. “They got in transition a little bit today.”

The Eagles then scored eight consecutive points to tie things up at 34-34 with 6:47 left in the game and the race to the finish was on.

Parent dropped in a late trifecta and when Noel canned a free throw with 4:33 remaining, Eastern’s lead was 38-36.

The Lancers were in front 40-39 off a free throw by Marshall and nine seconds later, she had two additional foul shots to take, attempting to steal away the lead.

She missed both attempts, but an offensive rebound and put-back by Rossignol, Enfield held the lead for good at 41-40 with 2:35 remaining.

Rossignol canned a shot with 1:44 left, giving Enfield a 43-40 lead, but a steal and two free throws by Udoh chopped the deficit to 43-42 with 1:08 showing on the clock.

Late turnovers didn’t do the Lancers any favors and with less than a minute to play, the Eagles went into stall mode.

Rossignol was eventually fouled with 20.3 seconds to play, hitting two charity shots, as Enfield led 45-42 but Eastern had one last shot at it.

Working the ball around, Eastern was looking for a game-tying 3 by Roy from the baseline but as she drove in, her two-point attempt was blocked, the visitors got the rebound and ran out the clock – hanging on for a huge 45-42 victory.

“They gave it a good surge at the end for the last three minutes out there, trying to win the game,” said Floyd of his team. “They made some big plays, and it went down to the wire.”

Bristol Eastern Girls Basketball – CCC Interdivisional Showdown 

ENFIELD 45, BRISTOL EASTERN 42

from the Thomas M. Monahan Gymnasium, Bristol 

Enfield (10-3)                         4 16 10 15 – 45 

Bristol Eastern (5-7)             15 7 12 8 – 42 

ENFIELD (45): Alyssa Hosig 1 0 3, Tallinn Byers 1 0 2, Mia Daly 1 0 2, Taylor Gochee 4 0 8, Alyssa Rossignol 7 4 18, Sydney Marshall 4 4 12. Totals: 18 8 45. 

BRISTOL EASTERN (42): Taigan Parent 6 0 15, Vanessa Drury 2 0 4, Leah Roy 0 0 0, Amanda Noel 2 2 6, Autumn Udoh 6 5 17, Lauren Ayotte 0 0 0. Totals: 16 7 42. 

Three-Point goals: Hosig (E), Parent (BE) 3. 

Records: Enfield 10-3 overall; Bristol Eastern 5-7.