By Michael Letendre

NEWINGTON – The Bristol Eastern girls basketball team is ready for its first round, Class L postseason challenge on Monday evening.

The Lancers, ranked 19th in the fray, travels to South Windsor for what’s turned into an All-CCC interdivisional first round clash.

The Bobcats are ranked 14th and had a quality 13-7 regular season.

Eastern (10-10) also played well this season as a young team eventually found its playoff footing.

It’s interesting to note that South Windsor and Eastern had many like opponents this year.

The Bobcats lost to New Britain (52-50) two days after the Kingstreeters defeated the Golden Hurricanes (40-31) back on January 4 in Bristol.

Both programs were victors over Manchester, Lewis Mills, Maloney and Plainville.

Each squad drew a loss against Enfield while South Windsor scored an opening night victory against Bristol Central (42-39) on December 13.

The Lancers have been using a rotation of six players with some good results though Eastern head coach Tony Floyd would like to add a little depth to that unit.

Sharp-shooter Taigan Parent (14.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals-per-game) has been consistent from downtown – flashing in a single-season record of 55 three-pointers over at Eastern, knocking down 33-percent of her attempts.

She makes her free throws, enjoying the team lead in that category (76-percent) but can also pass the ball (2.0 assists-per-game) and cause some havoc on the defensive end.

Freshman Autumn Udoh (11.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.4 blocks, 2.6 steals-per-game) continues to impress and is just a couple games away from a 100-block season.

Point guard Vanessa Drury (8.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, team-leading 3.2 steals) is ready for the postseason along with the starting front court of Leah Roy (2.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists) and Lauren Ayotte (2.1 points, 3.8 rebounds).

Sixth man Amanda Noel (2.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.0 steals) will spell the Roy/Ayotte combination.

But Floyd needs a little more production out of his bench after Noel.

Jayle Evins Mosley could be that seventh man Floyd craves and the 6-0 forward/center – though missing a chuck of time this season due to injuries – gives the Lancers a little pop down low.

Mosley averaged nearly 2.5 points-per-game while nabbing 1.6 of those boards on the offensive end.

She would be a huge help to that established rotation. 

“If we can get Jayle back, that gives us a seventh man,” said Eastern coach Tony Floyd. “We can only go about six deep right now. It hurts us a little bit.” 

Tavia Swain is making her way back from injury and can spell the team at guard if foul trouble arises from Parent or Drury though inserting Noel moves Roy over to guard.

Off Eastern’s .500 finish this season, the squad ended up as a participant in the CCC Tournament as the 16th ranked team and put top-rated Newington to the test.

Eastern had a mid-game lead, trailed by 12 late and while the locals dropped a tough 40-32 decision in the end, that experience will only help the Lancers during Class L competition.  

“They’ll have some experience playing in a tournament,” said Floyd of the Newington showdown.” 

The Lancers would like to post an upset or two along the way if possible, meaning a win over the Bobcats and No. 30 Farmington picking off third ranked Edwin O. Smith.

The Farmington/Smith victor plays the winner of Eastern/South Windsor on March 2.

The Lancers beat Farmington 57-41 back on February 3 and if the squad can get into the quarterfinal round, a possible rematch against No. 6 St. Joseph could be in the cards.

To end the 2022 calendar year, Eastern fell to St. Joseph 46-29 from the Thomas M. Monahan Gymnasium in Bristol.

Here’s the complete Class L bracket:

CLASS L

FIRST ROUND

No. 1 Pomperaug – Bye; No. 17 Hillhouse (11-9) at No. 16 Notre Dame-Fairfield (11-9), 2/27, 6:30pm; No. 25 Wethersfield (8-12) at No. 8 Bristol Central (15-5), 2/27, 6:30pm; No. 24 Maloney (9-11) at No. 9 North Haven (15-5), 2/27, 6:30pm; No. 29 East Lyme (7-13) at No. 4 Torrington (16-3), 2/27, 6:30pm; No. 20 Bethel (10-10) at No. 13 Fitch (13-7), 2/27, 6:30pm; No. 28 Rockville (7-13) at No. 5 Simsbury (16-4), 2/27, 6:30pm; No. 21 Lyman Hall (10-10) at No. 12 Windsor (13-7), 2/27, 6:30pm

No. 2 Holy Cross – Bye; No. 15 Woodstock Academy (12-8) vs. No. 18 Masuk (10-10) at The Woodstock Academy, 2/27, 6:30pm; No. 26 Stratford (8-12) at No. 7 New Milford (15-5), 2/27, 6:30pm; No. 10 New Canaan (14-6) vs. No. 23 WCA (9-11) at New Canaan HS, 2/27, 6:30pm; No. 30 Farmington (6-14) at No. 3 E.O. Smith (17-3), 2/27, 6:30pm; No. 19 Bristol Eastern (10-10) at No. 14 South Windsor (13-7), 2/27, 6:30pm; No. 27 Kennedy (8-12) at No. 6 St. Joseph (16-4), 2/27, 6:30pm; No. 22 Naugatuck (9-11) at No. 11 Avon (14-6), 2/27, 6:30pm

SECOND ROUND

Hillhouse/Notre Dame-Fairfield winner at No. 1 Pomperaug (18-2), 3/2, 6:30pm; Wethersfield/Bristol Central winner vs. Maloney/North Haven winner, 3/2, 6:30pm; East Lyme/Torrington winner vs. Bethel/Fitch winner, 3/2, 6:30pm; Rockville/Simsbury winner vs. Lyman Hall/Windsor winner, 3/2, 6:30pm

Masuk/Woodstock Academy winner at No. 2 Holy Cross (18-2), 3/2, 6:30pm; Stratford/New Milford winner vs. WCA/New Canaan winner, 3/2, 6:30pm; Farmington/E.O. Smith winner vs. Bristol Eastern/South Windsor winner, 3/2, 6:30pm; Kennedy/St. Joseph winner vs. Naugatuck/Avon winner, 3/2, 6:30pm

Quarterfinals – March 6 (7 p.m. start time)

Semifinals – March 10

Finals – from Mohegan Sun, March 18 or 19 (TBD)

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