By Michael Letendre
BRISTOL – Non-conference rematches that happen to fall during state tournament play are rare in scholastic sports.
But here we are, on the cusp of the second round in the Class L bracket for girls hoop, and that means Bristol Central is back to work, under the bright lights of the Charles C. Marsh Gymnasium.
And the eighth rated squad has a huge battle on tap on Thursday in what could turn into a revenge game.
Central (17-6) has already established a school record for wins in a season, accomplished when they won their first state tournament game on Monday, and tonight the Rams go for victory No. 18 against North Haven.
The Nighthawks (16-5), ranked ninth in the Class L fray, have some confidence coming into the game as the program defeated the Rams by a 57-30 final back on January 21 in a non-conference tilt in Bristol.
And frankly, North Haven has some momentum coming into the showdown from Bristol.
The Nighthawks defeated No. 24 Maloney 57-28 in first round play from North Haven on Monday, leading 30-10 out the gate and never looking back.
Balanced scoring saw Ava Halovatch flip in team-high 14 points while Julia Ball notched 13 for the Nighthawks.
The Rams defeated No. 25 Wethersfield 57-35 last Monday afternoon and look to defend home turf against North Haven on Thursday night in what should be a good battle.
Central has been enjoying a little postseason success as of late and the squad hopes to continue that trend against the Nighthawks and move into the quarterfinal round with a win.
Scoring Check
Currently, the Central squad doesn’t have a 10.0 point-per-game scorer but that’s not all that unusual in scholastic hoop.
And that makes the Rams a bit dangerous offensively as four players average at least 7.5 points-per-game.
Leilani Jackson leads the Central crew with a 9.8 points-per-game scoring average while Ariana Rivera (9.1 ppg) isn’t that far behind.
Nicole Riemer (9.09 ppg) is a fraction off Rivera’s total, moving up the scoring ranks as the postseason progresses, while Brooke Watson (8.95 ppg) rounds out a very good scoring bunch.
The Nighthawks must pay attention to everyone offensively and if Jackson and crew are left open, shots are going to fall for the Rams.
Here’s the breakdown of the Class L bracket in second round play:
Class L – Second Round (All games to commence on Thursday, March 2)
No. 17 Hillhouse (12-9) at No. 1 Pomperaug (18-2), 6:30 p.m.
No. 9 North Haven (16-5) at No. 8 Bristol Central (16-5), 6:30 p.m.
No. 13 Fitch (14-7) at No. 4 Torrington (17-3), 6 p.m.
No. 12 Windsor (14-7) at No. 5 Simsbury (17-4), 6:30 p.m.
No. 18 Masuk (11-10) at No. 2 Holy Cross (18-2), 6:30 p.m.
No. 10 New Canaan (15-6) at No. 7 New Milford (16-5), 6:30 p.m.
No. 19 Bristol Eastern (11-10) at No. 3 E.O. Smith (18-3), 7 p.m.
No. 11 Avon (15-6) at No. 6 St. Joseph (17-4), 6:30 p.m.
