By Michael Letendre

BRISTOL – There’s a reason why the Bristol Eastern boys basketball team has started the 2023-24 campaign at 3-0.

The team has responded to every challenge to date, outscored the competition by double figures in each game, turned defense into offense and the chemistry displayed by this unit is off the charts.

Now, it’s time for a little city series showdown.

Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m., Eastern squares off against Bristol Central in the nightcap of the BC Holiday Classic.

This is the third time that Eastern and Central have squared off in the month of December and the showdown should be a good one.

And, despite the Rams’ 1-2 record, anything is possible on the court from the Charles C. Marsh Gymnasium.

“Records don’t matter,” said Eastern coach Bunty Ray of BC/BE games. “They play in that tight schedule.”

Here’s a look at the Lancers and what to expect on Wednesday evening:

Bristol Eastern Boys Basketball (3-0 overall)

*Head Coach: Bunty Ray

*Players to Watch

Lukas Sward (sr, guard), Zaveyn Tate (jr, forward), Brayden Dauphinais (sr, forward), Jordan Chisholm (jr, guard), Brady Bell (jr, forward), Ben D’Amato (sr, shooting guard), Isaiah Lawrence-Bynum (sr, forward), Naseem Walker-Jenkins (jr, guard), Dante DePass (jr, guard).    

Spotlight on Bristol Eastern: Lukas Sward

*This program is a rotation of nine players strong and the feisty and talented Sward is the leader of the crew.

The senior standout is averaging a career-high 20.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists-per-game.

Don’t forget, he dumped a career best 27 points and 10 rebounds against Platt last week as he’s competing on another level.

In terms of shooting, Sward hits 55-percent of his shots from the field and is an 86-percent free throw shooter.

He can drain buckets from the outside, averages 2.0 steals-per-game and pushes the tempo like no one else locally.

Over his first three games, he’s increased his scoring by the game. Should we expect another increase tonight?

This is the guy Central must somehow contain.

Under-the-radar Guy: Zaveyn Tate

*When this guy is charging into the paint, forget about it.

Tate (13.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists-per-game) is shooting the ball at a wild 70-percent clip (think former Boston Celtics standout Rob Williams) and in terms of finishing in the paint, the crafty junior could be tops on the team.

This is another guy who knows time, space and positioning and defensively, he’s another athlete who stays in front of his man.

Tate just keeps getting better and better as his basketball IQ is growing by the practice and the game.

He dropped 18 points on Enfield, added another 15 in the opening season contest at Plainville and is ready to go against Central.

Watch out for: Jordan Chisholm, Brady Bell and Brayden Dauphinais

*In terms of Chisholm, Bell and Dauphinais, that’s a pretty talented trio.

Chisholm (11.0 points-per-game) can heat up in a hurry, leading to devastating effects.

He’s currently tied for the team lead in three-pointers made along with the slick Dauphinais (9.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists).

Dauphinais has been excellent in Eastern’s passing schemes and is the leader in blocked shots.

He averages one steal an outing, gets in the way defensively and when other players struggle, Dauphinais can be seen picking up the slack.

That’s what good leaders do.

Bell (5.0 points, team-leading 8.7 rebounds) has been tremendous in his first season starting  varsity and rounds out a strong starting five.

He blocks a shot every game and wake us up when he finally misses a free throw.

Add in a solid bench of seniors Ben D’Amato and Isaiah Lawrence-Bynum along with juniors Naseem Walker-Jenkins and Dante DePass and the outfit is complete.

Bottom Line: We can talk about this showdown all day long.

But tonight, all that talk will be over.

What does Bristol Eastern want to do at Bristol Central?

Will the program drop its first game of the season on Wednesday in a city series confrontation or will it be option two – go 4-0 for the first time since the 2008-09 campaign?

There’s a ton riding on the line from BCHS tonight.

Bristol Central Holiday Classic – December 27 

BRISTOL EASTERN (3-0) at BRISTOL CENTRAL (1-2) 

Time: 7:30 p.m. (tentative start after three other tournament games) 

Location: Charles C. Marsh Gymnasium 

Series Lead: The Rams lead the all-time series 75-56. This is the 132nd matchup between the schools, the most for either program against a single opponent. 

Bristol Eastern (3-0) – Scores to date

*December 14, 66-50 win at Plainville 

*December 19, 75-61 win at Enfield

*December 21, 60-49 win at Platt

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