By Michael Letendre

BRISTOL – The Bristol Central girls basketball team had a unique back-to-back challenge this past weekend and after defeating Lewis Mills the previous evening, the Rams set their sights on pesky Plainville in a CCC Region B tilt on Saturday afternoon.

Central battled but each and every time the locals looked to be on the verge of a game-changing run, the Blue Devils responded with big hoops to stay in the lead, eventually posting a 55-33 victory from the Charles C. Marsh Gymnasium in Bristol.

Central (1-5 overall) topped Mills by a 31-20 final on Friday but the next day, Plainville (4-2) took advantage of a couple scoring lulls by the Rams to seize control of the contest early. 

“We’ve come to play on back-to-back days,” said Central coach Steve Gaudet. “We played last night and coming back to play today was tough. I was a little disappointed with our body language, our communication, just the little things. They’re not used to playing on back-to-back days. We were a little tired, we were short on some of our shots.”

“I’m not making excuses. Plainville played awesome but I was just disappointed in us a little bit that we struggled with the little things we’ve been improving on and getting better with.”

Central never yielded, made it a single-digit deficit early in the fourth period before Plainville strung together several hoops to lead it by 20 points late.

Jaida Vasquez (15 points) was fantastic as usual and each time Central made push to narrow the score, a hoop by the senior guard always seemed to follow.

But Vasquez had plenty of help as Kori Jones netted 14 points, Lilly Wazorko flipped in 13, and Tessa Susco added nine as the Blue Devils showed balance throughout its line-up.

“They shot the ball very well tonight,” said Gaudet of Plainville. “We always worry about Vasquez but the other two [Jones and Susco] knocked down [shots]. They shot the lights out from three. Kudos to them. That was a nice offensive night for those guys.”

Central’s Ella Watson battled throughout, providing 10 points, a few blocked shots and plenty of hustle while Brooke Watson and Gwen Torreso each scored seven.

The future is bright for Central with Arianna Rivera (six-for-six from the free throw line) in the mix while veteran Janessa Bartell posted three points.

Gwen Torreso got Central’s offense going early, canning a 3 off a sweet feed by Sophia Torreso and when Brooke Watson canned a free throw with 3:35 to go in the first period, it was all tied up at 6-6.

But a 13-1 Plainville run, fueled by multiple hoops from Susco and Wazorko, made it a 19-7 score with 6:16 left in the second frame as Central didn’t hit a field goal over an eight-minute stretch.

However, the Rams later went on a 7-0 jaunt as Rivera hit her first two free throws, Ella Watson scored on a three-point play and then cashed in off a miss via an offensive rebound put-back which dropped the deficit to 19-14 with 4:30 left.

But there was Vasquez, hitting a jumper and a lay-up off a steal and Susco splashed in a 3 that made it a double-figure deficit again late in the second period.

Bartell hit a free throw to end the first half scoring as Central was hanging around, down 26-17.

Jones and Wazorko greeted Central with back-to-back 3s to open the third period, giving the Blue Devils a 32-17 cushion with 5:49 to go.

But Central’s defense allowed Plainville just four additional points to finish the third frame.

Late in the third, Gwen Torreso slipped in a charity shot, Rivera again went 2-for-2 from the stripe and when Rivera found Brooke Watson for a lay-up with 2:07 showing on the clock, Plainville’s lead was dropped to 34-22.

Vasquez ended the stanza with a lay-up and with one quarter left to play, the Blue Devils led it by 14 at 36-22.

Central opened the fourth quarter in the bonus due to Plainville foul trouble and the home squad took its best shot – making it a single digit affair again.

Ella Watson hit a 3 nine seconds into the final period while Bartell floated in a runner with 6:26 left, chopping the deficit to 36-27.

But Central went on to miss four early free throws, Vasquez was there again – hitting a critical lay-up – and when Wazorko and Katie Gagnon flipped in consecutive hoops, Plainville reestablished its double-figure lead again, this time at 42-27 with 4:36 to play.

“We could have gotten it down to five or six there with some free throws,” said Gaudet. “And once those didn’t fall, it kind of backfired on us. It started to snowball on us and we went backwards. I asked them, ‘let’s get it under ten in a minute-and-a-half’ and we did. We literally did and we just didn’t hit some key shots.”

Plainville’s edge grew to 20-plus late but Rivera hit two more free throws, Ella Watson sank a floater and Brooke Watson ended Central’s scoring with a jumper as Plainville tallied a 55-33 win in Bristol to move  over .500 on the campaign.

“I’m still a little disappointed tonight but I love coaching these girls,” said Gaudet. “I know this is hyperbole but I love coaching this team. They’re the easiest team I’ve ever coached in my 16 or 17 years. They all work hard every single day, they like each other, and they bust their tails off every day.”

“I can’t ask for anything more…we just have to make more shots.”

CCC Region B girls basketball

PLAINVILLE 55, BRISTOL CENTRAL 33

from the Charles C. Marsh Gymnasium

Plainville (4-2) 14 12 10 19 – 55

Bristol Central (1-5) 7 10 5 11 – 33

PLAINVILLE (55): Lilly Wazorko 5 1 13, Tessa Susco 2 4 9, Elyse Brown 0 0 0, Jaida Vasquez 7 0 15, Kori Jones 5 2 14, Katie Gagnon 1 0 2, Elena Goineault 1 0 2, Cookie Montanez 0 0 0. Totals: 21 7 55.

BRISTOL CENTRAL (33): Damani Hough 0 0 0, Brooke Watson 3 1 7, Arianna Rivera 0 6 6, Janessa Bartell 1 1 3, Gwen Torreso 2 2 7, Ella Watson 4 1 10, Sophia Torreso 0 0 0. Totals: 10 11 33.

Three-point goals: Wazorko (P) 2, Susco (P), Vasquez (P), Jones (P), Gwen Torreso (BC), Ella Watson (BC).

Records: Plainville 4-2 overall; Bristol Central 1-5