By Michael Letendre
BRISTOL – The Bristol Eastern girls basketball team ended its home slate of games this season with a resounding 44-17 blitzing of Plainville in a CCC South bout from Bristol on Thursday evening.
It was senior night for the Lancers (10-9 overall) as the program honored the career of its lone four-year player, Taigan Parent.
The senior guard – a standout shooter who was simply tremendous for the Lancers over her four seasons – made it a memorable night, with members of the both the girls and boys basketball programs wearing special Taigan Parent t-shirts in her honor.
And she assaulted the hoop just moments into the showdown as Parent blasted in a 3 just seven seconds in.
The crafty senior ended up with a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds over her final scholastic regular season game from the Thomas M. Monahan Gymnasium.
“She’s had a great senior year,” said Eastern coach Tony Floyd of Parent. “She’s the only senior here this year. We lost Ciara [Collins] and Janessa [Gonzalez] from last year and especially with a surrounding cast of freshmen, sophomores and couple juniors, she’s done a great job helping to mold those guys. They’ve been meshing together very well.”
“She’s been helping bring those younger kids along.”
Parent also added two assists and three steals off another complete game effort, draining four three-pointers along the way.
Freshman sensation Autumn Udoh nabbed her usual double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds while swiping four steals.
Amanda Noel did a solid job off the bench, scooping in five points, four rebounds and a career-high four steals, Lauren Ayotte nabbed four points and four rebounds while Leah Roy collected two points, six rebounds and two assists.
Vanessa Drury added a hoop and a team best five assists and six steals, Tavia Swain snared three rebounds while Grace Browne, Hailey Beebe, and Gabby Piendak all added something over the winning endeavor.
The Kingstreeters led wire-to-wire as the Blue Devils (3-16) just couldn’t get any lasting momentum in the fray.
Defense was the key as Parent dropped in two 3s while Udoh added one of her own in what turned into a suffocating 15-0 opening game run as Eastern turned its quick stops and steals into offensive opportunities.
The shutout lasted nearly into the final minute of the first quarter, but Plainville’s Cookie Montanez and Hailey Anderson hit back-to-back hoops to trim the deficit to 15-4 through one.
However, the Blue Devils nearly went 16 minutes between field goals as Eastern’s defense held firm over the second and third quarters of action.
“I thought the kids did a good job,” said Floyd of his crew. “They focused on defense. That’s what we worked on. We played good defense in the game, and I thought that’s what they did a great job on.”
Parent opened the second period with a 3, Noel canned two straight hoops and off one final free throw by the senior standout, Plainville was held scoreless in the second stanza – trailing 23-4 at the half.
“We executed our half-court game,” said Floyd. “We also did some things we needed to work on.”
The Kingstreeters started the third tilt with two hoops apiece by Udoh and Ayotte and with 6:06 to go in the quarter, Eastern’s cushion reached 31-4.
To end the third, Drury found Parent for her fourth and final 3 while Udoh calmly sank two charity tosses as the Lancers etched up a 36-7 edge with just eight minutes left in the fray.
With 2:40 left to play, Parent split a pair of free throws as Floyd subbed for the senior one final time.
The guard received a tremendous ovation on her way back to the bench with the Lancers comfortably ahead 37-13.
To end the game, Beebe canned a foul shot while Roy and Piendak put back misses for hoops – leading to the eventual 44-17 triumph by the Lancers with their final regular game at Bristol Central on tap on Monday (6 p.m.).
“They stayed focused which was nice today,” said Floyd. “I was very pleased with all the kids today.”
Bristol Eastern Girls Basketball – CCC South Confrontation
BRISTOL EASTERN 44, PLAINVILLE 17
from the Thomas M. Monahan Gymnasium, Bristol
Plainville (3-16) 4 0 3 10 – 17
Bristol Eastern (10-9) 15 8 13 8 – 44
PLAINVILLE (17): Tamia Chapman 2 0 5, Hailey Felt 0 1 1, Cookie Montanez 1 0 2, Audra Pearson 0 0 0, Grace Geddes 1 0 2, Marissa Miller 1 0 2, Syrian Bernard 0 1 1, Hailey Anderson 2 0 4, Kassidy Grondin 0 0 0. Totals: 7 2 17.
BRISTOL EASTERN (44): Taigan Parent 5 3 17, Vanessa Drury 1 0 2, Tavia Swain 0 0 0, Grace Browne 0 0 0, Hailey Beebe 0 1 1, Leah Roy 1 0 2, Amanda Noel 2 1 5, Lauren Ayotte 2 0 4, Gabby Piendak 1 0 2, Autumn Udoh 4 2 11. Totals: 16 7 44.
Three-point goals: Chapman (P), Parent (BE) 4, Udoh (BE).
Records: Bristol Eastern 10-9 overall; Plainville 3-16.
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