By Michael Letendre

HEBRON — The Bristol Central boys basketball team opened the 2023-24 season against RHAM on Saturday afternoon – the first of three straight road games to start the campaign.

And for a young squad, that’s not an easy way to start things in the CCC.

However, Central gave it a whirl, leading after one period of play before the bottom fell out right before the half as the Raptors hung on to snare a 65-48 victory in Hebron.

RHAM (2-0) trailed big early before Central (0-1) went into a bit of a shooting slump, never recovering.

“It’s hard to win a game on the road if you shoot under 15-percent from 3,” said Central coach Tim Barrette. “I know in the second half, we were 4-for-21 on two-pointers. For the game, we shot 37-percent from twos, 20-percent from three and sixty percent from the line.”

The Raptors hit nine three-pointers overall, all coming over the final 22 minutes of the showdown.

However, Central couldn’t miss early as the team went right to work offensively.

Melo Thompson (15 points, nine rebounds) hit eight points of Central’s 13-2 run to start the game.

Mikey McMahon (11 points, eight rebounds) hit a free throw, Joey Pikiell nabbed a runner in the lane and when Quincy Lawson found Nate Ortiz for a lay-up, Central was in charge at 13-6 through one.

Left, Carmelo Thompson takes it to the hoop. Right, Harry Ross jump ball. | Herve

Early in the second stanza, Harry Ross (seven points) slipped in a hoop that gave the Rams a 17-10 lead with 6:08 before the half.

However, the bottom fell out on the visitors as RHAM hit five three-pointers – including a four-point play by the Raptors’ Troy Miller (20 points) with the last 3 from Connor Sullivan making it a 26-24 game in RHAM’s favor at the 3:52 mark of the second stanza.

Lawson added a hoop off a slick pass from Thompson with 2:55 in the second quarter, helping Central draw even at 26-26.

That stalemate didn’t last long as the Raptors notched eight straight points to end the second period and scored the first two hoops of third as the home team captured a 38-26 edge with 21 seconds gone in the second half.

“They shot the ball well, give them a little bit of credit,” said Barrette of RHAM. “Their role players played much better tonight in their second game of varsity action than they did on Thursday [against Coventry] when I scouted them.”

“With that being said, I think my guys will too.”

Ross scored the first three points for Central in the third and when Thompson dropped in a 3, the Rams were hanging around, trailing 44-32 with 3:54 left to play in the third.

But off all that tough shooting, offense was at a premium for Central.

“I have three guys that have ever played a varsity game,” said Barrette. “Starting out with whomever scheduled me to have three road games in a row, whoever put me on the road three straight games to start my season, with three varsity returners, it’s not easy.”

“You’ve got to learn…it’s trial by fire.”

Central’s defense kept the team in the contest towards the tail end of the third period, allowing nothing in terms of offense over the final 3:37 and off one final lay-in from Thompson, RHAM’s lead was 47-34.

McMahon opened the fourth with a baseline 3 and with 6:45 to play, the Rams were hanging around, trailing 48-37.

The Raptors’ Brady Hullano (14 points) drained a 3 to match the McMahon basket as Central wasn’t able to get it back down to single digits.

To end the scoring, Ross cashed in on an offensive rebound, Jaysun Dominguez added a lay-up, McMahon and Dominguez combined for four free throws and Cody Roy blasted in a 3 but the Raptors grabbed a 17-point win to end the game – moving to 2-0 on the young campaign. 

“I thought our effort was good,” said Barrette. “It wasn’t about lack of effort. But in the game of basketball, we couldn’t stop a run tonight. And that’s what I told the guys. You’ve got to be able to stop a run, especially on the road and every time we made a good move or got a look, we missed a lay-up or we missed an open three.”

“It’s hard to win a game that way.”

Bristol Central Boys Basketball – Opening Season Contest

RHAM 65, BRISTOL CENTRAL 48

from RHAM High School, Hebron

Bristol Central (0-1) 13 13 8 14 – 48

RHAM (2-0) 6 28 13 17 – 65

BRISTOL CENTRAL (48): Gavin Chamberlin 0 0 0, Mikey McMahon 3 3 11, Cody Roy 1 0 3, Jaysun Dominguez 2 2 6, Nate Ortiz 1 0 2, Melo Thompson 6 2 15, Joey Pikiell 1 0 2, Harry Ross 3 1 7, Quincy Lawson 1 0 2. Totals: 18 8 48.

RHAM (65): James Celio 1 1 3, Troy Miller 7 3 20, Brady Hullano 4 6 14, Connor Sullivan 1 0 3, Caid Trzaskos 5 0 14, Caden Bellmore 3 4 10, Sean Connolly 0 1 1. Totals: 21 13 65.

Three-point goals: Mike McMahon (BC) 2, Cody Roy (BC), Melo Thompson (BC), Troy Miller (R) 3, Brady Hullano (R) 2, Connor Sullivan (R), Caid Trzaskos (R) 4.

Records: RHAM 2-0 overall; Bristol Central 0-1.

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