Bristol Eastern girls hoop leads wire-to-wire in 46-29 triumph over Wethersfield on Monday night

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Bristol Eastern coach Tony Floyd rallies his players earlier in the season. | M. Letendre

Posted By: Michael Letendre January 9, 2024

By Michael Letendre

BRISTOL — Once the Bristol Eastern girls basketball team was able to tally a double-figure lead against CCC interdivisional challenger Wethersfield on Monday night, it was a deficit too much to overcome.

Though the Eagles were pesky, the Lancers led wire-to-wire as the squad wrapped up victory No. 8 via a 46-29 triumph over Wethersfield from the Thomas M. Monahan Gymnasium in Bristol.

Eastern (8-2) finished the first half of the campaign with a bounce back win after a tough two-point loss in the previous game versus Rocky Hill.

Wethersfield fell to 2-6.

The first quarter saw Eastern guard Cassie Sward (11 points, four rebounds, three steals) rope up seven points in the stanza while sophomore sensation Autumn Udoh put the contest away with a stellar fourth quarter – scoring 11 points over the frame.

She put together another video game style performance as Udoh splashed in a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Just missing out on a triple-double, Udoh dished out four assists, blocked six shots and nabbed six steals over another monster effort.

Amanda Noel had her best night on the glass, scooping in 17 rebounds to go along with nine points, three assists, three blocks and three steals as the junior was here, there and everywhere.

Vanessa Drury splashed in seven points, nabbed eight rebounds, added six assists while capturing three steals.

Lauren Ayotte had five rebounds as did Alaina Joy off the Eastern bench.

Natalia Vye hit a bucket, Emily Zurowski scooped up three offensive rebounds while Jenna Azab and Rabiatu Bah each saw floor time late in the game.

Aaliyah Terrero (nine points) and Eliza Polmatier (eight) kept the Eagles hanging around but could only trim the deficit to 10 after first half play.

Eastern raced out to a 9-1 edge, completed when Drury kicked in two free throws with 4:10 remaining in the first quarter.

And with 21.3 seconds to go in the tilt, an offensive rebound by Udoh led to a Cassie three-point bomb as the Kingstreeters scooped up a 17-5 push through eight minutes of action.

The lead ballooned to 18 when Udoh made a slick pass to Drury for a 3 as the Lancers held a 25-7 advantage at the midpoint of the second stanza.

But over the next nine minutes or so, Eastern’s offense couldn’t find any real flow and Wethersfield took advantage.

The Eagles went on a 12-4 slow-burn run and when Polmatier hit a little layup in the lane, Wethersfield trailed 29-19 with 3:04 to go in the third period.

But when Drury made a nice dish over to Udoh, hitting a jumper in the lane to end the third, Eastern carried a 31-19 push into the fourth and final quarter.

Another Polmatier lay-in to start the fourth cut the deficit to 10 again but a quick 7-0 Eastern run stretched the advantage out one more time.

Udoh hit a short turnaround, Noel canned two free throws and when Udoh kicked in a traditional three-point play, Eastern nabbed a 38-21 cushion with 6:33 to go.

To close things out, Udoh scored two more hoops and when Vye sank a jumper, the Lancers were up 42-24 with ninety seconds remaining.

And in the end, Eastern rolled out victory number eight over its 17-point victory against Wethersfield.

Bristol Eastern Girls Basketball – CCC Interdivisional Showdown

BRISTOL EASTERN 46, WETHERSFIELD 29

from the Thomas M. Monahan Gymnasium, Bristol

Wethersfield (2-6) 5 6 8 10 – 29

Bristol Eastern (8-2) 17 8 6 15 – 46

WETHERSFIELD (29): Eliza Polmatier 4 0 8, Sophia Adams 0 0 0,  Avery Ford 0 0 0, Abby Alger 1 0 3, Aaliyah Terrero 2 5 9, Lily Provost 3 0 6, Kayla Hedstrom 0 0 0, Brianna Graziavich 0 0 0, Alexa Nunez 1 0 2, Giuliana Wodecki 0 0 0, Tessa Gilbert 1 0 2, Sammy Vera Cadena 0 0 0. Totals: 11 6 29.

BRISTOL EASTERN (46): Vanessa Drury 2 2 7, Natalia Vye 1 0 2,  Alaina Joy 0 0 0, Cassie Sward 4 0 9, Jenna Azab 0 0 0, Amanda Noel  3 3 9, Lauren Ayotte 0 0 0, Emily Zurowski 0 0 0, Autumn Udoh 7 5 19,  Rabiatu Bah 0 0 0. Totals: 17 10 46.

Three-point goals: Abby Alger (W), Vanessa Drury (BE), Cassie Sward (BE).

Records: Bristol Eastern 8-2 overall; Wethersfield 2-6.

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