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| Bristol Eastern senior tri-captain Diana Wnuk goes in for a lay-up against Bristol Central on Monday night. |
The Bristol Eastern girls basketball team knocked off Bristol Central 69-50 at home on Monday night to finish the regular season 15-5.
Next up for the Lancers is the CCC Tournament, which begins Thursday.
Eastern celebrated senior tri-captains Diana Wnuk, Miya Laprise and Jillian LeBeau. Those three have been the leaders of a solid Lancer team that clicks both on and off the court.
“They get together, they have a great time,” Eastern head coach Tony Floyd said.
Floyd wishes the players would actually be harder on each other on the court. The team is led by Wnuk, Laprise and LeBeau.
“These three seniors have been super,” Floyd said. “They’re great kids, and they have being doing a great job.”
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| Bristol Eastern senior tri-captain Miya Laprise drives toward the basket. |
The three seniors have been leading a large group of juniors and sophomores. It was a junior, sharpshooter Hannah Maghini, who led Eastern with 23 points, including five 3-pointers. Maghini drained three of those treys in the first quarter alone.
It’s a welcome sight for Floyd and the Lancers, given that Maghini has been on the way back from an ankle injury.
“She’s still shooting very well,” Floyd said. “She’s a good shooter, she picks her spots.”
Wnuk scored 12 points while Laprise and junior Miranda Janick each added 10 points.
Floyd has been happy with Laprise’s passing, defense and hard work. Janick ran the point while Maghini was out with the injury.
LeBeau put in eight points for Eastern.
“Jill LeBeau has really been coming on in about the last week or two,” Floyd said.
Things are starting to click for the Lancers, but there’s more work to be done. Eastern was stagnant at times and its defense wasn’t up to the level that Floyd wants. That can be attributed to complacency and the hoopla surrounding Senior Night.
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| Bristol Eastern senior tri-captain Jillian LeBeau goes up for a shot in the paint. |
“You have to get up for everybody the same, no matter who they are,” Floyd said.
Eastern’s success is dependent on its defense.
“That’s important for us, because we’re small,” Floyd said.
Floyd wants the Lancers to play the way they practice.
When push came to shove and Central was within 37-31 in the third quarter, Eastern did show composure and was able to pull away. Floyd believes the large crowd at Monday night’s game will only help his team as the pressure mounts in the postseason.
“I think that was great for them, they get to experience that,” Floyd said of the atmosphere.
The games only increase in significance from here, starting with the first game of the CCC Tournament on Thursday.
