- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,129,079
- Reaction score
- 59
UNCASVILLE – The Bristol Central girls basketball team was down five points in overtime in the Division II basketball championship game. The Rams’ two stars were in foul trouble against Rocky Hill, which had come back from deficits all season to win.
“They did go on some runs especially at the end,” Bristol Central’s senior center Nicole Riemer said. “Being able to stay together as one; it comes down to being able to rely on one another when things do go south.”
Senior Kamaria Bowens started it off with 3-pointer. Then Riemer – Bristol Central’s all-time leading girls scorer and rebounder – went to work. She hit a free throw, hit a shot, drew a foul and hit another free throw with 59 seconds left. The momentum swung back to the Rams. Riemer had another and-one with 38 seconds left.
She would hit two more free throws to finish with 25 points and 22 rebounds and No. 10 seed Bristol Central (22-5) won its first state title in girls basketball, 58-52, over top-seeded Rocky Hill (25-3) Saturday afternoon at Mohegan Sun.
At the end of the overtime, there were 6.2 seconds on the clock but the clock didn’t start after an inbounds play. Bristol Central coach Steve Gaudet, anticipating the victory, started jumping up and down but then officials stopped the game and after some discussion, took three seconds off the clock.
Once time expired, Bristol Central could finally celebrate.
Those six seconds were the longest “of my coaching career,” Gaudet said. “My life. Yes. I told them they were going to throw a punch at us at halftime. They did and then we got into foul trouble and we kind of survived and then kids hit big shots down the stretch for us.”
Laylani Cespedes had 16 points for the Rams and Bowens had 15.
Kelsey LaMay led Rocky Hill with 21 points and 10 rebounds and Katie Harding had 14 points.
Bristol Central led 29-20 at halftime but the Terriers slowly chipped away at the lead. Bowens picked up her fourth foul with 5:44 left in the third and Riemer got her fourth with 3:45 left and Bristol Central leading 33-27. LaMay went on a personal 9-0 run at the end of the third and Jill Rhouddou hit a shot at the buzzer to give Rocky Hill at 39-38 lead.
Riemer and Bowens returned in the fourth.
“It was impossible – we had so many kids (in foul trouble),” Gaudet said. “Every time I was asking how many kids had four, there was another one. It was hard. Nicole played the whole fourth quarter with four.
“It was crucial we had Nicole and Kamaria for those last eight minutes and they played smart and we were able to pull it out.”
Bowens’ 3 with a minute left gave Bristol Central a 47-45 lead but LaMay tied the score at 47 with 42 seconds left in regulation.
The Terriers went up 52-47 in OT then the Rams had their own comeback.
“I was encouraging my teammates, telling them it’s not over,” Bowens said. “We have just as much offensive power as they do. We knew we had to lock in and buy in.
“It feels amazing. We really made history. It’s a legendary thing. This team is special.”
Division II girls championship
Bristol Central 58, Rocky Hill 52
Bristol Central 12 17 9 9 11 – 58
Rocky Hill 7 13 19 8 5 – 52
BC-Laylani Cespedes 5 3 16, Olivia Louis 0 1 1, Kamaria Bowens 5 2 15, Molly McMahon 0 1 1, Nicole Riemer 9 6 25. Totals: 19 13 58.
RH-Kelsey LaMay 6 8 21, Arianna Daley 1 0 3, Madisyn Aurigemma 3 0 6, Jill Rhouddou 2 0 4, Katherine Harding 5 2 14, Isabella Tucker 1 2 4. Totals: 18 12 52.
Records: Bristol Central, 22-5; Rocky Hill, 25-3.
Continue reading...
“They did go on some runs especially at the end,” Bristol Central’s senior center Nicole Riemer said. “Being able to stay together as one; it comes down to being able to rely on one another when things do go south.”
Senior Kamaria Bowens started it off with 3-pointer. Then Riemer – Bristol Central’s all-time leading girls scorer and rebounder – went to work. She hit a free throw, hit a shot, drew a foul and hit another free throw with 59 seconds left. The momentum swung back to the Rams. Riemer had another and-one with 38 seconds left.
She would hit two more free throws to finish with 25 points and 22 rebounds and No. 10 seed Bristol Central (22-5) won its first state title in girls basketball, 58-52, over top-seeded Rocky Hill (25-3) Saturday afternoon at Mohegan Sun.
At the end of the overtime, there were 6.2 seconds on the clock but the clock didn’t start after an inbounds play. Bristol Central coach Steve Gaudet, anticipating the victory, started jumping up and down but then officials stopped the game and after some discussion, took three seconds off the clock.
Once time expired, Bristol Central could finally celebrate.
Those six seconds were the longest “of my coaching career,” Gaudet said. “My life. Yes. I told them they were going to throw a punch at us at halftime. They did and then we got into foul trouble and we kind of survived and then kids hit big shots down the stretch for us.”
Laylani Cespedes had 16 points for the Rams and Bowens had 15.
Kelsey LaMay led Rocky Hill with 21 points and 10 rebounds and Katie Harding had 14 points.
Bristol Central led 29-20 at halftime but the Terriers slowly chipped away at the lead. Bowens picked up her fourth foul with 5:44 left in the third and Riemer got her fourth with 3:45 left and Bristol Central leading 33-27. LaMay went on a personal 9-0 run at the end of the third and Jill Rhouddou hit a shot at the buzzer to give Rocky Hill at 39-38 lead.
Riemer and Bowens returned in the fourth.
“It was impossible – we had so many kids (in foul trouble),” Gaudet said. “Every time I was asking how many kids had four, there was another one. It was hard. Nicole played the whole fourth quarter with four.
“It was crucial we had Nicole and Kamaria for those last eight minutes and they played smart and we were able to pull it out.”
Bowens’ 3 with a minute left gave Bristol Central a 47-45 lead but LaMay tied the score at 47 with 42 seconds left in regulation.
The Terriers went up 52-47 in OT then the Rams had their own comeback.
“I was encouraging my teammates, telling them it’s not over,” Bowens said. “We have just as much offensive power as they do. We knew we had to lock in and buy in.
“It feels amazing. We really made history. It’s a legendary thing. This team is special.”
Division II girls championship
Bristol Central 58, Rocky Hill 52
Bristol Central 12 17 9 9 11 – 58
Rocky Hill 7 13 19 8 5 – 52
BC-Laylani Cespedes 5 3 16, Olivia Louis 0 1 1, Kamaria Bowens 5 2 15, Molly McMahon 0 1 1, Nicole Riemer 9 6 25. Totals: 19 13 58.
RH-Kelsey LaMay 6 8 21, Arianna Daley 1 0 3, Madisyn Aurigemma 3 0 6, Jill Rhouddou 2 0 4, Katherine Harding 5 2 14, Isabella Tucker 1 2 4. Totals: 18 12 52.
Records: Bristol Central, 22-5; Rocky Hill, 25-3.
Continue reading...
