Desperately needed win secured by BE

By MICHAEL LETENDRE
STAFF WRITER
WOODBURY – In what was coined a “must win” situation, the Bristol Eastern boys basketball team nabbed a desperately needed victory in the consolation game of the Nonnewaug Holiday Tournament  from Woodbury on Wednesday, Dec. 30.
The Lancers snatched a quick lead over home favorite Nonnewaug, stretched it out to 17 points, before holding on to win it by a 63-55 final to move to 2-2 on the campaign.
However, it was a fight to the finish as Nonnewaug (2-2) cut the deficit to four points late but the home team could not get any closer.
Eastern had to hold off Chiefs’ sharpshooter Nick DeCicco who flipped in a game-high 27 points and was threatening late.
On the other side of the ball, the Lancers missed some chances that would have continued to keep it a double-digit affair at the end of the third period and into the fourth.
“I think it was a matter of poor decisions at critical times that let [Nonnewaug] back in the game,” said Eastern coach Mike Giovinazzo. “They were aggressive, they shot the ball well in the second half and I think we had too many empty possessions. Our offense was our biggest problem.”
The Lancers were poised and polished in the first period, jacking up 24 points over the first eight minutes of action but the Chiefs switched to a little man defense and worked hard to keep Eastern from getting easy looks at the hoop.
After that scoring bonanza in the first stanza of play, the home team limited the visitors to 39 points the rest of the way, getting a chance to trim what would be a sizable deficit.
“I thought [Pomperaug] jacked it up defensively,” said Giovinazzo. “They started playing much better and made us work a lot harder.”
For the second game in a row, Eastern’s Tyler Arbuckle hit for five three-pointers and came away with 23 points, five rebounds, and three steals while senior Darieyn Tate did a little of everything, scooping in a double-double that included 17 points, a team-leading 11 rebounds, and five assists over another complete game effort.
Tyler Tefoe generated five points to go along with 10 rebounds and three blocked shots while teammate Mike Rivera zipped up four points, five rebounds, and three assists.
Nate Hickey got the job done with 10 points and four rebounds. Tom Gonzales played an important 10 minutes off the Eastern bench and had four points and three rebounds while Dante Collins, Rajon Collins, and Justin Borgelin all saw minutes off the bench.
Only one player from Nonnewaug managed a double-figure scoring total but senior Nick DeCicco had a license to shoot and ended up with a game-high 27 points and six three-pointers.
He was given the green light all evening long and scored 16 second-half points to make a game of it.
Nonnewaug came out playing a little zone to start the game and the Lancers were more than content to throw up some three-pointers to open the contest.
In fact, Eastern hit four three-pointers to capture the lead for good and when the squad finished thefirst period with a 12-2 run – with its defense playing well – the Lancers captured a 24-10 lead after one frame of action.
Eastern was then limited to just 11 second period points and when the Chiefs started the frame with a 9-3 push, Nonnewaug closed the deficit to single digits at 27-19 with three minutes straight up before the half.
But threes from Rivera and Arbuckle, coupled with two free throws by Tate, propelled Eastern to a 35-24 lead to begin intermission.
“I don’t think we scored inside enough,” said Giovinazzo. “I don’t think we were as dominant in the lane as we could have been.”
Eastern put together a bit of a run in the middle of the third tilt and when Rivera found Tefoe for a turnaround jumper in the lane – which was sandwiched between two three-point bombs by Arbuckle – the visitors were firmly in charge at 48-31 with 4:22 remaining in the period.
But Nonnewaug ended the fray with 12-2 push and off a rushed final Eastern possession. The Chiefs were able to hit a late lay-up at the third period buzzer. The Lancers‘ lead was chopped to seven at 50-43.
Over the final period, Eastern’s defense was up task; but DeCicco and his mates drained critical hoops. When Nonnewaug’s leading scorer drained one last three with 2:19 to play, the Lancers lead was trimmed to 57-52 but the turning point of the game was about to unfold. 
“They hit some tough shots,” said Giovinazzo of Nonnewaug. “They really attacked us and a lot of [their shots] were contested. They just made them.”
“You can’t blame the kids for that.”
Eastern had yet another empty possession, DeCicco was fouled with 1:58 remaining and his free throw makes could have made it just a three-point game. But he missed both attempts and Nonnewaug was forced to foul the Lancers the rest of the way.
Tate and Rivera each made a foul shot but when Davon Fiedler hit a 3 with 39 seconds to play, it was down to a four point game at 59-55.
Nonnewaug never scored again and Eastern finished off the squad with two free each by Tate and Arbuckle as the Lancers scored its first road win of the year in a 63-55 victory over the Chiefs.
Giovinazzo will certainly take the 2-2 record his team achieved over the 2015 portion of the schedule into the New Year where some big challenges lie ahead.
“Believe me, I’ll take it going into the New Year,” said Giovinazzo of the Lancers’ 2-2 record.
Comments? Email mletendre@BristolObserver.com.