Bristol Bees Basketball Sweeps Quinsigamond Community College

WORCESTER, Mass. – Led by Ashley Tillman’s (Fall River, MA/Diman) 24 points and 21 points from Shane DaRosa (Pawtucket, RI/Shea), both the women’s and men’s Bristol Community College basketball teams defeated Quinsigamond Community College Thursday night.  The first game of the evening resulted in a wire-to-wire 65-51 victory for the women, while the men capped off the good night for Bristol as they staved off QCC to capture an 80-71 win.

The Bees’ women halted a five game skid thanks to the consistent play of Tillman, who tallied 12 points in each half, falling one point shy of her Region XXI-leading per game average.  Bristol was also boosted by a 20 point effort from Brianna Pelton (Fairhaven, MA/Fairhaven).

Taneia Burrell scored 18 points for the Wyverns, while Stephanie Levillee chipped in with 13 points.  The Quinsigamond women have now lost 6 contests in a row – a streak that started when they were outscored by the Bees 109-83 back on November 21.

On the men’s side, the Bees took little time to be firing on all cylinders, building a commanding 43-21 lead by the halftime horn.  After the intermission, the Wyverns found their shooting touch en route to 50 second half points, dwindling Bristol’s once 24-point lead to single digits, but were unable to complete the comeback. 

Aside from DaRosa – who also contributed 6 assists and 4 rebounds – the Bees had three other players put up double-digit scoring efforts.  Fawaz Mass (Taunton, MA/Taunton) threw in 17 points, Anthony Parker (Taunton, MA/Taunton) had 16, while Justin McElroy (New Bedford, MA/New Bedford) chimed in with 13 points.

The win for the men avenges an earlier 75-72 loss to Quinsigamond on November 9, and improves their Region XXI record to 7-5, and 8-6 overall.  The women are now back to a .500 record with the win, and sits in the middle of the pack in the league standings at 4-4 (5-10 overall).

Bristol returns to action this Saturday, as the Bees host Holyoke Community College. The women’s game will tip at 1PM, with the men taking the court shortly after the conclusion of the first matchup. 

BCC Women’s Basketball Fails to Sustain 1st Half Momentum, Lose to NHTI

FALL RIVER, Mass. – After building a 35-30 lead by intermission behind 13 points, including
3 baskets from behind the arc, from Nicole Mareiro (Rochester, MA/Old Colony), the Bristol Community College women’s basketball team saw its advantage quickly dissipate against NHTI, as the Lynx rattled off 46 second half points in a 76-46 win.

After the half, Mareiro was held in check, limited to only four free throws to finish with 17 points. The Bees’ Ashley Tillman (Fall River, MA/Diman), Region XXI’s leading scorer, was also held to 17 points, nearly 9 points below her season average.

NHTI was led by Allura LeBlanc’s 27 points, including 19 of which were in the second half. Danielle Kimball contributed 20 points for the Lynx as well, while Sara Romano chipped in with 15 points.

The loss for Bristol extends the streak to five games, and the team falls to a 4-10 record on the season. The Bees next game is scheduled for next Tuesday, as the Naval Academy Preparatory School from Newport, RI will visit BCC for a second straight non-league tilt.

Bristol Bee’s Men’s Basketball Victorious, While Women Struggle Against Massasoit Community College

Men's Boxscore

Women's Boxscore

BROCKTON, Mass. – The Bristol Community College basketball teams returned to their first Region XXI action since before the holiday break against the Massasoit Community College Warriors Tuesday night. 

On the men’s side, the Bees broke open a close contest using a strong second half to pull away from Massasoit in an 87-67 victory.

Bristol managed to eke out a five point advantage at halftime, but stiffened their defense in the final frame, forcing the Warriors’ field goal percentage to dip below 40% for the game, helping to increase their lead as time wound down. The Bees also had 14 steals, forced 20 turnovers, and out-rebounded Massasoit 40-28.

Guards Shane DaRosa (Pawtucket, RI/Shea) and Anthony Parker (Taunton, MA/Taunton) led the Bristol scoring attack, contributing 23 and 20 points, respectively.  Justin McElroy (New Bedford, MA/New Bedford) dropped in 13 points, while also filling the stat sheet with 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals.  Kevin Newby (Newport News, VA/Heritage), the 6’4” forward, controlled the paint for the Bees, achieving a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Chris Green scored 21 points, and Antonio Ferreira chipped in with 13 points, but their efforts were not enough for Massasoit, who falls to 5-6 in Region XXI play.

With the win, the Bristol men avoid being swept by the Warriors, while improving their record to 7-6 overall and 6-5 in the conference – good for 4^th place in the current standings (Division 2).

Earlier in the evening, the Bristol women did not have any answers for the Warriors offensive trio of Marina Palladino, Ashley Andrade, and Fredi Lawson, who combined for 85 points in Massasoit’s 101-42 win.

Throw in Tianna Johnson’s triple-double – 14 points, 14 assists, 10 rebounds – and the Bees experienced a Raid^® that was too much to handle, culminating in the 59 point loss.

Despite not having a substitute available for the duration of the contest, the Warriors remained efficient throughout and getting easy looks at the basket, while shooting nearly 54% for the game.

Bristol’s Ashley Tillman (Fall River, MA/Diman) led the team with 17 points, but was also responsible for 9 of the team's 28 turnovers.

The Bristol women are now 4-9 on the season, and drop to 3-4 in the league.  The women have a quick turnaround, however, as the New Hampshire Technology Institute pays a visit to Fall River for a 7PM game on Wednesday night.

Both the Bristol Men’s and Women’s teams were slated to take on Bunker Hill Community College on Saturday, but the games have been rescheduled for Sunday, February 9^th.  The next Region XXI games will be at Quinsigamond Community College on January 23^rd.