Laszewksi scores 1,000th point as Avon girls race past Canton

Avon High senior Abby Laszewski scored a game-high 26 points and made a difference on the defensive end with several blocked shots.

AVON, Feb. 4 – There are bruises on her arm and multiple bruises on her knees. But Avon senior Abby Laszewski has been enjoying her senior season with the Avon High girls basketball team.

The competition has been more difficult this season with the Falcons moving from the North Central Connecticut Conference into the larger Central Connecticut Conference. Avon came into Thursday night’s game against Canton with a six-game losing streak – something that the Falcons haven’t endured since the late 1990s.

Afterward, there were plenty of smiles on the Avon sideline. The Falcons picked up their first victory in nearly three weeks with a dominant 55-42 non-league win over Canton and Laszewski became just the fifth girl in school history to score more than 1,000 career points.

Laszewski, who missed 18 games in her junior season with a foot injury, came into the game needing 22 points. She got a game-high 26 points to become the tenth athlete in school history with over 1,000 points. She scored the basket in the low post off a nice feed from Kelly LaMarre.

“I thought I was going to cry,” Laszewski said. “I’ve had a lot of road blocks with injuries and it was always iffy if I would be able to do this.”

The 6-foot-3 senior will be playing basketball at the University of Wisconsin next winter and has carried the load for the Falcons this winter, averaging 18.7 points a game. She has scored over 20 points in nine of 16 games, including a season-high 33 points against Northwest Catholic in January.

“She does a great job of finding the ball at its highest point. She keeps it high and does a nice job of finishing around the basket. That’s her strength,” Canton coach Brian Medeiros said of Laszewski.

Senior Abby Laszewski is congratulated by her teammates after scoring her 1,000th career point.

She helped the Falcons (8-8) stay one step ahead of Canton. Lazewski blocked seven shots, ripped down 24 rebounds and helped ignite several fast break opportunities for Avon.

“It was a great night,” Avon coach Frank Waters said. “A win feels very, very good. We played good basketball for much of the game. We had a good defensive effort and our energy level and intensity was better than it has been for a while.”

Laszewski has enjoyed the higher caliber of action in the CCC this winter. “We’ve had a rough patch,” she said referring to the six-game losing streak. “It’s a lot more fun every day. Instead of beating teams by a lot and not much competition, you know every night in the CCC, there will be more competition. I think it’s more fun.”

And the play is more physical, which leads to the bruises.

Driving to the basket can be difficult as Avon’s Abby Laszewski runs into Canton’s Amanda Gottlieb, right. Maggie Treacy, left, tries to knock the ball away.

Canton (11-5) was down by nine points late in the first quarter, 12-3. A three-point shot from Abbe Skinner and Maggie Treacy cut the lead to three, 12-9 before the Falcons closed out the first quarter with four free throws from Laszewski on two separate plays.

Skinner’s drive to the basket early in the second quarter cut the Avon lead to four, 15-11.

That was as close as Canton would get. Avon scored 13 unanswered points to build a 17-point lead, 28-11 with 2:14 left in the second quarter. Alex Benedict, who scored a career-high 15 points including three 3-point shots, hit a big three-pointer. Kaleigh Sherman (11 points, 4 assists, 3 steals) had two strong drives to the basket while Laszewski dominated inside with six points in the surge.

Canton did cut the lead to 10 with nine straight points in the final two minutes. Emily Briggs led the Warriors with 18 points, including three 3-point shots while Treacy added 12 points with a pair of 3-point shots.

Medeiros said the Warriors were subdued in the locker room after the loss. “They knew they didn’t show up (and play) to the best of their ability,” he said. “That bothered them. Maybe in the long run that will help us.”

Both teams return to action Friday night. Canton hosts Somers while Avon travels to Bulkeley in Hartford.

NOTES: Laszewski has 1,004 points in her career. … The Falcons beat Canton for the sixth straight time, dating back to 2010 and for the 25th time in the last 26 meetings. … The Warriors wore a new third alternate uniform for the first time in the game. Instead of the usual maroon road uniform, the Canton jerseys were black with maroon letters. … The four previous Avon girls to score 1,000 points were Lindsay Horbatuck (2009), who scored 1,365 points, Karen Bachman (2003) with 1,357 points, Katie Keefe (2000) with 1,106 and Anna Schrecengost (2014) with 1,026 points.

Avon 55, Canton 42
At Avon
Canton (42) Emma Charron 1-0-2, Belle Magna 1-0-2, Carly Atkinson 1-0-2, Emily Briggs 7-1-18, Maggie Treacy 5-1-12, Amanda Gottlieb 0-0-0, Abbe Skinner 2-1-6. Totals 17-3
Avon (55) Kaleigh Sherman 3-5-11, Kelly Lamarre 0-0-0, Carly Carpino 1-1-3, Alex Benedict 6-0-15, Abby Laszewski 9-8-26, Lauren Jeandell 0-0-0, Heather McGuire 0-0-0. Totals 19-14
Avon (8-8)           15  17  11  12  — 55
Canton (11-5)       9    9    9  15  — 42
Three-point goals: Benedict (A) 3, Briggs (C) 3, Treacy (C) 2, Skinner (C)