Quick start propels Avon past Canton at Holiday Festival for second victory

Canton’s Ethan Burke (23) tries to get past Avon’s Ryan Martkiewicz (2) and Connor Harris (33) in Thursday night’s Thomaston Bank Festival at Lewis Mills in Burlington. Avon prevailed, 68-55.

BURLINGTON, Dec. 29 – Avon High assistant coach Brian Turner had a suggestion for head coach Kris Pedra before Avon’s game with Canton at the second Thomaston Bank Holiday Festival at Lewis Mills. Turner suggested shaking up the starting lineup.

Riley Welter and Connor Harris came off the bench and started the game with Jordan Williams, Charley Reiss and Brett Muni. Those five created all type of havoc and turnovers in the first quarter as the Falcons raced out to an 18-point lead and earned their second win of the season with a 68-55 victory over Canton.

It was a much needed victory for the Falcons (2-2), who dropped a 60-51 decision to Granby on Wednesday night on the first day of the two-day event. Williams, Avon’s leading scorer, had to sit out the game after picking up two technical fouls in a loss against Bulkeley last week.

In the next two weeks, Avon faces three top 20 teams as they dive into the meat of their Central Connecticut Conference schedule. The Falcons face No. 5 Weaver on Tuesday night at home.

“We needed that (win),” Pedra said. “(Brian) said we needed to change up the energy at the start (of the game). It gave us four smaller guys on the perimeter and we were able to get some pressure. We wanted to create some turnovers and we got out to that hot lead.”

The Falcons won the opening tip and Reiss immediately gave Avon a quick 2-0 lead with a drive to the basket and a layup. Harris made it 4-0 when he grabbed an offensive rebound in the lane but it back up into the basket.

Williams had three consecutive fast break layups as Avon raced out to a 12-0 lead. Two of the plays began with steals. Henry Shrecengost made it 14-0 when he pulled down an offensive rebound – the third in the possession – and scored.

Reiss drained a three-pointer, Shrecengost scored again in the paint and Jordan Bailey scored in the lane to give Avon a commanding 21-3 lead with one minute remaining in the first quarter.

“That start is exactly what everyone needed to get their confidence up,” Pedra said. “It was a great start for us.”

Canton’s Ryan Enns drives to the basket as Avon’s Ryan Bartkiewicz (2) and Riley Welter (24) try to slow him down.

Reiss had a game-high 22 points, including 13-of-14 from the foul line. Williams had 18 points and was 6-of-7 from the foul line. Avon sank 35 of 41 shots from the charity stripe. The Falcons hit 18 of 20 foul shots in the fourth quarter.

“(Jordan) brought that energy. We missed him (against Granby),” Pedra said. “He and Charley Reiss are really the catalyst for us in terms of energy. If those are going well, it’s going to be a good night.”

Ryan Enns led Canton (3-1) with 21 points, including a 12-point burst in the third quarter, while Luke Brown added 13 points. It was the first loss of the season for the Warriors, who had beaten Suffield, Ellington and Lewis Mills.

Twice, Canton did cut the lead to four points twice in the third quarter but couldn’t get any closer.

Trailing by nine points with 2:55 left in the third quarter, Enns put Canton on his back with an 8-3 run, scoring all eight points to cut the lead to four, 46-42 with 30 seconds left in the third quarter.

In the surge, Enns took a nice pass in the lane from freshman teammate Grant Lange and drove the basket, scored on a fast break, drained a smooth jump shot in the lane and sank a pair of foul shots.

Another Enns jumper with 6:29 left in the game again cut the lead to four, 48-44 but Avon held Canton without a field goal for a stretch of 4:04 to take command of the contest. The lead swelled to 16 points before Brown drained a three-point shot with 2:44 remaining but the contest had been decided.

“Give Canton credit. They came right back at us,” Pedra said. “There was no quit in them.”

Avon’s Jordan Williams (left) and Brett Muni (31, right) put the pressure on Ethan Burke and force a turnover in the first quarter of Avon’s win over Canton Thursday night.

Canton cut the lead to 10 points at halftime, 31-21. In the third quarter, a 9-3 run to open the third quarter cut the lead to four, 34-30 with 5:51 remaining. In the run, Brown hit a jumper in the lane and buried a shot from the corner, taking an outstanding pass from Enns in the lane. Two foul shots and a three-pointer from Williams extended the Avon lead back to nine, 39-30.

The Warriors return to the court on Tuesday, Jan. 3 when they host NCCC rival Granby at 7 p.m.

NOTES: Reiss had a game-high 19 points including three 3-point shots in Avon’s 60-51 loss to Granby on Wednesday night. Granby (2-1) drained seven 3-point goals in the win and were led by James Shelansky with 14 points. … Avon’s next five games are against No. 5 Weaver (Jan. 3), at Simsbury (Jan. 5), No. 17 Northwest Catholic (Jan. 9), No. 8 Windsor (Jan. 11) and New Britain (Jan. 14). … It was the 112th meeting in the Canton/Avon series dating back to the 1959-60 season. Avon, which leads the series, 74-38, has won 14 of the last 15 meetings. … Canton beat Lewis Mills on Wednesday night, 51-43. … In the second game on Thursday, Lewis Mills beat Granby giving all four teams 1-1 records in the festival.

Lewis Mills’ Kyle Alvarez (21) gets a hand on the shot from Granby’s Kaleb Lillestolen (21) in Thursday night’s Thomaston Bank Classic in Burlington.

Avon 68, Canton 55
At Burlington
Avon (68) Ryan Bartkiewicz 1-8-10, Charlie Reiss 4-13-22, Riley Welter 0-2-2, Jordan Williams 5-6-18, Brett Muni 0-4-4, Connor Harris 3-0-6, Jordan Bailey 1-0-2, Henry Shrecengost 1-2-4. Totals 15-35-68
Canton (55) Luke Brown 4-3-13, Jack Mansur 1-0-2, Ryan Enns 9-2-21, Ethan Burke 3-1-9, Matthew Rose 1-2-4, Grant Lange 1-2-4, Mitchell Cormier 0-0-0, Jack Rose 1-0-2. Totals 20-10-55
Avon (2-2)           21  10  15  22 – 68
Canton (3-1)         3  18  21  13 — 55
Three-point goals: Reiss (A), Williams (A) 2, Brown (C) 2, Enns (C), Burke (C) 2

Granby 60, Avon 51
At Burlington
Avon (51) Charlie Reiss 6 4 19, Riley Welter 3 1 7, Marek Ciernewski 2 0 4, Brett Muni 2 0 4, Connor Harris 3 0 6, Jordan Bailey 1 1 3, Henry Schrecengost 2 0 4, Ryan Bartkiewicz 2 0 4. Totals 18 6 51
Granby (60) Blake Wickham 2 0 6, Tyler Disabella 4 9 17, Jon Bystrowski 2 0 6, Jacob Hauser 0 1 1, Kaleb Lillestolen 3 4 10, James Shelansky 5 1 14, Peyton Large 2 0 4, Logan Disabella 2 0 4. Totals 19 15 60
Avon (1-2)               11  9  17  14  — 51
Granby (2-1)           12  16  12  20 — 60
Three-point goals: Reiss (A) 3, Wickham (G) 2, Bystrowski (G) 2, Shelansky (G) 3