BRISTOLVILLE - Southington's Eric Wilson made two from the line early in the first quarter, tying the game at 6.
It seemed winless Wildcats would give undefeated Bristol quite the game.
The Panthers' defense had something to say about that as they rolled off 17 unanswered points and forced 14 first-quarter turnovers.
Article Photos
Tribune Chronicle / R. Michael Semple
Bristol’s Logan Koeth, center, and Bristol’s Gary Hopson, left chase a loose ball during the first quarter.
Before the crowd inside Bristol High School seemed to blink, the Panthers made history during a 114-59 Northeastern Athletic Conference victory.
Bristol (4-0, 2-0 NAC) shot 15 of 21 from the floor in the first quarter, but the real historical fact lied within the 45-16 lead after one.
The 45 points set a new standard for the Panthers, beating the old mark of 44 against Ledgemont during the 2002-03 season - Bristol coach Craig Giesy's senior season with the Panthers.
"It was our first game we were getting our flow, shooting-wise - trying to get them off quick, pressing in the offense," said Giesy, whose team shot 60 percent for the game. "We need to take a step back, slow down and knock down some shots, which we did tonight.
"I challenged the starters to come out with energy and set the tone. That's what they did. Our bench was lively tonight. They were not letting down. They had the same intensity and everything kind of flowed from there."
Bristol had six players in double figures led by Brandon Lee's 24 points.
Chad Oliver had 23, while Zeth Tomasiak added 13. Gary Hopson had 12 points, while Zak Dibell and Johnny Simcox put in 11 apiece.
Oliver had the game of his life with 23 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and six assists.
To him, it was like playing a pick-up game with his friends.
"That was probably the funnest game I've ever played in," Oliver said. "We have that thing where we light the Panther. We score 100, the Panther gets lit. It's pretty cool to be part of it and the record-setting first quarter."
The lead became 76-35 at halftime and surpassed the 100-point mark with a minute left in the third quarter. Tylor Markley and Simcox had a quick game of pitch and catch. The two connected, with Simcox nailing a 3 for a 98-41 lead. Then, the Panthers hit the century mark with a breakaway basket as Markley found Simcox for the easy two, 100-41.
Jacob Zolna led Southington (0-6, 0-2) with 19 points, and Wilson added 16 for a team that has one senior.
"They're going to be better as they year goes on," Giesy said. "They have a bright future over there. Coach does good things with them."
Karr said Bristol's defense is just good.
"They play so hard," Karr said. "I have the utmost respect for what they did. The kids play so hard and they do a great job getting them to play. They make up for some of the holes they have in that defense with their effort. There's very few holes, obviously."
Tuesday, Southington is at Ledgemont. Wednesday, Bristol hosts Lordstown.
RIVALS FOR A CAUSE: For the second year, Southington's and Bristol's BETA club raised money for the Warren Family Mission - collecting more than $3,000.00.
