Bristol Eastern boys facing an uphill climb

The Bristol Eastern boys basketball team has been bit hard recently by the injury bug.
Within a short amount of time, the Lancers have lost sophomore leading scorer Tyler Arbuckle, second-leading scorer and top defender Nate Hickey, a senior captain, to injury.
On Saturday against Glastonbury, Eastern added another injury late in a 51-38 loss when 6-foot-4 senior Tyler Tefoe came up hobbling.
Younger players have been thrust into bigger roles, and there are growing pains that go along with it. 
“They’re learning on the fly,” Eastern head coach Mike Giovinazzo said. “They’re going to make mistakes. They need to analyze those mistakes, learn from them and move on.”
The Lancers fell to 2-7 with Saturday’s loss. The learning curve is steep, but it is necessary for Eastern’s younger players.
“They’re going to have to do it,” Giovinazzo said. “We’re almost at the halfway point of the season.”
Senior captain Darieyn Tate was tough for Eastern in the defeat. He led the way with 12 points and tried his best to keep his team in the game. Without Arbuckle and Hickey in the lineup, Tate shoulders more of the offensive responsibility, and he did what he could Saturday.
Tefoe had 10 points before exiting the game with his injury. Freshman Carter Dziedzic tallied eight points. 
Players with little varsity experience are learning what it’s like to play at that level. It’s not easy, yet Giovinazzo and his staff will continue to push them. That’s all they can do three starters out of the lineup.
Eastern hosts Maloney on Tuesday night at 7 before taking the trip up the hill on Friday night for a 7 o’clock tilt with city rival Bristol Central.