LaFrance Boyce to continue basketball career at Div. I Bryant

All-American is among five Avery Point players to make college choice

Groton — Stonington's Tatyana LaFrance Boyce, a first team junior college All-American and UConn Avery Point's career scoring leader, will continue her career at Division I Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I., Avery Point women's basketball coach George Hardison has announced.

LaFrance Boyce is one of five Avery Point players who will move on to four-year schools this fall, and four plan to continue their basketball careers. LaFrance Boyce will be joined at Bryant by Megan Bianchi of Killingly while sophomore Taleeha Green of Kaynor Tech in Waterbury will attend Indiana Institute of Technology, an NAIA school in Fort Wayne.

All three have accepted scholarship offers while freshman Edona Thaqi of Westhill High in Stamford will join Division I Fordham as a walk-on and East Lyme's Hannah LeBeau will move to UConn's main campus in Storrs where she plans to pursue a degree in animal sciences.

All five played major roles in helping the Pointers to their best season in school history. Avery Point finished 25-7, won the NJCAA Region 21 tournament and advanced to the NJCAA Division III national tournament for the first time, finishing third.

LaFrance Boyce, a 5-foot-8 guard, leaves the Pointers as the career leader in points (1,302), 3-pointers ( 117) and steals ( 23-2), and No. 3 in rebounding (437).

Hardison said LaFrance Boyce plans to major in social sciences, will have two years of basketball eligibility and should have an immediate impact at the Northeast Conference school.

Bianchi, a 5- 8 point guard, will major in psychology. She leaves Avery Point as the career leader in assists (406) and third in career points (801). She also graduated with a 3.95 GPA, and was named a New England Scholar.

Green, a 6-1 forward, will have two years of eligibility at Indiana Tech, which competes in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference. The business major leaves Avery Point as one of the top rebounders and shot blockers in program history.

Thaqi, a 5-9 guard, spent only one season at Avery Point, but scored 464 points and made 58 3-pointers. She plans to major in business at Fordham, which plays in the Patriot League.

"We can't say enough about each and every one of them," Hardison said in a release, "and we will be watching to see how they finish their athletic careers and academic endeavors with great interest."

District 10 LL softball (9-10)

• Waterford defeated East Lyme 16-1 in a semifinal game on Tuesday. Charlotte Jessuck was the winning pitcher while Amelia Stoddard had a triple, Paige Jessuck a double and Ava Majeski and Sophia Avin drove in runs. Mattie Barstow and Alina Kenyon had hits for East Lyme. Waterford will play Groton/Mystic in a best-of-three series for the District 10 title starting on Thursday at 6 p.m. at Pawcatuck Little League.