A change in the calendar year may also be bringing a change of fortune for the Berkshire Badgers girls’ basketball team. The Badgers rallied late in the fourth quarter to triumph 61-54 against Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division foe Crestwood last Friday night in Mantua.
“I tell them non-stop to believe in themselves,” said Berkshire Coach James Bosley. “They can accomplish anything they want to and when they play together, we can be a good team. When we play together, there is not one girl that carries the load because every single one of them steps up in one way or another.”
Trailing 54-47 with 2:29 remaining, things looked bleak for the Badgers (4-7, 3-3) as senior forward Hayley Stoddard had just fouled out and Crestwood went on a 4-0 run to surge ahead.
Freshman guard/forward Ivy Martin ignited a Berkshire rally, single-handedly keying an 8-0 run to push Berkshire ahead 55-54, using only 1:26 of the game clock.
Martin attacked the basket for a lay-up, trimming the deficit to five points and the Badgers’ defense then forced a turnover, resulting in her draining a 3-pointer from the left wing on the next possession off an assist from senior forward Maddie Smetana.
The Red Devils (5-8, 4-2) continued being sloppy with the ball and Martin continued to dominate, knocking down another 3-point shot off an assist from junior guard Meredith Bors, giving Crestwood a one-point advantage.
Crestwood’s offense continued to struggle and ultimately had to resort to fouling to stop the clock but Martin could not miss from the foul line, draining all four free throws to propel the Badgers to their second consecutive victory.
Martin led Berkshire’s comeback by scoring 25 points, grabbing four rebounds and dishing out two assists. In the final quarter, Martin tallied 17 points including shooting three-of-five from long distance.
“She’s been everywhere in the summer,” said the Badgers’ sixth-year coach. “That girl is a basketball kid, and she is probably one of the smartest kids I have ever coached. I can tell her things during a game and she immediately applies it. When she has confidence, she can knock down any shot she wants to take.”
In addition to Berkshire having its first winning streak of the season, its victory against its CVC Valley Division rival puts it right back in the thick of the conference race.
“I’m just happy we have a chance to win the CVC Valley Division,” Martin noted. “That was my main goal. I think a part of it was I told myself if we win this, we still have a chance to win the CVC Valley Division. If we do not win it, we can’t win the conference.”
After scoring 49 points in the first three quarters, Crestwood’s offense was undone by turnovers, committing 13 in the final quarter and the Badgers limited them to shooting only two-of-13 from the floor.
“It was the game,” acknowledged Crestwood Coach T.J. Henderson. “We did not take care of the basketball and when you turn it over 20-plus times it is really tough to win a ballgame. That put us over the limit.”
The Badgers’ comeback victory was sparked by an electric first period when Berkshire took a 22-13 advantage, paced by Bors, who went five-of-six from beyond the arc.
“Meredith was a lightning rod,” Bosley added. “I thought she was going to break our record. That is Meredith. When she does not think and just plays basketball, amazing things happen for her.”
In the second quarter, Berkshire slowed down because the Red Devils’ defense focused on limiting Bors’ open looks and the Badgers played the entire period without Stoddard, who committed two fouls in the first period.
Crestwood was fueled by its defense, forcing 10 Berkshire turnovers and freshman guard Liv Martini sparked a 9-0 run to tie the score at 25-25 in the middle of the period. The CVC Valley Division rivals traded buckets but Crestwood held a 33-29 edge at halftime.
According to Bosley, Berkshire was playing with fire by allowing 33 points in the first half, just three points shy of matching the average number of points surrendered by their defense for an entire game.
Although Crestwood outscored them by a 16-13 margin in the third quarter, the Badgers’ defense prevailed in the final quarter by allowing only five points and holding the Red Devils’ scoreless in the final 2:29 of regulation.
“In the third quarter it was hit or miss but in the fourth quarter when it counted, they just know when they play within our system and they play for each other we can stop anybody and hang with anybody,” Bosley said.
Following a home game against CVC Valley Division rival Kirtland on Wednesday night, the Badgers will host Pymatuning Valley in Burton on Saturday afternoon at 2:15 p.m. Meanwhile, after a road contest against conference foe Grand Valley on Thursday night, Crestwood will not return to the court until it hosts CVC Valley Division foe Cardinal on Jan. 17 at 6:45 p.m.
