The Cardinal Huskies girls’ basketball team’s resurgence continues to take them to new heights. The Huskies captured a nail-biting 42-38 victory against Garfield for their third straight victory last Saturday afternoon in Middlefield.
“This is a very huge win for them,” Cardinal Coach Kim Domen said. “I don’t think a lot of people predicted us to win against Garfield and to come out and actually beat them, but when we were in the first and second quarter and getting ahead and getting buckets, our energy was up and was high and it was a good thing.”
It marked the first time that Cardinal (9-10, 1-6) had competed against the G-Men since the 2019-20 season. Garfield (8-11, 7-5) had dominated the Huskies for four consecutive years as the two programs were on different levels. After five years, the teams are ready to renew the neighboring county rivalry.
“It’s been awhile but getting back to playing them is great,” said the Huskies’ second-year coach. “I am not sure which division they are in but they are always good at just about everything. To play a really hard and tough team is good for us because it is a learning curve to know what to do and when we are in those situations.”
In game where the Huskies only trailed at the beginning of the contest, their lead dwindled when the G-Men staged a 10-4 run to trim the score to 39-38 inside the final minute of the fourth quarter.
Despite not scoring until the 3:19 mark of the fourth quarter, Garfield stormed back thanks to some stellar shooting from junior wing Mandy Cardinal who scored four consecutive points and then drew extra attention defensively on the ensuing positions, which allowed her to find the open player underneath the basket.
According to sophomore guard Natalie Soltis, the Huskies needed to take a minute to clear their heads.
“We needed to keep it going but we could not,” she added. “It was nerve-wracking. We really wanted to win. We got back up and got motivated.
Sophomore guard Nova Young drew a foul but only buried one free throw, keeping it a one-possession game. Soltis then delivered the play of the game when she stole the ball at halfcourt and scored a fast-break lay-up, extending Cardinal’s advantage to 42-38 while also drawing a foul on the shot.
“I was really happy,” said Soltis, who tallied six points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out two assists. “It got me motivated to keep going and not give up during the game and just because we were up by a couple of points, it does not mean they could not come back.”
Although Soltis missed the free throw, the Huskies’ defense stood tall and did not allow Garfield to score again. It was another statement victory in a season filled with redemption for a Huskies’ squad that is continuing to grow after coming off a 2023-24 season where they only won five games in the regular season.
Although Cardinal still does not have an upper classman on the roster, Domen said that the team’s youth has ensured that no one is resting on their laurels.
“Putting all of the little things in place, I think this was the best that we have played in some time,” she noted. “The last time we played like this was against Kirtland but the physicality, the swing of the ball and doing the things we need to do is huge and we need to continue going forward. They are a young team and willing to learn.”
Although it was a close shave at the end, Cardinal dictated the first three quarters through some aggressive defense, surrendering only 28 points until the final quarter.
The Huskies relentlessly hounded the Garfield players, forcing 22 turnovers which allowed them to push the tempo whenever they could.
G-Men’s Coach Aaron Gilbert acknowledged that turnovers were once again his team’s undoing.
“We got ourselves back within one possession and fought hard,” said the 18-year coach. “We need more of some people. We just weren’t getting the rebounds that we needed and were not getting the possessions that we needed and there were too many turnovers in the beginning of the game which cost us in the fourth quarter.”
Following a road game against Chagrin Valley Conference rival Berkshire on Wednesday evening, the Huskies will stay on the road and face CVC rival Lakeside in a crossover conference duel on Saturday afternoon in Ashtabula at noon.
Meanwhile, after a home game against Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Grey Tier rival Brookfield on Thursday night, Garfield will conclude its season when it welcomes Berkshire to the JAG Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon in Garrettsville at 12:30 p.m.
