There is a new leader in the race for the Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division championship. The Berkshire Badgers girls’ basketball used stout defense to pull away from league rival Crestwood, winning 39-24 to vault into first place in the division last Friday evening in Burton.
“It was a very tough, physical game,” said Coach Dave Albert. “They played very good defense on us. It made it a little more difficult to get into the offensive flow. We had some issues early and then we finally hit some shots.”
Although the Badgers (6-2, 4-1) and Crestwood (5-4, 4-1) each only have one league loss, Berkshire now sits in first place after beating the Red Devils. It marked the first CVC Valley Division loss for Crestwood in over two years, with its last loss against a league foe occurring during the 2023-24 campaign, marking a streak of having won 12 consecutive league contests.
On Friday, it was a low-scoring affair through the first three quarters as the Badgers held a 27-22 advantage heading into the fourth period. Although Berkshire had led from the start, the Red Devils stayed within striking distance due to the gritty defensive nature of the game as well as Berkshire being plagued with turnovers, committing a total of 14 in the second and third periods.
Having scored only two points in the first half, senior guard Julia Young sparked the Badgers’ offense by getting hot from beyond the arc. The Berkshire sharpshooter knocked down a pair of 3-point shots in the third period and stayed hot in the final period, connecting on back-to-back 3-point baskets to open the scoring in the fourth period, pushing the Badgers’ lead to 32-22.
She finished the game with 14 points, including going 4-of-10 from long range, while grabbing two rebounds and recording two assists.
“It is definitely on my team too, with them being able to set those picks,” Young noted. “Us all moving around and for them to be able to make those passes when I am open, that is the only way I can knock down those 3-point shots. Without my teammates, I cannot do it.”
The Badgers increased their lead to 37-22 as they continued applying defensive pressure against Crestwood, almost holding the Red Devils scoreless in the fourth period until freshman forward Reese Harper snapped the scoreless drought by converting a lay-up off an assist from junior guard Liv Martini.
Still, the Badgers’ defense fueled them on a late run to hand Crestwood its first league loss of the season by only allowing one field goal in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Red Devils by a 12-2 margin.
“We knew coming into the fourth quarter in some of their other games that Crestwood has made runs,” noted the Badgers’ second-year coach. “They had not made a run yet, so we knew coming into the fourth quarter that we needed a lockdown defense. The girls did a nice job of rotating over, not fouling and being in the right position to get rebounds.”
According to Red Devils’ Coach T.J. Henderson, his team did not meet the moment from the opening tip.
“If an official didn’t blow a whistle, we felt sorry for ourselves instead of playing through some of that contact and just stepped back,” the fourth-year coach added. “There was not the energy we normally have.”
Although Berkshire maintained the lead throughout the game, turnovers prevented it from making any sort of run, which allowed the Red Devils to remain close.
“We had a lot of turnovers,” acknowledged Albert. “In practice we talk about limiting the number of turnovers that give the other teams more opportunities. We were just rushing some passes, so we had some early turnovers.”
Although it is still early in the season, defeating the reigning CVC Valley Division champions has put the Badgers in prime position. Young said that it has given the team some extra confidence in the race for the league title.
“We have shown up in every game that we have played,” she said. “We have never given up, so I feel that it has given us a lot of confidence with all of our wins.”
After a crossover CVC duel against Edgewood on Monday night, Berkshire will hit the road and take on Geauga County foe Cardinal in the Battle of Kinsman Road on Saturday evening in Middlefield at 7 p.m.
Meanwhile, after a home duel against Portage County rival Kent Roosevelt on Monday night, the Red Devils will host Aurora on Saturday afternoon at 4:45 p.m.
