There are very few things in life that are certain. But one certainty is that the Aurora Greenmen girls’ basketball team will always play their best against Barberton as long as they are members of the Suburban League American Conference, beating the Magics 57-19 last Friday evening at The Greenhouse.
“It was a good week,” said Coach Erika Greenberg. “We had a lot of games in a row and our girls were really prepared. We took care of business, so it was fun and nice to end with a big victory.”
Since joining the SLAC in the 2016-17 season, the Greenmen (6-2, 4-2) have been undefeated against Barberton, with Friday’s win marking the eighth straight victory against the Magics since becoming conference rivals.
Aurora overpowered the Magics in the first half, taking a 32-15 lead into the half but the Greenmen’s defense slipped in the second quarter by allowing 13 points.
“It was a little rough,” acknowledged senior guard Sam Stask. “Since we built that lead, we felt like we could relax a little bit and then they just started scoring.”
At one point the Greenmen built a 32-10 advantage, but a pair of turnovers helped spur a 5-0 run by Barberton before the end of the half.
“I think we were not communicating as much as we should have,” noted Aurora’s 16-year coach. “We got mixed up on a couple of things that they were doing on offense, and we did not follow our rules and I think they hit two 3-pointers in the second quarter.”
Aurora ended the Magics’ momentum at the beginning of the third quarter, erupting for a 12-0 surge, stretching its lead to 44-15 and held Barberton scoreless until junior guard Brennah Valencia knocked down a free throw with 2:03 left in the quarter.
The Greenmen held Barberton to zero-for-12 shooting in the third period including going, zero-for-eight from long distance.
Aurora increased its lead to 48-16 at the end of the third period and went on another big run at the beginning of the fourth quarter, extending its lead to 52-16 to trigger the running clock and capture its third straight victory.
The Greenmen’s defense dominated in the second half, surrendering only four points to Barberton and held their conference rivals to three or fewer points in three of the four quarters.
“We were good defensively, but I also think Barberton’s junior guard Kyra Whitwer got hurt,” Greenberg said. “She was banged up a little bit and when she is not on the floor for them, I think they struggle a little bit to handle pressure.”
Aurora’s strong offensive night was highlighted by its perimeter shooting, knocking down seven-of-19 shots from beyond the arc.
“I think it was good,” said Stask. “They gave us the shots and we were able to knock them down.”
The Greenmen’s senior guard paced her team’s strong shooting night, connecting on three of seven 3-point opportunities.
Aurora capped off a week of undefeated play, going 3-0 with Greenberg earning her 200th career coaching victory when the Greenmen defeated SLAC rival Kent Roosevelt on Dec. 13.
“It’s one win at a time,” Stask said. “It keeps building momentum and confidence within us to keep improving our record and keep winning games.”
After four straight seasons of ruling the SLAC from the 2017-18 to 2020-21,the Greenmen are hitting their stride again. Following its last SLAC championship campaign, Aurora finished second in the SLAC with a 9-3 conference record in the 2021-22 campaign but then slipped to 5-8 in league play last year.
Although the Greenmen have already lost two SLAC games this season, they have one of the deepest teams in recent memory.
“I love this team,” Stask said. “We can all trust each other to score. It does not always have to be me, it does not always have to be sophomore guard Brooke Pierce. If we move the ball, other people can score.”
Aurora displayed its depth against the Magics, running a 12-player rotation. In addition to having a deep squad, the Greenmen are also set up for the future by having only three seniors, Stask, guard/forward Kaley Feckner and guard Camryn Cohn.
“It’s nice you can go the bench and know that kids can do their jobs,” Greenberg said. “We have a lot of juniors. I don’t know if I would call us young, but we are gaining experience. That’s always nice when you only graduate a couple of players and know you have people you can trust coming back.”
Following a road game against Boardman on Dec. 20, Aurora will return after the Christmas holiday and take on West Geauga for a road game at The Wolvarena in Chester on Dec. 30 at 2:15 p.m.
