Having to wait 10 days before their next game was a long time for the Aurora Greenmen girls’ basketball team. But the Greenmen shook off a slow start to dominate West Geauga 63-31 last Saturday afternoon at The Wolvarena in Chester.
“We did not start with our best basketball, but they started playing well in the second quarter,” said Coach Erika Greenberg. “In the third quarter they really turned it on, so I am happy with how they finished.”
A strong start to the season has continued for the Greenmen (8-2, 4-2) who are enjoying a five game-winning streak, their longest since the since 2019-20 campaign, and have won six of their last seven games to end the year.
“It is great,” said junior guard/forward Julia Miller. “We have a busy January schedule so it is good to end on a high note coming off of winter break. I think it will be a positive thing going forward.”
In the first quarter, Aurora showed some rust by committing five turnovers and shooting six-of-15 from the floor and going zero-of-three from beyond the arc.
According to the 16th-year coach, a slow start was not unexpected.
“We had practice and stuff, but it is not the same,” she acknowledged. “I had a bad feeling coming in. I knew we would start slow, but they decided to play in the end so that was good.”
Despite the Greenmen’s poor first quarter, they still led 13-10 by holding West Geauga to shooting three-of-eight and forced eight turnovers.
Freshman guard Faelynn Beckrest ignited West Geauga by scoring six points in the first quarter, but the key to West Geauga’s offense was senior forward Maggie Furst. Standing at 6-feet, the Wolverines’ senior had established herself as one of the best post players in the area and presented a challenge for an Aurora squad that does not have much size.
The Greenmen’s two tallest players were senior guard/forward Kailey Feckner and junior forward Jenna Zuelch and each took turns defending her. Although Furst dominated the glass and defended the restricted area, she only scored two points in the first quarter.
“I thought our post players did a good job and I thought our guards did a good job on the help side and knocking down those lobs like we talked about,” Greenberg noted. “I am happy with their effort and their energy.”
In addition to a slow start, Aurora struggled to attack the basket against Furst’s defense, but their offense woke up in the second quarter by knocking down several perimeter shots. Senior guard Samantha Stask spurred the Greenmen on a 9-0 run at the end of the period by tallying seven points.
“Our girls worked really hard this summer to improve their shooting,” Greenberg added. “Obviously Sam can always shoot the ball, but it is nice when we get open looks and can knock them down.”
Aurora’s defense smothered the Wolverines, forcing eight more turnovers in the second period to take a 32-21 lead into the half.
“We knew we had to lock in and keep the lead going,” said Miller. “We did not want to let our foot off the gas just because we knew we wanted to end with a win in this game. It was a good feeling being able to work that well out of our defense and I think we did a good job as a team.”
Aurora’s momentum continued in the third quarter, ignited by a 21-0 run sparked by more defensive pressure, forcing 13 Wolverines’ miscues and not allow them to score points until Furst hit a pair of free throws with 1:12 remaining in the quarter.
In addition to knocking down perimeter shots, Aurora continued challenging West Geauga’s interior defense and finally succeeded driving to the basket, dominating the third period by a 23-6 margin.
Stask scored eight points in the third period, but Miller also sparked Aurora by tallying six points.
Despite not being the biggest team on the court this season, Aurora has shown flashes of wearing down its opponents with its transition game and against the Wolverines, played at a fast pace throughout most of the third period to seize control.
“We have been trying to get them to run the floor more but sometimes they do not do what they should, but obviously easy points are good points,” Greenberg said.
Despite Furst blocking four shots and grabbing 13 rebounds, Aurora’s defense limited her to scoring only four points in the game.
“We had to jam and come under her screens so we had to be conscious of who we were guarding,” Miller said. “We knew if she caught the ball on the block that she would score. It was a lot of adjustments we practiced in practice.”
After a road game against Suburban League American Conference rival Medina Highland on Wednesday night, Aurora will stay on the road and face SLAC rival Revere in Richfield on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.
