The Crestwood Red Devil girls’ basketball team celebrated senior night the right way, surviving a third-quarter comeback from Chagrin Valley Conference foe West Geauga to win 48-45, snapping an eight-game losing streak last Saturday afternoon in Mantua.
“It was good,” said Coach T.J. Henderson. “With some of the inexperience we have at certain positions with certain players, those are good opportunities for them to learn. I give West Geauga all the credit in the world because they battled and climbed back and gave it everything they had and put us on our heels. I was proud of the way we stepped up.”
In addition to celebrating senior forward Katrina Richards and guard Becca Brady, the Red Devils (6-10. 4-2) secured their first victory since Dec. 16. Even the before the New Year began, Crestwood was mired in a slump, having lost eight consecutive games.
On Saturday, the Red Devils shook off a slow start in the first quarter and erupted in the second period, outscoring West Geauga by a 22-16 margin to take a 32-23 advantage into the half, backed by some stout defense forcing the Wolverines into committing 17 turnovers in the first half.
The tables turned in the third quarter, as Crestwood’s offense came to an abrupt halt.
After trading baskets with the Wolverines to push the lead to 39-28, the Red Devils surrendered a 10-0 run to end the third period, as the Wolverines stormed back by using pressure defense and successfully converted on several transition opportunities.
According to junior guard Liv Martini, Crestwood had several fast breaks but failed to convert and squandered those opportunities.
“They gave up a lot of easy steals,” noted the 5-foot-6 Martini. “We had a lot of opportunities on fast breaks, so I felt it was a good chance for us to get those.”
In addition to pressuring the Red Devils’ offense, West Geauga junior guard Faelynn Beckrest ignited her team by scoring nine points in the third period, trimming Crestwood’s advantage to 39-38.
According to the five-year coach, it was another case of the Red Devils not doing the little things, including paying attention to detail, that allowed the Wolverines to mount a comeback.
“We talked at halftime about taking that momentum into the second half and pushing it to get better,” he added. “It went the opposite way. We stopped scoring. We passed up some open shots. Some of those little things like that are the little things that have hurt us in the past.”
The Wolverines’ momentum carried into the fourth period, as freshman guard Gabby Donofrio knocked down a jump shot, giving the Wolverines a 40-39 lead, their first lead since the first period, when they held a 7-4 advantage.
After the 5-foot-7 Donofrio’s field goal, the Red Devils’ defense stiffened, forcing 14 West Geauga turnovers in the final frame, which provided several scoring opportunities on the fast break, and they converted those chances.
Martini fueled the Red Devils’ defensive dominance in the final period, finishing with 16 points, grabbing six rebounds, dishing out four assists and recording 17 steals.
“It is about who wants the ball more,” she noted. “It is just about having the mindset that I am going to get this ball and it does not matter who is stopping me, I am going to do it. I have that mindset.”
As the Wolverines turned the ball over as quickly as they gained possession, the Red Devils turned the tide in their favor, going on a 6-0 run to take 45-40 lead in the final minutes as Martini scored six points in the fourth period to pace Crestwood.
Having finally ended their losing streak, Henderson acknowledged that ending a lengthy losing streak is a breath of fresh air for Crestwood.
“I think it is going to be a little bit of a weight taken off of their shoulders,” he said. “I know the coaches have felt it, the players have felt it. They have been frustrated, they have been pushing it and forcing things. They know that they are good enough to win and they were able to pull this one out, which will be good going into the next couple of weeks. We have a bunch of big games coming up.”
After a road duel against CVC Valley Division rival Wickliffe on Wednesday evening, Crestwood will return to the court and welcome Norwayne to Mantua on Jan. 26 at 6:45 p.m.
