The Bellwood-Antis women’ basketball team (4-0) streaked to their fourth straight game of the season on Friday night, holding Mount Union to single digits in all four quarters to soundly defeat the Lady Trojans 56-26. This was the third straight game, the Lady Blue Devils have held their opponents under under 30 points.
“We have been working a lot on that press,” said Bellwood-Antis coach Nick Lovrich in praising the way the team has begun to adapt to the full court pressure defense that resulted in numerous turnovers and easy baskets. “The kids are really buying into it. They get excited when we do it. Defensively, our man-to-man has really improved from last year. We have taken big steps. The kids are starting to like playing defense. It’s becoming serious for them now.”
Stephanie Hatch hit a banker for the first points of the game, but Mount Union scored the next five to take a 5-2 lead. Following a timeout called by Lovrich, the B-A girls ran off 19 straight points, the final 15 points of the first quarter, then the first four of the second quarter. Trista Sprankle started it off with a bucket, then Ashley Edevane fired in a three-pointer and Hatch hit another basket to get the Lady Blue Devils off and running. With the pressure “D” getting them the ball, another trey by Edevane made it 12-5 and a three from long range by Hatch and a bucket underneath by Katie Gardner closed out the opening quarter with the Lady Blue Devils leading 17-5.
Not done yet, The B-A girls continued the run with a basket by Gardner and a steal by Samantha Erickson, who fed the ball to Edevane to complete the play with a basket. The score at the halftime intermission had Bellwood-Antis firmly in control 34-12.
The schools traded baskets throughout much of the third period. Although in the middle of the stanza, Susan Ridgeway sunk one of two foul shots and Gardner hit a pair of buckets, the first on a rebound and putback, to help The Lady Blue Devils extend their cushion to 43-16 at the end of three quarters.
Edevane connected for a three to begin the final quarter and start the mercy-rule clock for the second consecutive game and Ridgeway hit a layup to put the B-A girls up 50-18 early in the quarter.
Katie Gardner led the Blue Devils with 17 points and seven rebounds. Stephanie Hatch added six rebounds and 10 points and Ashley Edevane was also in double figures with 13 points.
If there was a flaw in the Lady Blue Devils game, it was at the free throw line. B-A was able to convert just nine of 22 foul shots, while Mount Union poured in nine of 12 from the charity stripe.
“We talked early in the year and said if you can get three or four girls in or near double figures, you are going to win a lot of basketball games,” said Lovrich. “ It’s been different people in double figures. Rachel (Meredith) was there. Tonight it was Ashley, along with Stephanie and Katie who are consistently in double digits. That’s what we need.”
Brooke O’Donnell led Mount Union with 11 points.
Junior Varsity
The Bellwood-Antis Lady Blue Devil Jayvees had trouble scoring in the second hallf getting only five second-half points, including a three point goal by sophomore Jamie Smith, who was high scorer for B-A with 15 points in a tough 24-21 loss in which both teams had trouble putting the ball in the hoop.
Nicole Eaton and Lyndsey Jefferies each had 12 points to lead Mount Union.
The B-A girls next travel to Penns Valley on Monday, Dec. 15 for a 6 p.m. Jayvee start with the varsity following at 7:30.
Bellwood-Antis 56 Mount Union 26
MOUNT UNION – Corbin 2 0-0 5, Brown 1 0-0 2, Enders 0 3-4 3, O’Donnell 4 1-2 11, Price 0 1-2 1, Eaton 0 0-0 0, Jefferies 0 4-4 4, Stewart 0 0-0 0, Green 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 7 9-12 26.
BELLWOOD-ANTIS – Sprankle 1 0-1 2, Edevane 5 0-0 13, Gardner 7 3-5 17, Hatch 4 0-1 10, Meredith, 3 0-2 6, Erickson 1 0-0 2, Swanson 0 2-5 2, Ridgeway 0 1-4 1, Sinisi 0 1-2 1, Smith 0 2-2 2. TOTALS 21 9-22 56.
Score by Quarters
Mount Union 5 7 6 8 – 26
Bellwood-Antis 17 17 11 11 – 56
Three point goals: Mount Union 3 (O’Donnell 2, Corbin1).
Bellwood-Antis 5 (Edevane 3, Hatch 2).
