As the regular season winds down for local basketball teams, many face similar tasks preparing for tournament action.
Game photos click here.
As the regular season winds down for local basketball teams, many face similar tasks preparing for tournament action.
The Lakeview Bulldogs and Berkshire Badgers are both young and building. At times it works well, at other times, not so much.
After the Bulldogs jumped out to a 10-2 lead with a pair of 3-pointers in the first two-plus minutes of the game, the Badgers responded with one of the things they do really well: smothering defense, with a fourth period in which they forced six turnovers while limiting the visitors to a single free throw.
Berkshire came from behind in that fourth period for a 41-36 non-conference victory.
The Badgers’ defense caught fire midway through the second quarter to get Berkshire within a point. Jack Hastings hit a basket and pair of free throws to cut the lead to 14-13 after one period, and the high-pressure Badger defense took its toll on the taller but slower Bulldog bigs.
The opponents did have success getting the ball inside to Carter Doran, and he sparked the Trumbull County team to a slight edge on the boards, snagging five rebounds while scoring eight first-half points.
But the Badgers put a tight lid on his second-half chances, and that made the difference.
Berkshire’s Mason Mendolera drained a 3-pointer from the left corner early in the fourth period to give his team a 36-35 edge, but Kyle Senkowitz hit the second of two free throws with 5:09 left to tie the score at 36-36.
That’s when the Badgers did a good imitation of a boa constrictor. Full-court pressure the rest of the way forced six turnovers and produced a zero-for-seven shooting effort from Lakeview (9-12), and the Badgers made enough plays on offense as needed to seal the win.
After Hastings took a perfect give-and-go pass going to the basket from Luke Stute to break the tie, Berkshire (10-10) got things done from the foul line.
The finish still had some scary moments for Coach Joe Montanaro, though. Berkshire did not exactly torch the nets all night, but a three-of-eight effort from the line in the last minute of the game did keep him on his toes.
“We moved the ball around probably the best we have all season,” said the coach. “Lakeview is always a well coached team. They play hard, but we’ve really picked things up lately, too. Our younger kids are making plays coming off the bench when we need them.
“Our defense was really good tonight, which is what we’re focusing on now more often. We’re quick, so our pressure is set up to wear teams down. Our ball movement handled pressure well, too, and we were patient in going for good shots.”
Hastings led the way with 12 points and seven rebounds, but his biggest contribution may have come from the four steals he had. Two in the first half changed momentum, and he had another pair in that torrid fourth-period defensive effort.
Mendolera added 11 points and seven rebounds while playing a huge role for his team’s defensive efforts, and Gavin Hipp and Cameron Beam did superb work in shutting down the inside presence of Doran and Ryan Gee.
Kyle Senkowitz led the Bulldogs with 13 points; Doran added 12.
