DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
After three halves of ho-hum basketball, the Bellmont Braves finally got things going and cruised past the North Side Legends in a 51-30 non-conference home victory.
Leading by just three points at halftime against a team they had beaten by no less than 22 points in each of the past seven seasons, the Braves locked down their defense and caused confusion to the Legends’ offense, holding them to just two buckets in a dominant third quarter.
While coach Andy Heim is still struggling to find ways to make the team more dynamic on offense while he waits on Hailey Cole’s return, he will make no excuses for his team defense, a true source of pride for the program. That defense finally shone through the fog of a short-handed team Saturday night in the second half.
The Braves turned that 22-19 lead at halftime into a 19-point victory by allowing just five buckets in the second half to North Side. All those missed shots by the Legends turned into opportunities in transition for the home team and, by knocking down three three-pointers in the second half, the team opened up and showed their athleticism.
Emily Bleke led the Braves again in scoring, this time with 18. She went to the line eleven times and knocked down seven free throws.
Arabelle Laurent, who finished with eight points, and Kamryn Jarvis, who had 15, kept the Braves in the game in the first half. Jarvis, the obvious replacement for Cole at this point in the year, grew into her role and excelled in the post, knocking down shots near the bucket and then draining a three in the third quarter.
Bellmont will travel to Bishop Dwenger Tuesday.