BROWNSTOWN
It’s tough to think that a team with just three losses needed to get any better.
Yet, on Saturday afternoon, the Brownstown Central girls basketball team showed they’re developing the sort of maturity needed to win in the postseason.
Up by as many as 15 points in the second half, the Braves showed tremendous patience on the offensive end to find the perfect shot each time to down Mid-Southern Conference rival Charlestown 49-35.
Though the visiting fans were booing and hollering for the game to move at a faster pace, the Braves worked the Pirate defense for easy layups to secure their sixth MSC win of the season.
“Their understanding of the game is getting better,” Brownstown Central coach Brandon Allman said. “They had trouble guarding us in the halfcourt so we wanted to make sure we got the shot that we wanted and not the shot they wanted us to take.”
Early on it was the Pirates that were trying to milk the clock as they looked for good shots against the Brave defense.
However, Brownstown Central’s defense would not relent, and their offense opened up the Pirate zone thanks to a strong effort from behind the 3-point line.
The Braves shot 4-for-8 from beyond the arc in the first quarter and sunk eight for the game. Their sharpshooting ability allowed them to get several close-range looks as the game wore on.
Ashley Schroer led the Braves with 16 points, building on her 1,000 points for her career. She was the only Brave player in double figures though seven different players scored.
Maddy Hackman scored nine, all coming from the 3-point line, while Halle Hehman and Katherine Benter scored seven each.
Kalee Borden and Emma Klinge each drained a 3-pointer while Avery Koch rounded out the scoring with two.
Koch’s effort went well beyond the stat sheet.
With Hehman dealing with foul trouble, Koch was forced to play extended minutes off the bench. She had three straight rebounds and a put-back layup that Allman called the turning point of the game.
“She got us a big offensive rebound that might have been the turning point in the game,” Allman said. “Even though she missed the free throw, it really turned the game around for us.”
In junior varsity action, the Braves blitzed the Pirates 32-14 and held their opponents to single-digit scoring each quarter.
Borden led the Braves with nine points, while Madison Stuckwisch and Andrea Bair each scored six, and Hannah Stahl scored five. Kelsey Wischmeier, Camryn Thompson and Addie Shleton each tallied two to round out the scoring.
The Braves are back in action on Tuesday against another MSC foe in Clarksville at 7:30 p.m. BC has won 21 straight against the Generals.