Brunswick’s girls basketball team is peaking at just the right time.

After getting off to a fast start, then struggling to work injured players into their rotation, the Blue Devils have finally found the right mix heading into the final games of the season and the start of the postseason later this month.

Halle Lengal

It hasn’t been easy, however.

“The season has been full of adjustments, but the way we have been playing lately is what I expected us to do all year,” said Brunswick coach Halle Lengal, whose team has won six of its last seven games.
“With everyone now healthy, it’s great to see these girls come together and play up to the expectations they had for themselves and the coaches have had for them all year.”

Despite ACL injuries to Cassi Bowen and Mariah Eckrich to start the season, the Blue Devils came out of the gate on fire, winning six of their first eight games. Younger players like sophomores Megan Anderson, Monica Wasson and freshman Paige Salisbury got crucial minutes along the way.

When Bowen and Eckrich returned, however, it took awhile for Lengal’s squad to find the right mix, but the second-year coach never doubted the potential of her team.

“I know what both of these girls are capable of, so there was no doubt in my mind that when they were ready, they were going to get minutes,” Lengal said.

“I think our entire team has benefited from the playing time (the younger players) received early on in the season. In basketball, the best way to learn is to be out there experiencing every play as it is happening, and all these girls have learned from what we have done to make us a better basketball team.”

Now the Devils find themselves in the thick of the Northeast Ohio Conference River Division race. If they can beat Medina and North Royalton to close out the regular season, they could earn a share of the division title and possibly make a return trip the Medina Division I District final.

“I feel that the girls are now playing with confidence,” Lengal said. “Over the past two weeks, we have had the best practices we have had all year, which led to us winning some basketball games.
“If they keep up this hard work and desire to win, I expect us to be very successful in the postseason.”

Black River

Due to their sectional game against St. Thomas Aquinas on Feb. 18, the Pirates have rescheduled their regular-season finale vs. South Central. Black River will take on the Firelands Conference-member Trojans on Monday in Greenwich, with the junior varsity contest starting at 6 p.m.

Buckeye

Junior center Jessica Banas has been a force in the paint this season. The All-Patriot Athletic Conference selection has ripped down 258 rebounds and blocked 52 shots through 18 games, along with scoring points at a clip of 10.5 a night.

“Over the last eight games, Jess has been playing some of the best basketball in the county,” Bucks coach Randy Haury said. “She’s been a beast on the boards and just wants every single one. Her presence inside intimidates the other team.”

• Buckeye’s rivalry game vs. Black River on Saturday will be its final tilt of the regular season, leaving the team to sit around for two weeks before its postseason opener vs. the winner of Rocky River and Brookside. The Bucks will play Feb. 23 at Elyria.

Cloverleaf

Junior forward Kendall Yuhas is starting to find her niche. The 6-foot pivot put forth another solid effort with five points and a team-best five boards off the bench in a loss to Green.

“We like the things that Kendall has been doing, especially in the second half of the season,” Cloverleaf coach John Carmigiano said. “She is a great kid and a hard worker and is setting herself up well for her senior year.”

Highland

The Hornets have been the feel-good story in Medina County all season, and the main reason has been the leadership of seniors Olivia Petek and Karissa Steffas. Along with being among the area scoring leaders, Petek and Steffas have been crucial in the overhaul that first-year coach Michael Murphy and his staff have been putting into place since June. To show how evenly they have helped lead a Highland squad with a mixture of veterans and underclassmen, Petek has scored just two more points than Steffas, 236-234.

Medina

Sophomore guard Casey Midlik and juniors Tori Beth Cullen, Faith Constance, Nicole Sposet and Cari Pallini have stepped up to help Medina off the bench.

“They’ve been busting their tails lately in practice and I told them how important they’re going to be down the stretch,” coach Chris Hassinger said. “We’re tired right now and I know everyone else is, but the style we play, we’re winded. I’m really proud of our bench.”

• The Bees’ key NOC road contest at Brunswick will be a late morning/early afternoon affair on Saturday, thanks to a winter dance for Medina students that night. The freshman will take the hardwood at 11 a.m., with the junior varsity (12:30 p.m.) and varsity (2 p.m.) to follow.

Wadsworth

After taking care of business with a convincing 40-point win over Revere, the Grizzlies will play a rare late-season, non-conference game with Berlin Hiland. The Hawks, who are always in the hunt for the D-IV state title, feature nationally-ranked small forward McKenzie Miller and eight other veterans who have been a part of a tradition-rich program. It will provide a nice test for the Grizzlies heading into the postseason.

“We have a lot of respect for their program and they will bring a very fundamentally sound basketball team into our gym Saturday night,” coach Andrew Booth said. “It will be good for our kids to have this type of quality non-conference game this late in the season.”

• Booth and Hiland coach Dave Schlabach were teammates at Malone University in Canton.

Contact Dan Brown at sports@medina-gazette.com.

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