Northfield Too Much For MHS Girls' Basketball Team
10 Dec 2008

by Eric Christiansen
Northfield broke an 11 game losing streak to Manchester Saturday night, and in the process, started the TRC season with a 1-0 record.
Northfield (5-1, 1-0 TRC)held a 48-44 lead midway through the fourth quarter, but finished the game on a 12-1 run to put the Lady Squires (3-3, 0-1 TRC) away 60-45.
“You have to give Northfield a lot of credit,” Manchester coach Mark Underwood said. “They really shot the ball well tonight. There were players who stepped up and hit some shots who normally don’t. It was a total team effort for them.”
Both teams struggled to score in the early going, with Manchester holding a slight 6-4 lead with 2:10 left in the first quarter, but Northfield went on a 7-0 run to end the quarter with an 11-6 lead.
Manchester fought back, thanks to a 7-0 run of their own in the second quarter to take a 15-14 lead.
Northfield battled back, however, taking a 22-17 lead with 2:19 left in the half after an 8-2 run.
The Lady Squires cut it to 24-21 with 28 seconds left with a basket from Amber Fratus, and made it a one point game after a Katie Bowers basket on a steal and assist from Fratus with one second left.
Northfield stayed ahead on the scoreboard throughout the third quarter, never allowing Manchester to get closer than two points, and taking an eight point lead with 11 seconds left, 42-34.
Manchester wasn’t about to fold up their tents, however.
Freshman Meika Kennedy scored as time expired on an assist from Bowers, who was falling down to cut the lead to 42-36.
Bowers carried the momentum into the fourth quarter, scoring two straight baskets, the second on a steal and assist from Bedke, to cut the lead to 42-40.
Northfield answered back with baskets from Melissa Eltzroth and Karyn Wilcox to lead 46-40.
Bowers scored again, but Wilcox scored once more from inside to keep it a six point game.
Bedke hit a 19 footer to cut the lead to 48-44 with 4:39 left in the game, but that was the last basket the Lady Squires would score.
Wilcox converted a three point play, followed by a bucket from Quinn Hendricks to give Northfield a 53-44 lead with 3:34 left.
Manchester struggled to convert anything on the offensive end, and Northfield hit 7-12 free throws down the stretch to clinch the win 60-45.
“Northfield shot the ball very well,” Underwood said. “It’s hard to beat a team that shoots 54 percent from the field.
“We know defensively, we have more work to do,” Underwood added. “We have to be able to stop people better than we did tonight.”
Northfield used its size advantage to its favor, consistently getting the ball inside to their post players.
“It wasn’t like we were just coming down and lobbing it in the post,” first year Northfield coach Aaron Butcher said. “Katie (Bowers) did a great job on Carly (Mast), and got some steals. It was one of those games where there were no easy baskets either way. When either team scored, they earned it. Manchester did a great job defensively.”
“It’s early in the season. We’re not going to give up on them, and they aren’t going to give up on each other,” Underwood said of his team. “We might see them at county and sectional, and if we do, we're going to have our work cut out for us.
“We’re going to have to take care of business in practice if we are going to compete next time,” he continued. “We’re going to be better for this in the long run. We knew this was going to be a good game to tell us a lot about ourselves. It was a good chance to see what’s going on.”
Bowers led Manchester with 15 points, 10 rebounds, six steals, and five assists, while Bedke had 13 points. Noelle Patrick had eight points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals, Fratus had six points and five rebounds, Kennedy had two points and two steals, while Becka Guthrie had one point and three steals.
Manchester will host Whitko on Friday, and will be at Lakeland Christian Academy on Tuesday.