Thompson, Abram lift Big Red over Beaver Local
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STEUBENVILLE -- The Steubenville girls basketball team easily had a size advantage over Beaver Local, and it took full advantage on Wednesday.
Big Red collected 28 more rebounds than the Beavers, limited its turnovers and drove to the paint at will for a 54-33 victory to conclude the Watt/Nese Holiday Basketball Classic.
"It wasn't just about the kids on the floor. Everybody got involved and cheered their teammates on and encouraging them," Big Red head coach Angie Forte said. "That makes a big difference with the morale of the team. The girls came into the game with confidence. We had good performances from everybody even if they didn't score."
Makayla Abram and Lexi Martin combined for more boards than the Beavers (1-7) overall (25-23). Abram, who was named the game's MVP, finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Martin, coming off the bench, tallied seven points, 13 rebounds and four assists.
Steubenville (5-5) also received a big spark from point guard Aubrey Thompson. Normally a solid defender first, any bucket she scores usually is a bonus.
It was more than that on Wednesday, scoring 12 first-half points and giving her team momentum at the end. She nailed a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the opening frame to give Big Red a 19-16 advantage. Then, she did the same right before halftime, lifting Steubenville to a 33-22 lead.
"She spends extra time after practice shooting and getting free throws in," Forte said. "She's been working to lock down shots, so I'm just happy with her effort. Definitely she's gained confidence, and it makes a huge difference."
After Beaver Local scored 16 first-quarter points, it tallied 17 in the final three quarters. Big Red prides itself on its defense, and Wednesday was a perfect example of that.
"We got off to a great start in the first quarter. The size affected us, and then we got worn out by the end," Beaver head coach Tony Sorge said. "Those two things were the biggest reasons for the loss."
Also for Steubenville, Kylie Maxwell finished with nine points and five rebounds. Gianna Hill contributed four points, six boards and a pair of assists. Myla Fleming added seven rebounds.
"We had a heart to heart prior to the game. We had better communication with everyone," Forte said. "The taste of a loss (Tuesday) kind of settled in with them. They wanted to end out the year at .500. We talked about not having to wait until the new year to turn things around."
For the Beavers, Halle Jordan led with 16 points and two rebounds. Olivia Keller had eight points and five boards. Jordan Palmer added six points and four boards.
"We start three juniors, a sophomore and a freshman. We have another sophomore and freshman on the bench," Sorge said. "I have just a couple with varsity experience, so it's a young and inexperienced team. But, they are very hard workers. I'm proud of what they're doing, and we're fighting each game."
UP NEXT
Beaver Local: Tentatively travels to Crestview on Monday.
Steubenville: Tentatively hosts Shadyside on Monday, with a 6:30 p.m. varsity only start.
Steubenville 54, Beaver Local 33
Beaver Local 16 6 7 4 -- 33
Steubenville 19 14 12 9 -- 54
BEAVER LOCAL (1-7): Roberts 0 0-0 0; Hoppel 1 0-0 2; Palmer 2 2-2 6; Keller 3 0-0 8; Jordan 5 2-2 16; Narry 0 1-2 1; Starkey 0 0-2 0; Talbott 0 0-0 0; Young 0 0-0 0; Lane 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 11, 5-8: 33.
STEUBENVILLE (5-5): Thompson 4 0-0 12; Cucarese 2 2-2 7; Maxwell 2 5-6 9; Hill 2 0-1 4; Abram 5 5-8 15; Martin 2 3-4 7; Blackwell 0 0-2 0; Fleming 0 0-0 0; Criss 1 0-0 2; Matyas 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 17, 15-23: 54.
3-POINT GOALS: Beaver Local 6 (Keller 2, Jordan 4); Steubenville 5 (Thompson 4, Cucarese). REBOUNDS: Beaver Local 23 (Keller 5); Steubenville 51 (Martin 13, Abram 12). ASSISTS: Beaver Local 5 (Roberts 2); Steubenville 11 (Cucarese 4, Martin 4). TURNOVERS: Beaver Local 5; Steubenville 12.