Free throws count as BV girls move closer to playoffs
BELLE VERNON – It was not pretty, but Belle Vernon High School girls basketball coach Lisa Fairman will take her team’s 53-46 Section 3-AAAA win over Derry Monday night.
“I am exhausted and I know the girls are, too,” said Fairman. “Somehow we pulled this out and it happened because we started penetrating and getting fouled.”
The win keeps Belle Vernon within striking distance for its sixth straight playoff berth in as many seasons under Fairman’s lead.
Belle Vernon (22) and Derry (25) combined for 47 turnovers and only 26 made shots with the Leopards winning despite making just one shot in the fourth quarter.
“If you would have told me we would win after making two shots in the second quarter and one in the fourth, then I wouldn’t have believed it,” Fairman said. “It was as if there was a lid on the basket. I figured our shots would eventually start falling but they didn’t.
“Thank goodness we hit our free throws late.”
Belle Vernon was four of 35 (11 percent) from long distance and was 10 of 31 (32 percent) from two-point range, finishing 14 of 66 (21 percent) overall.
The key to the contest was Belle Vernon (5-4, 10-7) going 18-for-22 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter while Derry (6-10, 1-9) was only eight-for-15.
That followed Derry’s dismal five-for-15 from the foul line in the third quarter.
Sophomore Lindsay Steeber paced Belle Vernon with six points in the first quarter as the hosts led 16-11.
But thanks to Belle Vernon making only two shots in the second quarter – a basket by junior Keira Boff with 7:34 to go and a Kelsey Green layup with 1:31 left in the first half – Derry took a 25-20 lead into the half.
Derry had a chance to put the game away in the third but struggled from the free-throw line and Belle Vernon took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter, 33-32.
The teams combined too attempt an amazing 37 free throws in the fourth quarter and Belle Vernon limited Derry to three baskets.
Green, a junior, went seven of eight from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter for Belle Vernon and led all scorers with 17 points. Boff (13) and Steeber (11) also hit double figures. Senior Ashley Russell, who scored 23 points in the Leopards’ 68-51 win at Derry two days earlier, went scoreless but had nine rebounds.
“That showed that players can contribute without scoring,” Fairman said. “Ashley played hard tonight.”
Green added eight steals and seven rebounds.
Senior Danielle Zemba led Derry with 15 points.