NORTH ROBINSON — Depth usually plays a factor in basketball, and it did again Tuesday night.
Colonel Crawford was able to play nine and ten girls in its matchup with Bucyrus, while the Redmen don’t play the numbers the Eagles do.
Crawford coach Zac Bauer was able to run fresh bodies in and out the entire game, simply wearing down the Redmen.
Bucyrus got off to a great start, taking a 10-6 lead in the first quarter before the Eagles used a 19-0 run from that point to take a 15-point lead and never looked back.
As a result, Crawford came away with a 52-33 Northern 10 Athletic Conference win over the Redmen.
The Eagles improved to 1-1 in the N10, 6-1 overall, while the Redmen, who are a very improved team over a year ago, fell to 0-2 in the conference, 3-2 overall.
Bauer felt that his team’s depth was a difference in the game.
“We’re fortunate to play nine,” Bauer said. “To be able to do that and run kids in and out, it’s hard.
“I’ve been on the other side of it,” Bauer said. “I’ve played six or seven kids and you get tired. When you run fresh bodies in, it gets frustrating, especially when we guard like we do.”
Bucyrus coach Brian Seybert said that the Eagles’ depth, plus the fact that the Crawford gym is usually quite hot, can wear on a team.
“Our girls get tired but are still fighting through it,” Seybert said. “And then you play in this atmosphere here, where it’s always super-hot all the time. That had to factor into it, too.
“It’s just mentally challenging for them, too,” he added.
With the Redmen holding a 10-6 lead at 2:45 of the first period on an Addy Ricker basket, the Crawford defense kicked in, not permitting a Bucyrus point for the next eight minutes as Marissa Middleton broke the drought with a layup with 2:28 left in the half.
“Our defense is pretty good,” Bauer said. “We guard and we made adjustments at halftime. We talked about their ball-screen coverage in the second half, and we made some adjustments.
“We threw a lot at our kids at halftime, they buy in to make adjustments and it’s a credit to our kids,” he added.
Seybert said the Redmen were getting their shots. Bucyrus shot 15 of 32 from the floor, but simply didn’t get enough shots.
“We play hard, they give me everything they have and that’s all I can ask for,” Seybert said.
“We were playing against a solid defense that’s constant pressure and we have to be able to handle it well, in order to get the looks we want and be able to run our offense,” he added. “And I didn’t feel we executed our offense very well and I didn’t think we cut really hard, either.”
Crawford finished the night hitting 20 of 56 shots, getting off 34 shots more than Bucyrus. The Eagles also did a better job of shooting in the second half.
Crawford held a 25-16 lead at the half and Bucyrus actually trailed just 29-20 on an Addison Kemery basket with 3:57 left in the third.
But Lynae McKibben knocked down a 3, Mallory Plesac dropped two free throws, Mira Holt converted a free throw and a bucket in the lane, as the Eagles held a 37-20 lead after three.
Holt led the Eagles with 16 points and Plesac added 12.
“We got the ball to the basket,” Bauer said. “We didn’t settle for 3. We decided we were going to get the ball to the white line, and Mira Holt, you have to give her credit, she played well, and Mallory Plesac and Gabby Roston should get credit, too.
“They went in, and they may not have finished, but they’re getting bumps. Gabby got knocked down, you can see her wearing a shiner on her eye. Mallory got to the free throw line and that’s how she gets a lot of her baskets. She’s going strong, and that’s something we’ve really worked hard on, is telling our kids to go in and be able to handle contact,” he added.
Kemery paced the Redmen with 15 points, as she drained three 3s in the final period. Madalyn Kimmel added eight.
Colonel Crawford won the junior varsity game, 37-19. Karlee Shull paced the Eagles with 11, while Kimmy Burling led Bucyrus with 10.
Box score
Bucyrus 10 6 4 13 — 33
Colonel Crawford 9 16 12 15 — 52
Bucyrus (3-2, 0-2 N10): Shots 15-32; 3-pt. shots 3 (Addison Kemery 3); Free throws 0-3; Rebounds 17; Turnovers 18. Scoring: Addison Ricker 1 0 2, Maddie Kimmel 4 0 8, Brook Dennison 1 0 2, Ady Rister 1 0 2, Addison Kemery 6 0 15, Marissa Middleton 2 0 4.
Colonel Crawford (6-1, 1-1 N10): Shots 20-56; 3-pt. shots 5 (Mira Holt, Lexi Rush, Allison Weithman, Ayla McKibben, Lynae McKibben); Free throws 7-17; Rebounds 33; Turnovers 11. Scoring: Mallory Plesac 5 4 14, Mira Holt 7 1 16, Allison Weithman 2 0 5, Lexi Rush 3 0 7, Niyah Simpson 0 2 2, Ayla McKibben 1 0 3, Lynae McKibben 2 0 5.
JV: Colonel Crawford 37-19.