Beachy powers Boardman past Fitch

The junior guard sank four 3-pointers to help turn a close game into a rout.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
BOARDMAN -- Good guard!
After a lackadaisical first quarter, the Boardman High girls basketball team found itself trailing 14-10 to conference rival Austintown Fitch in the opening seconds of the second quarter.
Then Bridget Beachy started shooting.
The junior guard came off the bench Thursday to hit four 3-pointers, keying a 18-0 Spartan run that turned the game around, giving Boardman a 31-16 halftime lead.
The Spartans (5-0) cruised from there, beating their Steel Valley Conference visitors, 70-33.
"I was wide open in the first half and they didn't come out and cover me," said Beachy, who had career-highs with five 3s and 17 points.
Spartan sophomore Amber Bland had three steals and four points in the second quarter, as Boardman forced 10 Fitch turnovers.
Pressure: "We had a good first quarter, but then we fell apart," Fitch coach Mary Ann McGahagan said. "Obviously, their pressure had a lot to do with that."
Boardman jumped out to a 6-0 lead, but Fitch (2-2) then scored 12 straight points -- including six from senior Kim Buhro.
After an exchange of baskets, Fitch senior Cassie Williams hit the opening shot of the second quarter to make it 14-10.
Then the onslaught began.
"We went to zone [in the first quarter] and they hit a couple and got us back on our heels," Boardman coach Ron Moschella said. "I don't think the kids understood what I wanted with the zone."
Moschella shed the zone and had Bland guard Buhro. He also increased the backcourt pressure of Beachy and sophomore guard Brittany Durkin, who each had three steals.
Rolling: Once the Spartans got rolling, they never stopped, out-scoring Fitch 39-17 in the second half.
"We struggled with our ballhandling; we have some room to grow in that area of the game," McGahagan said. "But the kids never let down and we're gonna grow from this."
Buhro led Fitch with 10 points and Williams added nine points. The Falcons shot 14-for-33 (42 percent) and were 4-of-5 at the line -- all in the fourth quarter.
Bland had 16 points and five steals, senior Ashlee Russo had 10 points and three steals and junior Jen Hlebovy had 12 points, including 10 in the second half.
"I think we're pretty athletic and we have some kids that can run pretty well," Moschella said. "Bridget did a great job, and we got some good bench play from [Lauren] Craig, [Allison] Davis and [Renee] Farina. Jen Hlebovy played really well in the second half."
In all, Boardman forced 22 steals, and continued its defensive pressure even after the game was decided.
"At Boardman, we emphasize defense," Beachy said. "We take every game like it's our last."
scalzo@vindy.com