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Warriors rebound to stun Wildcats
By Greg Gulas
BROOKFIELD
Two days after suffering a devastating 49-17 loss to Newton Falls, the Brookfield girls basketball team needed to find a way to get back on the winning track.
Somewhat surprisingly, they took their frustrations out on All-American Conference White Tier champion Struthers.
Bailey Drapola scored 16 points, Tori Sheehan added 14 and Kenzie Drapola netted 10 to lead the Warriors to Monday’s 54-52 victory.
Trailing 28-26 at the half, the Warriors (16-5) used a 17-6 third-quarter run for a 43-34 advantage.
Then they held off a furious rally by Struthers (17-5) for their fourth win in five outings and ninth win in 11 home games.
Bailey Drapola scored 14 points in the second half after being forced to the bench early in the contest when hit in the eye.
“I rested and then rebooted after being I was hit in the eye,” Drapola said. “We knew that it was going to be a tough game.
“We really wanted this one, especially after Saturday’s loss and my teammates really pulled through tonight.”
Two triples by Struthers’ Emily Grandy keyed an 8-0 run to start the final frame as Struthers cut the deficit to 43-42, but that’s the closest the Wildcats could get.
Down the stretch, the Warriors answered each of the Wildcats’ final five buckets to secure the win.
“We missed a lot of inside scoring opportunities and we usually shoot better from the perimeter,” Struthers coach John Grandy said. “[Congratulations] to Brookfield because they came to play.
“We didn’t play our best, but that’s what happens when you don’t bring your ‘A’ game,” Grandy said. “This might end up being a good loss — a wake-up call so to speak as we get ready for tournament play.”
Grandy finished with a team-high 13 points with Alexis Bury (12 points) and Michelle Buser (11 points) also finishing in double figures.
Two triples by Buser and a bucket from beyond the arc by Grandy helped the Wildcats post a 20-point quarter for a 28-26 lead.
“At halftime we talked about what we needed to do in order to get the lead and then keep it,” Sheehan said.
Committing 29 turnovers, however, wasn’t part of the plan.
“We try to push the ball when we have the opportunity and turnovers do occur when that happens,” she said.
“When you run, the risk is worth the reward.”
Bailey Drapola and Kenzie Drapola combined for 13 points in the third stanza as Brookfield opened up a 43-34 advantage.
“After Saturday’s debacle, I’m just proud of how we responded,” Brookfield coach Mark Morgan said. “Today, however, they showed me we’re a pretty good team, especially against this year’s middle-tier champions.
“Tori is a passionate, driven player and Bailey a tremendous talent who is still learning,” Morgan said.
“As they mature, they’ll understand just how well they complement one another.”