Gabi Bednar, tough defense lead Providence past Lockport – Shaw Local

NEW LENOX – Factors had been at a premium Tuesday afternoon when Lockport visited Providence in a nonconference sport.

Each groups careworn protection and succeeded of their mission, however Windfall overcame a Lockport defensive effort that restricted Celtics standout Annalise Pietrzyk to 4 factors and got here away with a 39-24 win.

“Should you would have informed me earlier than the sport that Annalise would solely have 4 factors and Sydney Spencer wouldn’t rating any, I might have stated we had been in hassle,” Windfall coach Eileen Copenhaver stated. “However we saved telling the women that protection and rebounding would win the sport, and we had different women step up and rating.”

One was guard Gabi Bednar, who had missed a while through the Sandburg Vacation Match due to an sickness. She was stellar in her return, main the Celtics (12-7) with 15 factors.

She wasn’t alone, as Molly Knight scored 9 factors and Bella Morey added eight. Pietrzyk led Windfall with eight rebounds, whereas teammate Eliish Raines (three factors) hauled in seven boards, Morey added 5, and Madison Swanson had 4.

Pietrzyk left the sport early within the second quarter with an damage, though she returned a couple of minutes later. Regardless of, nonetheless, as Bednar scored seven factors within the quarter to assist Windfall improve a 7-4 first-quarter result in 20-6 at halftime.

“All of us work arduous, and we’ve got a number of women that may rating,” Bednar stated. “It’s good to get a win when Annalise had an off sport. We all know that another person goes to step up. This was a very nice sport by everyone. I’m pleased with all the women.

“It’s at all times enjoyable to beat Lockport as a result of the faculties are so shut to one another. I’m at all times excited after we get to play them.”

On the defensive finish, Bednar and the remainder of the Celtics largely performed a good man-to-man protection and had been capable of power Lockport (12-8) into 20 turnovers and snap a five-game Porters profitable streak.

“We simply couldn’t purchase a bucket,” Lockport coach Darien Jacobs stated. “We bought beauty, however we simply couldn’t rating. Our protection held their finest participant to 4 factors. That was an incredible job by Veronica Bafia. She at all times will get the hardest task, and she or he is an exceptional defender.

“I’m type of confused. You go in opposition to a great crew and do a great job in opposition to their finest participant, you suppose you’re going to win. However it was an incredible job by Windfall. That they had different women that stepped up and delivered. They’re a gifted crew full of fine shooters.”

Knight hit a 3-pointer to offer the Celtics their first lead at 7-4 within the first quarter. Earlier than that, Pietrzyk scored her solely 4 factors of the sport, they usually had been matched by 4 from Lockport’s Patricija Tamasauskas, who led the Porters with 5.

The Celtics opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer by Raines, then back-to-back baskets by Bednar, for a 14-4 lead. Alaina Peetz (4 factors, eight rebounds, three blocked photographs) scored on a putback for Lockport earlier than the half ended with 3-pointers by Morey and Bednar.

“I informed the women there’s a motive the coaches preach protection and rebounding,” Copenhaver stated. “These will at all times be there even when the offense is off. This was a sport you count on when these two groups play. They wish to play bodily, and so can we. It was good for us to see that.

“It was good to have Gabi again after she missed the final 4 video games. She got here in and picked up proper the place she left off. We had been capable of hit 4 3s within the first half, and in a sport like this the place there’s not a number of scoring, these actually assist stretch the lead. Our protection was additionally capable of deny them of occurring any kind of massive scoring run, which was big.”