Lady Spartans win by a single point in wild finish against rival Eagles
The sound of squeaking shoes, blaring buzzers, yelling coaches and the characteristic thud of a basketball returned Tuesday night to a rowdy gymnasium at Berthoud High School. The girls varsity basketball squad hosted rivals Thompson Valley High School to begin their regular season. Both teams played tenaciously and with fierce abandon in a game that will only add to the rivalry between the two nearby schools.
The game was also a revenge match for the Lady Spartans, who sought payback after losing to Thompson Valley last season 57-42. The game began at 7:30 p.m. after the two earlier boys basketball games. The crowd was larger than both of the boys basketball games as Thompson Valley supporters descended in droves for the game.
The first quarter set the tone for the rest of the game. Both teams started the game in mid-season form and weren’t willing to give the other side an inch. After trading possession twice each without a score the Eagles struck first with a basket. From that point on the first quarter was a roller coaster as the lead changed six times. The Lady Spartans then took a 14-7 lead toward the end of the quarter before Thompson Valley ripped off a 6-point run to make the score 14-13 at the end of the quarter.
Berthoud maintained its lead for most of the second quarter, but cracks were starting to show. The Eagles kept the game close by exploiting free throw rebounds and using fastbreaks to score easy baskets. With a minute and a half left in the first quarter, Thompson Valley tied the game at 22-22. Senior Point Guard Katie Vierra then drove to the basket for her first points of the game to give Berthoud a two-point lead. But a determined Eagles side refused to quit and took a 26-25 lead with seconds left in the half. Another Berthoud Senior then rose to the occasion as Gracie Flores made a layup while guarded by two Thompson Valley defenders to give the Lady Spartans a 27-26 lead at the end of the first half.
It was an intense, fast and fun start to the regular season. Neither team had the upper hand and it was clear this game was going down to the wire. After an explosive first half, the third quarter began as a defensive grind with no points scored for the first two minutes. The Eagles tried to stymie Vierra by double-teaming her, but she was still able to fire off passes to open teammates. Points were at a premium in the third frame though as the Lady Spartans were only able to net 7 points. Berthoud continued to hold the smallest of leads, 34-33 with 22 seconds left in the quarter. Thompson Valley then answered with a deep three-pointer to give the Eagles a one-point lead heading into the final quarter.
At this point, players on both sides were feeling the fatigue of a grueling opening rivalry game. Digging deep, the Lady Spartans looked for another Senior for points at the start of the fourth quarter. Lilly Strait delivered with two free throws to even the score 36-36. Thompson Valley responded with two points before a steal by Strait set up yet another Senior, this time Anna Flaherty for another score to make the game 38-38. Berthoud then forced a turnover which Vierra took coast-to-coast to give the Lady Spartans a 40-38 lead.
Thompson Valley evened the score, but once again a Berthoud Senior rose to the occasion. This time it was Reece Kraljic who responded with two crucial free throws to take a 42-40 lead. The Eagles went on a short tear, scoring five unanswered points for another lead change to give the visitors a 45-42 advantage. But the Berthoud seniors weren’t done, Vierra added two free throws and Flaherty took the lead 46-45 with a layup. A free throw for Thompson Valley evened the score again at 46-46.
By this time the gymnasium was a cacophony of screaming and stomping as supporters of both teams cheered on their players. A foul against the Eagles gave Strait another opportunity for fourth-quarter heroics and she delivered in full with two successful free throws for a 48-46 lead. With less than a minute left, the Lady Spartans played some of their best ball of the night. Looking to play keep away and wind down the clock, Berthoud showed the strength of their teamwork and communication by burning 30 seconds of clock with excellent passing and possession. Thompson Valley eventually fouled Vierra who delivered another free throw for a 49-46 lead with 20 seconds left.
A foul against the Lady Spartans, gave the Eagles hope as they closed the gap to one point with Berthoud leading 49-48. Timeouts and long-range passes chewed more clock before Thompson Valley regained possession with less than a second left on the clock. The Eagles called a timeout for one last desperation play. Thompson Valley inbounded a pass over half-court that was broken up by two Lady Spartans as the final buzzer ended the game. It was a close-fought game that came down to the final point and the final second.
For Vierra, the outcome was never in doubt. “I had no doubt, at any point in the game that we were going to win,” she said. “I think it was more of a matter of heart. On paper they were supposed to win, and I said that in the locker room to everyone before because there were a lot of nerves, there was a lotta nerves going on, you could just feel it,” Vierra added.
Facing double or even triple teams most of the game, Vierra was unfazed and knew how to play the situation. “When there’s three of them on me, then my teammate down the floor is open,” she said.
The other senior star of the fourth quarter echoed that sentiment. “We just gotta just keep our hand up, not foul, make our shots and not rush anything,” said Strait.
“It was a victory against a high-quality opponent,” said Head Coach Alan Gibson after the game. “It was a victory where we lost the lead, had to really tough some things out, it was a game where we struggled in a lot of facets. But we never lost our will,” he added.
Asked about how the game changed in the final two minutes, Gibson said “we wanted to turn up the pressure a little bit because we hadn’t done it since the first half.” He continued “once we turned up that pressure again … good things happened for us.”
With an eye toward the rest of the season, Gibson said there were two things the team needs to improve on. “Free throws and free throw rebounding on the defensive end.” Gibson was also complimentary of Thompson Valley. “They’re a really good team,” he said. But asked about how the win felt, he said “we’ll be happy but not satisfied.”
The Lady Spartans will have a quick turnaround as they host Northridge High School at 7 p.m. this coming Friday at Berthoud High School.
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