WEST PALM BEACH – Berean Christian’s Cinderella run isn’t over quite yet.
Just a few days removed from its Class 2A-District 13 championship, the Lady Bulldogs met up against Lake Worth Christian in a win-or-go-home situation.
Led by seniors Talencia Malonga and Sophie Nefzger, the Lady Bulldogs powered their way to a 46-19 victory over the Lady Defenders. Their Class 2A-Region 4 quarterfinal game was played last night (Feb. 11).
“We’re just taking it one day at a time,” said head coach Kevin Green. “Getting everything gathered up. Hats off to Lake Worth [Christian], they had a great season and they came out to play today. … They played us hard today, and we had to put it together and pull one out.”
Nefzger was especially important on offense.
The senior finished the night with 13 points, including a critical buzzer-beating mid-range shot to end the third quarter. She then sank a three-pointer to open the fourth quarter, giving the Lady Bulldogs a 34-19 lead.
“I feel like my job on this team is to just be a leader, that’s what I’ve been taught all season … It was just a good feeling of leadership, and just being able to be there for my team,” said Nefzger.
While Malonga finished with eight points on offense, it was the senior’s defense that stole the show. Multiple times, a critical steal, block, or rebound by Malonga would lead to a Lady Bulldogs score and/or help stop a potential Lake Worth Christian run in its tracks.
This was especially evident in the third quarter, where Malonga’s strong performance helped Berean Christian (13-3) build upon a 10-point lead.
“At halftime, I had to tell her, ‘You have to do more, you have to give us more, you’re capable of giving us more,’” Green said about Malonga. “And she’s going to respond. I expect her to respond and she responded tremendously, especially on the defensive end. She just got it done for us tonight in those aspects of the game, and that’s the things that we need if we want to win a state championship.”
Freshman Ashley Hendricks led the team in scoring with 16 points, including six points in the first quarter.
Unlike the district championship against Glades Day, this game was a little more comfortable to close it out. With just over a minute remaining, a Berean timeout allowed Green to make wholesale changes and bring in the entire bench unit to close out the game.
“My backups, man, they’re so young,” Green said about the backups getting some extended playing time. “They’ve been going hard all season … and they’re competing for minutes, and that’s what I like to see.”
The Lady Bulldogs will shift their focus to an unfamiliar opponent in Grandview Prep (6-4) in the Class 2A-Region 4 semifinals, which will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. This game is set to be held at Grandview Prep, which means Berean Christian will be on the road.
Unlike Glades Day and Lake Worth Christian, who Berean Christian played in the regular season previously, there has been no previous meeting against 2A State Final Four contender Grandview Prep this season.
In its own Class 2A-Region 4 quarterfinal game last night (Feb. 11), Grandview Prep handled Glades Day, 60-15. Iesha Rhodin led the way for the Lady Pride with 20 points and seven steals.
PHOTO CREDIT: Kevin Fielder
