WEST PALM BEACH – The first half was a close one between both Berean Christian and Boca Raton Christian.
Photo credits: Alex Peterman
The second half was an entirely different story.
In last night’s (Feb. 9) FHSAA Class 2A-Region 4 quarterfinal matchup, the Lady Bulldogs (18-6) used an impressive 18-0 run during the second half to earn a 43-34 home win over the Lady Blazers (16-9 final record).
This marked a four-game season sweep for third-seeded Berean Christian and against sixth-seeded Boca Raton Christian.
“When you play a team that many times, you know them, they know you,” Berean Christian head coach Kevin Green said. “It was going to be a tough grind out game. It’s just something they had to learn. It’s another part of their journey, part of their process. They had to gut it out and get the victory.”
Boca Raton Christian cut the lead to 23-22 off a three-pointer by freshman Kaila Maser (team-high 10 points), who banged her shot in with 6:20 left in the third quarter.
Shortly after Maser’s three-pointer, Berean Christian’s 18-0 run took off.
Green spoke on how the game-turning 18-0 run came about.
“We knew we were going to get a run,” Green said. “We started to get some things into transition, which was good. They came out and fought us hard. We got a team back on the wall. We expected some of those things to happen. We just happened to make a run that was big enough to get us to the end and go from there.”
Eighth-grader Kalia LaBrec (game-high 14 points) play a key part of Berean Christian’s 18-0 run – which lasted until 6:40 left in the fourth quarter.
Just past the midway portion of the third quarter, LaBrec pushed herself down the court and powered her way to an easy layup that gave Berean Christian a 30-22 lead over Boca Raton Christian at the 3:18 mark.
And with less than 45 seconds left in the third quarter, junior center Ashley Hendricks (12 points) used her size to make a layup in the paint. This gave Berean Christian a 39-22 lead that held up at the buzzer.
“With all the work we’ve put in, it kind of validates our process on the court,” Hendricks said. “We have confidence in our game on the court because of all the work we put in off the court. As a leader, I just had to remind everyone that…we can do this.”
Boca Raton Christian put forth a valiant effort in the fourth quarter.
After Berean Christian took a 41-22 lead to start the final frame, Boca Raton Christian chipped away from that point on until the final buzzer.
Boca Raton Christian outscored Berean Christian in the fourth by a score of 12-4.
But reality set it at the final buzzer as Boca Raton Christian’s season came to an end.
“I tell my girls that winning wouldn’t be so awesome if losing didn’t hurt so bad,” Boca Raton Christian head coach Nhu Nguyen said. “Losing hurts, and we hate to lose. But I’m not hurt that bad because our girls did everything they could. They left it all out on the floor.”
Nguyen had more to say.
“We kept it as close as possible,” Nguyen said. “I think with Berean, this is the most pressure they’ve gotten all year. I’m glad it was a game. It came down to the third quarter. We just couldn’t find the basket. That’s what pretty much determined the game. There’s nothing you can do about it.”
Nguyen displayed his level of sportsmanship in Berean Christian’s loss to Berean Christian.
“Congrats to Coach Green and the Berean crew,” Nguyen said. “Represent Palm Beach County well. That’s all I ask.”
NEXT GAME FOR BEREAN CHRISTIAN
Class 2A-Region 4 semifinal: Away at second-seeded Miami Christian (13-13; defending 2A state champion) on Tuesday, Feb. 14.
Rematch from last year’s 2A-Region 4 final, which Miami Christian won by a score of 67-29
PHOTO CREDITS: Alex Peterman
