by The Brecksville-Broadview Heights Bees hosted the Hudson Explorers tonight in the battle of 12 win teams. It was a back and forth battle through 3 quarters but it was the Explorers who pulled ahead in the 4th quarter to win the game 54-44. Hudson played a complete team game, they spread the ball nicely on offense, against a really tough Bee defense, and played really hard on defense for all four quarters.
The first quarter was a back and forth battle between the Bees and explorers, which resulted in a 15-12 lead for the explorers. Explorers sophomore forward Charlotte Salem started the game on fire, accounting for 12 of the team’s 15 first quarter points.
The second quarter began and it was all Hudson. The explorers began to find their game beyond the 3 point line and forced a timeout halfway through the quarter after three triples in a row. The Bees took the timeout with a 27-17 deficit, and it turned out to be a game changer. After the timeout the Bees ended out the first half on a 9-0 run to make the game 27-26 at the halfway point. They got back to getting the ball down into the paint and did a great job of spreading the ball to everyone. They also looked great on defense to close out the half, eliminating the three ball and making the explorers attack them down low. Both teams gave 100% effort in the first half, shaping it up to be an exciting 2nd half in a 1 point game.
Both teams came out of the locker room hot as they exchanged quick 3 pointers. The Bees however, came out on fire on the defensive side of the ball. They forced turnover after turnover in the 3rd quarter. The turnovers eventually led to points for the Bees, giving them their first lead since early in the first quarter. The Explorers began to work their way back into it in the second half of the quarter after cooling off after the initial 3 from sophomore guard Ashli Pearson. They brought it back to a one point game late in the 3rd and senior guard Elora Bea scored a crucial jumper to put the Explorers up 37-36 as the third quarter expired.
Both teams came into the 4th playing good defense, as well as cold offensively. It wasn’t until almost halfway through the quarter when Hudson sophomore forward Angelique Pinson buried a 3 to make it 40-36. After a quick turnover Charlotte Salem was open for 3 and drilled it to extend the lead to 6. The Bees fought back with a 3 of their own to cut the deficit down to 3. But the Explorers had found their mark as they put in back to back baskets, including a 3 from Ashli Pearson, to extend the lead to 7 points with just under 2 minutes left. The Bees went into the full court press to try and force themselves back into the game, but Hudson’s ball movement was exceptional. They continued to get past half court and force the Bees to draw fouls. The final minute consisted of a lot of free throws and timeouts, as the Bees desperately battled to get back into the game. In the end they were unsuccessful, as the game finished in a 54-44 victory for the explorers.
The Bees fought hard but in the end they had no answers for Charlotte Salem. Salem finished the game with 24 of their 54 points, which included seven 3 pointers.
Hudson moves up to 13-4 after the win and will take on Nordonia at home on the 31st. The Bees move down to 13-3 with the loss and will travel to take on Solon on the 31st.
