North Ridgeville Rangers take charge over Berea-Midpark Titans, win 54-33

BEREA, OH— North Ridgeville Ranger (2-1) guards Brooke Lime and Grace Kingery combine for 41 points to defeat the Berea-Midpark Titans (0-3), 54-33. 

“This is a big game in the sense that its a big rival for us, they all know each other… there’s a lot of smack talking behind the scenes but a lot of love for each other as well… so there’s a lot of background behind our two teams.”

“Once they got the nerves out of the first quarter that’s when you saw our team come together in the second, third and fourth [quarter].”

Rangers head coach Amy Esser spoke about the meaning behind this matchup and the eagerness to play Wednesday night. The zeal was certainly there with 28 shots between both squads but, only a score of 10-8 after quarter one.

Even with Berea-Midpark in the lead, no one truly had control of the ball game; until the next quarter.

Brooke Lime was the catalyst throughout those ensuing eight minutes scoring six of her 17. She commanded the offense with poise, allowing for their defense to force the Titans into more half court sets.

That 14-3 second quarter run was the tone-setter for the second half.

Senior Titan guard, Courtney Simon, nailed a three to trim the deficit to 28-23 with 30 seconds to go in third. Grace Kingery came back, swishing a deep three a few feet behind the elbow to go back up eight.

Simon’s shot was swatted by Kingery to end the period, lighting a serious fire underneath her and the rest of the team.

“She rises to those occasions,” Esser said. “That’s the kind of kid she is, she is a shooter.”

Berea-Midpark had no answer for Kingery in the fourth. Her versatility inside and out allowed her to shoot 5-5 from the floor and 3-3 from the free-throw line. 19 of her 24 points came in the last 16 minutes.

“That’s why she has 15 Division-I offers. Once she sees one go in like any shooter, you can’t stop her.”

The Titans managed just 10 more points from the end of third and in the final frame.

UP NEXT

North Ridgeville will play at another conference rival, Avon Lake Monday Dec. 5. Berea-Midpark travels to Akron to take on the Archbishop Hoban Knights Saturday Dec. 10.