The Rocky River Pirates played the John Hay Hornets on Monday, December 16th, resulting in a pirate victory 52-40. The first quarter began with a Pirate advantage as they won the tip off and carried the ball down court, Elizabeth Lang scoring the first basket of the night. Both teams stayed relatively consistent, with competitive movement on both sides of the court. Quarter one was a low basket period, however, ending with a score of 16-11, Pirate lead. 

Quarter 2 came with intense offensive play from Rocky River, especially Nora Bruder, who scored 6 points, alongside 5 points from Claudia Roche, and 2 points from Elizabeth Lang. The Hornets, on the other hand, struggled more offensively, with Carly Fisher scoring their only 4 points in the quarter. This can be attributed to the strong defense displayed by the Pirates, especially closer to the end of the half. The half concluded with a score of 31-15, Pirate lead. 

The Pirates’ Nora Bruder’s game skyrocketed in the second half, as she scored 10 points. This quarter came with amazing ball movement from the Pirates as they were quick and efficient with their passes. John Hay had a troubling quarter again as they only scored 4 points, but played great defense. The quarter ended in a flash with a score of 43-19. 

John Hay upped their game in the fourth quarter, as their offense attacked the basket successfully. River’s defense faltered in this quarter compared to the previous periods, letting in a significant amount of shots from John Hay. In the end, Rocky River defeated the Hornets with a score of 52-40, adding another Pirate victory to their stats. 

After the game, I talked to Pirate Coach Jamey Pfahl, and asked him about Rocky Rivers defense throughout the game. “I’m so proud of the way we played in the first half, we played great. The girls’ intensity and patience was amazing”, he said. 

The Pirates’ top scorers were Nora Bruder, Elizabeth Lang, Claudia Roche, and Olivia Dewey. The Hornets’ top scorers were Carly Fisher, Sana Hicks, Anaiyah General, and Chloe Cottingham,.