by The December 7th, 2024 Rocky River Pirates vs. Valley Forge Patriots game began when the Patriots secured the ball in the opening tip-off. The Pirates weren’t phased, however, and displayed fierce defense at their basket, obtaining possession of the ball while keeping the score at an even 0-0. #20 Nora Bruder of the Pirates drove the ball down the court and scored the first basket of the game, setting the stage for a Pirate lead in the first quarter. The Pirates played amazing offense and defense, only allowing one basket from the Patriots scored by #12 Lilly Huff in the entire first quarter, and obtaining 17 points themselves, with #4 Claudia Roche scoring 7 and #20 Nora Bruder scoring 5 of those 17.
The game became much more competitive in the second quarter as the Patriots offense began to amp up, with #3 Gracie Kercher and #2 Taylor Patrick both making baskets and #4 Jada Plum making a 3-pointer within the first 5 minutes. In response, the Pirate defense seemed to become more intense and Valley Forge was only able to make one more basket in the quarter from #12 Lilly Huff. Rocky River’s offense stayed strong, similar to the first quarter. #24 Rori Vesy, #20 Nora Bruder, #44 Libby Lang, #4 Claudia Roche, and #2 Olivia Dewey all scored at least one basket for the Pirates, ending the half with a score of 38-11.
In the third quarter, Valley Forge started off with a basket from #3 Gracie Kercher, but these points were followed by a flood of Pirate baskets. When the score hit 47-12, the Patriots made significant improvements in their offense with 9 points being scored. The Pirates offense didn’t back down, though, and scored a total of 13 points throughout the quarter, the majority of which can be attributed to #20 Nora Bruder. The 3rd ended with a score of 51-21, Pirate lead.
The final quarter of the game had minimal baskets, as both teams were clearly tiring from the fierce competition. #4 Jada Plum of Valley Forge managed to score 2 points at the beginning of the quarter, and Rocky River scored two more baskets: one 2-pointer from #2 Olivia Dewey, and a free throw from #3 Addison Russell. The second half ended with an exciting Rocky River Pirate victory, and the final score came out to be 55-21. Both teams fought hard throughout the game, but the Pirate offense really stood out during this match.
Ultimately, the top five scorers from Rocky River were #20 Nora Bruder with 13 points, #4 Claudia Roche with 13 as well, #44 Liz Lang with 10 points, #2 Olivia Dewey with 7, and both #14 Bridget Carlin and #24 Rori Vesy with 2 points each. Valley Forge’s top scorers were #4 Jada Plum with 7 points, #3 Gracie Kercher with 4 points, #12 Lilly Huff with 4 points, and several players obtaining one basket throughout the game.
After the match concluded, I asked Rocky River Head Coach Jamey Phal about his thoughts on the game, and he told me that this was “The best offense they had ever played”, complementing the Lady Pirates’ ability to keep possession of and shoot the ball.
