Indians defense shutdowns Warriors
by Jamie Harris
The Berkeley Springs High School Varsity Boys’ Basketball Team was looking to extend its winning streak to three in a row when it traveled to Boonsboro, Md. on December 21. Searching for a better defensive consistency than it had displayed in its previous five games, the Indians harassed the Warriors into 26 turnovers to post a 54-39 victory to win their third straight game to improve to 3-2.
“This is the first game this season where we’ve buckled down defensively,” Coach Jeremy Horvat said. “We had the opportunity to force turnovers by putting pressure on the ball. I’m happy that we held a team under 40.”
Berkeley Springs (3-2) controlled the game from the start, racing to a 13-2 lead with Boonsboro losing the ball five times and shooting one for 6 in the early stages.
The Indians’ go-to man, 6-foot-3 Kyle Appel, hit a 3-pointer and added a slam dunk, going the length of the floor after his steal.
Boonsboro (3-3) managed to cut the deficit to 18-14 heading into the final minute of the second quarter, when the defining moment of the game came.
An intentional foul on Berkeley Springs sent Justin Jardeleza to the line, but he missed two free throws and the Warriors followed the possession with a turnover which Appel turned into another dunk. Having avoided a potential swing in momentum, the Indians held a 22-16 halftime lead.
“That wasn’t so much the game, we just weren’t ready to compete,” Boonsboro Coach Skip Chambers said.
Berkeley Springs increased its lead to 34-23 after three quarters and then spent the remainder of the game at the free throw line.
In the fourth period, the Indians went 12 of 18 at the stripe. Even Boonsboro went to the line 11 times – making just five – in the last eight minutes.
“I didn’t realize we made that many (free throws),” Horvat said. “We have shot only 58% from the line so far.”
For the game, Berkeley Springs went 19 of 29 from the charity stripe. Appel led the Indians with 18 points, scoring inside and outside, including a 3-pointer. He ended with a double-double, pulling down 10 rebounds. He almost made it a triple-double, adding eight steals to his ledger. Michael Kearney added 16 for Berkeley Springs.
Berkeley Springs 54, Boonsboro 39
BERKELEY SPRINGS (3-2) - Wise 7, Spielman 2, Kearney 16, Appel 18, Athey 4, Truax 3, Mills 2, Zinzow 2. Totals 16 19-29 54.
BOONSBORO (3-3) - Coulter 6, T. Walsh 8, Jenkins 3, Strunk 7, Cowden 2, Jardeleza 10, Bennett 3. Totals 15 7-15 39.
BSprings 13 9 12 20 - 54
Boonsboro 7 9 7 16 - 39
3-point goals - Berkeley Springs 3 (Appel, Kearney, Wise), Boonsboro 2 (T. Walsh 2). Fouled out - Wise. Flagrant foul - Crown (Bo).
