Lady Indians start 2013 with win

by Jamie Harris
The Indians started with four straight wins, then lost four straight to end 2012.

So naturally, Berkeley Springs wanted to start the new year with a new winning streak. The Indians did just that Wednesday night January 2 as they returned to form with a 63-20 win over Bishop Walsh, Md.

"I was more proud of the way we played as a team, than I was of the win itself," Berkeley Springs Coach Dale McCumbee said. "The way the season's gone, winning four and then losing four, that makes it pretty tough."

Berkeley Springs rebounded in a big way as the Indians completely shut down the Spartans with strong performances at both ends of the court.

In particular, the Indians got back to playing the kind of basketball that helped them start 4-0.

"I kept telling them to run the floor, because that's what we were doing at the start of the season," McCumbee said. "We were able to get out and run the floor tonight."

Also getting back to their typical scoring were Sarah Haynes and Casey Solomon, who are Berkeley Springs' top scorers.

Haynes (28) and Solomon (13) combined for 41 points as they overwhelmed Bishop Walsh.

Haynes took over the game in the second half, scoring 19 points in the final two quarters. She started the third quarter with eight straight points, the last of those four straight baskets coming off her own steals, to extend Berkeley Springs' lead to 34-13.

She then scored four of the Indians' final six points in the third quarter, with both baskets coming off two more steals.

Solomon also had a solid second half, scoring five points and grabbing a handful of rebounds. In the fourth quarter, Solomon pushed the Indians' lead to 52-18 with a three-point play after she got the ball on the wing, dribbled in and worked her way around a defender.

Berkeley Springs' defense also played a key role, holding the Spartans to just 19% shooting and forcing 31 turnovers. Lauren Schetrompf paced the defense with a handful of steals, most of which turned into points.

"We haven't been playing well on defense, so we really worked on that this week," McCumbee said. "I think our pressure energized us a little bit. I thought Schetrompf had a lot of energy on defense tonight."