Berkshire pulled away in the middle quarters Monday night, turning a tight early battle into a 67-50 nonconference win over visiting Edgewood.
After a one-point edge at the end of the first quarter, the Badgers created separation in the second by outscoring the Warriors 20-10, setting the tone for the rest of the night. Head coach Dave Alberts said that stretch reflected his team’s focus and ability to handle adversity.
“The team came out focused from the start,” Alberts said. “We jumped out to an early lead, but Edgewood took the lead in the second quarter as we got into foul trouble. We had some players come off the bench and really step up tonight on both sides of the ball.”
Berkshire carried a 37-26 lead into halftime, then continued to build it by winning the third quarter 11-8. Each time Edgewood tried to spark a run, the Badgers answered.
“Edgewood came down and made several big shots to try to make a run,” Alberts said. “But we were able to answer those with baskets on the other end.”
Stella Bateman led Berkshire with 16 points, followed by Julia Young with 13 and Hayden Tomsic with 10. Ivy Martin scored nine, Whitney Davis added seven, Moira Wonders finished with six, Blythe Bors had four and Mallory Durosko chipped in two as the Badgers spread the scoring across the lineup.
Edgewood was led by Carly Kray’s 20 points and 15 from Annie Johnston. Faith Vencill added seven, Anoria Taylor scored four, and Whitney Reed and Hailey Rhodes finished with two apiece.
Alberts said foul trouble forced adjustments, but he was pleased with how the bench responded.
“We had a couple players get in foul trouble, so we had players come off the bench and do a fantastic job on both sides of the ball,” Alberts said. “Making a few big shots and grabbing some key rebounds.”
With the win, Berkshire improved to 7-2 overall and extended its winning streak to four games. The Badgers travel to Cardinal on Saturday, while Edgewood heads to St. John.
