BHS Girls Take Two-Game Win Streak Into Regular-Season Finale at Lincoln
By Chris Johnson on April 08, 2021
In perhaps its last game of the season on its home court, the Bridgeport High School girls basketball team took care of business against Robert C. Byrd, picking up a 61-53 victory.
The win improved the Indians to 8-4 heading into Thursday’s regular-season finale on the road at Lincoln. Sectionals begin next week and as the No. 4 seed, the Indians would have to win the section to get a home game for a Region I co-championship game.
The trio of Gabby Reep, Annamarie Pinti and Paige Humble shined against the Eagles, combining for 51 of the team’s 61 points.
Reep had a team-high 18 points, five rebounds and three assists, while Humble had 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Pinti chipped in with 16 points, including four 3-pointers. Humble and Reep each made three 3s.
“That’s become part of our game,” Bridgeport coach Herman Pierson said. “I think we are just now getting our legs back under us after that 10-day layoff (contract tracing issues with opponents) really hurt us.
“But I’m proud of our girls. We have battled through it and I think we are starting to gel a little bit.”
BHS led by as many as 12 in the second quarter following back-to-back 3s from Pinti and Reep that made it 23-11. Pinti had a chance for a four-point play after draining a trey from the left corner. She missed the foul shot but Humble was there for the offensive rebound and assist to Reep at the top of the key.
Humble scored nine of her team’s 15 first-quarter points.
In the second half, the Tribe would build a double-digit lead on multiple occasions only to see RCB crawl back into it, thanks in large part to Victoria Sturm, who scored 22 of her game-high 28 points after halftime.
Sturm’s points didn’t come easy as she had BHS defensive stopper Ally Bender in her face the majority of the game.
However with roughly 4 minutes left to go and the Eagles in the middle of another run to get back into it, Pierson called a timeout and made a temporary defensive adjustment that proved to be key down the stretch.
Out of the timeout, Reep switched to guarding Sturm. The Indians would soon force a turnover and get a 3 from Pinti at the other end. They would go on to outscore the Eagles 14-8 in the final four minutes to secure the victory.
“I think they had cut it to six again,” Pierson said. “We put Gabby on her just to give Victoria a different look and Gabby can pretty much defend anybody. Plus it gave Ally a little breather because she went back on her in the last couple of minutes because we all knew she was getting the ball every possession.”
The win also marked two in as many days for the Tribe as they picked up a 55-53 victory against Doddridge County on Monday. Reep torched the nets for 26 in that contest, which was a late addition to the schedule that has been altered several times for COVID-related protocol.
Prior to that, the Indians were on the other side of a two-point game, falling 60-58 to Buckhannon-Upshur last Friday. Reep has 20 against B-U and Pinti added 18 points.
The Class AAAA Region I, Section 2 semifinal games will be played Wednesday, April 14 on the higher-seed’s home court. No. 4 Bridgeport will play at No. 1 University, while No. 3 Preston will be at No. 2 Buckhannon-Upshur. The winners will then play on April 16. All sectional games begin at 7 p.m.
Editor's Note: Top photo is of Reep, bottom one features Pinti sizing up a 3-pointer. Photos by www.benqueenphotography.com
