Thanks to a dominant performance from Savannah Stedman, the Brandon varsity girls basketball team still has a shot at a share of the Flint Metro League title.
Stedman had 25 points (including a 7-of-9 performance from the free throw line), nine rebounds and seven blocked shots as the Blackhawks overcame a 30-25 deficit at the end of the third quarter to pull out a 40-37 win against host Oxford in Flint Metro League action Nov. 8.
With the win, the Blackhawks improved to 14-5 overall and 10-4 in league play, while Oxford fell to 3-16 overall and 0-13 in the league.
The Blackhawks are one game behind league co-leaders Fenton and Lapeer West, which both have 10-3 league records. The Panthers were scheduled to travel to Brandon Nov. 10 for the Blackhawks? last regular season game.
Jessica Liebner added 11 points for the Blackhawks against Oxford, making three three-point shots in the process.
Five days earlier, the Blackhawks soundly defeated visiting Imlay City 49-29 in a nonconference game.
Brandon set the tone early by holding Imlay City scoreless for the first 4-1/2 minutes on their way to taking a 14-4 lead after the first quarter. Although the Spartans tried to keep pace in the second quarter, the Blackhawks still held a 30-16 lead at halftime.
Rebekah Schroll led the Blackhawks in scoring with eight points, while Stedman added seven points. Maria Schmidtke and Liebner chipped in with six points each for the Blackhawks.
However, the Blackhawks were dealt a setback when Schroll was injured in that game. Brandon coach Bryan Ray said Schroll is expected to be out for about three weeks.
Schroll, a 6?1? senior, provided valuable minutes off the bench this season in relief of Stedman. Ray said the Blackhawks will have to alter their strategy a bit in light of Schroll’s injury.
‘We’re a little more shorthanded with Rebekah injured,? he said. ‘We’ll have to play a little more man-to-man defense and Savannah will have to play more minutes.?
Brandon is scheduled to host Class A regional action beginning Monday, Nov. 14. The Blackhawks play Waterford Kettering in the second game of the evening at 7:30 p.m., following the Waterford Mott-Lapeer East matchup at 5:30 p.m.
‘We match up pretty favorably with them,? Ray said of the Blackhawks? game against Kettering. ‘We have similar personnel and styles.?
Ray said the Captains? two main players are Taci Levitt and Amanda Taylor, a 6?2? post player. He said Taylor will provide a good matchup for Stedman.
The winner of the Brandon-Kettering game will take on Oxford in district semifinal action at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16, while the winner of the Waterford Mott-Lapeer East game will advance to play Clarkston in the other district semifinal at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 16.
The district final is slated for Friday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m.
Ray said the Blackhawks should be in the hunt for the district crown along with Clarkston and Mott.
‘If we take care of the ball and play really good defense, we have a really good chance at winning districts,? he said.