Strong Fourth Quarter Gives Clarence Girls Basketball ECIC I Win Over Lancaster

After graduating two of the best post players in program history, the Clarence High School girls basketball team has some size issues this season.

It took a while, but the Red Devils found a way to combat that on Monday night.

The Red Devils switched from zone to man on defense and that paid off in a dominant fourth quarter that led to a 56-40 win over rival Lancaster in ECIC I action in the Legends’ new Java Gym.

“We really struggled on the boards in the first half,” Clarence coach Erin Booker said. “I really think, especially in the fourth quarter, going to man helped our positioning.”

The Red Devils are moving on without departed 6-footers Ella Rose Eckert and Carly Reynolds and don’t have a player taller than 5-foot-9 this season. That showed in the first half on Monday as Clarence grabbed just 11 rebounds. The second half was much better as the Red Devils grabbed 26 boards – also helped by the fact that the Legends went cold from the floor in the fourth quarter.

Lancaster chipped away at a halftime deficit and finally tied the game with two minutes left in the third quarter. But it was all Clarence from there.

The Red Devils ended the game on a 21-5 run and owned the fourth quarter by a 17-3 count.

“If you can’t perform in the final quarter, it’s tough to win basketball games,” Legends coach Jayson Jaskier said.

Sophomore Lizzie Fitch had 12 points and 12 rebounds for Clarence (1-1), seven of those boards coming in the decisive final period. Theresa Bienko also scored 12 points for the Red Devils, Kayla Callaghan added 10 and Madelyn Stearns nine points for Clarence.

“It’s nice to come in here and get a win against a tough team,” Fitch said. “We just had great teamwork and everyone did what they needed to do.”

Stephanie Herrnreiter led the Legends (1-2) with 13 points. Haley Kirisits and Michaela Morgus added nine apiece for Lancaster.

“We had some open shots but they were off a little bit,” Jaskier said. “We’re getting chances, getting opportunities, they just weren’t falling and that’s kind of been how the beginning of our season has gone.”