A strong defense by the Nation Ford Falcons in the third quarter allowed them to grab a lead over the Catawba Ridge Copperheads benefitting them down the stretch.
Nation Ford beat the Copperheads 63-56 after gaining the third quarter advantage.
“I told them to come out of the locker room and get good movement,” said Falcons head boys coach Charles Brown. “We wanted to put more pressure on them.”
The loss was the second in a row for the Copperheads.
“It was the third quarter,” said Catawba Ridge head coach Brett Childers. “Pace and attention to detail.”
Both teams started strong, but Nation Ford struggled to score despite multiple opportunities and good looks.
Catawba Ridge also struggled, but was able to excel at the foul line to get an early lead. Mark Caslaru paced the Copperheads in the opening period. Nation Ford was able to tie the game at 11 on a Chase Walters 3-pointer in the final 30 seconds.
Catawba Ridge was able to pull ahead off the play of Caslaru, but Walters and Makai McKnight kept Nation Ford within striking distance. A Caslaru 3-pointer gave the Copperheads a small advantage, only to have McKnight come back with one of his own to tie the game at 25.
The game would go to the half with the Copperheads leading 28-25. Caslaru had 20 points at the half for Catawba Ridge.
Nation Ford tied the game at 28 to open the third quarter with a 3-pointer by Drew Robertson. They would take the lead on a 3-pointer by AJ Cureron on the next possession.
The Copperheads stayed close with the help of Isaiah Thomas. Catawba Ridge stayed ahead by getting to the basket. Nation Ford stayed close and tied the game at 36.
Catawba Ridge started turning the ball over leading to the Falcons going ahead off the turnovers. Caslaru, who dominated the first half, didn’t get the chances he did earlier in the game. Nation Ford pulled ahead 45-40 entering the fourth quarter. The Falcons doubled up Catawba Ridge 20-10 in the third quarter, as the Copperheads had seven turnovers.
Nation Ford kept the slight advantage to start the fourth quarter. Scoring for both teams slowed as the final period wore on.
As much as he wasn’t a factor in the third quarter, Caslaru led the Copperheads surge in the fourth quarter to close the gap. Nation Ford was able to try and milk the clock, using free throws down the stretch to secure the win. The Falcons were 9-of-13 at the foul line in the fourth quarter.
Caslaru led Catawba Ridge with 33 points. McKnight led the Falcons with 25 points, while Walters and Robertson each added 12 points for Nation Ford.
“Mark continues to excel,” Childers said.
The Falcons improved to 16-7 overall and 5-4 in Region 3-5A. Catawba Ridge dropped to 14-9 overall and 4-6 in the region.
Girls’ basketball
A close halftime score turned into a Nation Ford Falcons blowout by the girls’ basketball team. Nation Ford outscored Catawba Ridge 33-15 in the second half for a 58-35 win.
“Everyone at this point is playing for something,” said Lady Falcons head girls coach Kelly Bennett. “We are doing a great job of doing what we need to do.”
Both teams started about the same, but Catawba Ridge had trouble early with ball handling, leading to points for Nation Ford. The Falcons were able to go up early by getting penetration to the basket.
Catawba Ridge had their chances to score but struggled to convert. Nation Ford went on a 9-0 run at one point during the opening period. The Falcons led 15-7 after the first quarter. The Copperheads’ Brooke Berninzoni scored all seven of their points in the first quarter.
Nation Ford didn’t start the second quarter as well as they could not establish a rhythm. The Falcons had multiple turnovers to open the quarter allowing Catawba Ridge to claw their way back into the game.
Despite that, Nation Ford was still able to hold a slim 25-20 lead at the half. Berninzoni kept the Copperheads close scoring 12 of their 20 first half points.
The Falcons started the second half with more aggression. Catawba Ridge again struggled with turnovers early in the third quarter, which continually became an issue for them.
Nation Ford focused heavily on stopping Berninzoni which stalled the Copperheads offense. Catawba Ridge didn’t score their first field goal in the second half until about two minutes left in the third quarter. The Falcons outscored the Copperheads 17-3 in the third quarter to go into the final period up by 19 points at 42-23.
The Falcons soon went up by more than 20 points in the fourth quarter and cruised to close out the game. Nation Ford was led by Ariah Heard with 21 points. Makayla Washington added 14 points for the Falcons. Catawba Ridge was led by Berninzoni with 18 points.
The Falcons improved to 11-11 overall and 6-3 in the region. Catawba Ridge dropped to 11-10 overall and 4-6 in the region.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
