Girls basketball: Sluggish Black River falls to Oberlin

OBERLIN — The Black River girls basketball team came into a Lorain County League game at Oberlin on Saturday having scored at least 40 points in four of its last five games. Maybe it was Oberlin's defense or the Christmas spirit clouding the Pirates' vision, but Black River showed little resemblance to that team in a 52-33 loss. "We came out with our feet in the mud, and we weren't really focused today," Pirates coach Erin Jackson said. "We had a snow day (Friday). I don't know if that anything to do with it, but we definitely played like last year's team, not this year's team." The Pirates (3-5, 2-4) hung with Oberlin most of the first quarter before allowing the Phoenix to end the period on an 8-2 run to take an 18-8 lead. Oberlin (3-5, 2-4) extended the lead to 21 points midway through the second quarter before the Pirates got their defense in order and held the Phoenix scoreless for the final 3:58 of the half. Senior Morgan Kubitz scored the final six points of the half to cut the Oberlin lead to 31-16, but she saved her best work for the third quarter. Kubitz scored 12 of Black River's 15 points as the Pirates ended the period on 12-0 run to cut Oberlin's lead to 39-31. Kubitz finished with a team-high 20 points. "Usually we work really good as a team, but today nothing was flowing. Our chemistry just wasn't there," Kubitz said. "We just have to move past today. It was only one game — it wasn't a make-or-break or anything — and we need to get back to where we were." Junior Abbey Kiser, who had a basket in each of the first three quarters to finish with six points, was the only other Pirate to score more than five points. "They were playing really tight defense in the key, making it hard to drive the lane," Kubitz said. Oberlin's defense forced 34 turnovers and held the Pirates to 19% shooting (10-for-53) shooting as it held an opponent to fewer than 40 points for only the third time this season. Senior Janiah Bowen-Pride led the Phoenix with 22 points. Any hopes Black River had of mounting a comeback dissipated in the fourth quarter, when it was held scoreless for more than seven minutes before a basket from senior Anya Koberna. "We will focus on team chemistry. Our chemistry was really off today," Jackson said. "When we play as a team, we play great, but we came out as individuals. Over Christmas break, we're going to focus on our chemistry and team bonding and try to correct that." Contact Todd Shapiro at sports@medina-gazette.com. Oberlin 52, Black River 33 BLACK RIVER &emsp;&emsp; 8 8 15 2 — 33 OBERLIN &emsp;&emsp;18 13 8 13 — 52 Black River — Livy Fralick 0-0-0, Abbey Kiser 3-0-6, Anya Koberna 1-0-2, Grace Racut 0-0-0, Morgan Kubitz 6-8-20, Kadence Cassidy 0-0-0, Heidi Clark 2-0-4, Savanna Mullet 0-0-0, Caroline Maat 0-0-0, Peyton Kubitz 0-0-0, Eliana Rosales 0-1-1, Rylee Howard 0-0-0, Leah Coffman 0-0-0. TOTALS: 12-9-33. Oberlin — Arien James 1-2-4, Phoebe Shuck 2-0-5, Janiah Bowen-Pride 8-5-22, Jayana Jones 4-3-11, Aya Myers 0-0-0, Hailey Petzak 1-0-2, Aniyah Myers 0-0-0, Mar'Lyihia Froust 3-2-8. TOTALS: 19-12-52. 3-point goals — Shuck, Bowen-Pride. Rebounds — Black River 54, Oberlin 49. Records — Black River (3-5, 2-4), Oberlin (3-5, 2-4).