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By Nate Ritchey
nritchey@altoonamirror.com
JOHNSTOWN -- The mark of a good defense is not only one that forces turnovers and makes the opposition take tough shots.
What makes a great defense is one that is so effective doing those other things that when a team does get an open look, they still feel pressure as if the defensive team is right there.
Unfortunately, Northern Bedford was on the receiving end of Berlin Brothersvalley's suffocating defense during Saturday afternoon's District 5 Class 1A championship.
NBC was held scoreless for the first 11 minutes en route to a 51-18 loss to the Lady Mountaineers at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown's Sportscenter.
"Defensively, they (Berlin Brothersvalley) took us right out of the game," Northern Bedford coach Jon Ewart said. "Their defense was really aggressive and didn't let us do a whole lot offensively there that we wanted to do. We struggled a bit -- plain and simple."
The Mountaineers won the opening tip and within four seconds had a lead they didn't relinquish as Taylor Hillegass converted the wide open layup.
The full court man-to-man pressure of Berlin Brothersvalley began and slowly filtered its way into every aspect of NBC's game.
The Lady Mountaineers put 17 points from five different scorers on the scoreboard in the first quarter, and if it weren't for four turnovers, it could have been more.
The Lady Panthers turned the ball over seven times in the opening frame, and as the intensity began to mount, so too did the need to see the ball go through the hoop.
NBC also struggled to rebound the ball as BB owned an 11-4 edge.
"We've been working on it (defense) more than just a week, and we had to up our communication. The girls did a really good job with that," Berlin Brothersvalley coach Rachel Prosser said. "I think that we had leadership -- the bench was in it, the girls on the court were in it."
The two teams began the second by trading turnovers on five straight possessions before Berlin's Coral Prosser, who finished with 12 points, hit back-to-back 3-pointers to make the score 23-0 with 5:38 on the clock.
On the ensuing trip down the floor, Mariah Hall dribbled into the lane, spun to the left side and put up a left-handed shot that fell through the hoop while absorbing contact.
Hall, who finished with 12 points, made good on the free throw to make the score 23-3.
Instead of the basket settling Northern down, the pressure continued to wreak havoc as the Lady Panthers got several open looks near the basket but were unable to capitalize as they were looking over their shoulder waiting for a defender to challenge.
Hall eventually hit a driving layup with 18.6 to go before the half to make the score 35-5.
A Hillegass layup nine seconds later sent the teams into the locker room with the score at 37-5.
Northern Bedford coughed the ball up seven more times in the second. Prosser and Hillegass combined to score 12 of the Lady Mountaineers' 20 points in the stanza.
"The more experience everybody can get -- even if they've played all year, especially when you're young," Coach Prosser said. "It's a whole different game when you're into the playoffs and state playoffs. So, the more experience everybody can than the more confidence they can build and that will help us moving forward."
With the mercy rule running clock in effect the entire second half, Northern Bedford managed 13 second-half points.
The loss dropped the Lady Panthers to 15-9 and into a PIAA first-round matchup with Ridgway.
"That's obviously the message going forward that each game could be the last," Ewart said. "We're privileged enough as far as the two (seed) to be able to have one more. ... We'll work through the next week and get ourselves ready for the state tournament."
Meanwhile, Berlin captured its second straight district title and moved to 21-5. It will host Clarion next Saturday.
Southern Fulton captured the Class 1A consolation contest with a 40-24 victory over Forbes Road, and Everett won the 2A title with a 38-37 win over Windber.
NORTHERN BEDFORD (18): McIlnay 1 0-0 2, Yeatts 0 0-0 0, Heck 0 0-0 0, Swanseen 0 0-0 0, Hall 5 1-3 12, Baker 0 0-0 0, Love 0 0-0 0, Detterline 1 0-0 2, Helsel 1 0-0 2, Ritchey 0 0-0 0, Barton 0 0-0 0. Totals -- 8 1-3 18.
BERLIN BROTHERSVALLEY (51): Brant 1 1-2 3, Sechler 0 0-0 0, Prosser 5 0-0 12, Hillegass 4 0-2 8, Re. Lauer 4 0-0 10, Foor 1 0-0 2, Ritchey 2 0-2 4, Barna 2 1-1 6, Walker 2 2-2 6, Kizer-Lischak 0 0-0 0, Lowery 0 0-0 0, Visinsky 0 0-0 0, Milburn 0 0-0 0, Miller 0 0-0 0, Stivison 0 0-0 0, Cornell 0 0-0 0, Kimmel 0 0-0 0. Totals -- 21 4-9 51.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Northern Bedford 0 5 7 6 -- 18
Berlin Brothersvalley 17 20 7 7 -- 51
3-point field goals: Northern Bedford 1 (Hall); Berlin Brothersvalley 5 (Prosser 2, Re. Lauer 2, Barna).
Records: Northern Bedford (15-9); Berlin Brothersvalley (21-5).