Sierra Beckford made six straight free throws in the final minute to
help Elmwood hold off Otsego, 72-70, in the Division III sectional final
at Bowling Green High School Saturday.
The Royals, now 6-16 overall, face Suburban Lakes League-foe Lake, the
No. 2-ranked team in the final Division III state poll, in the district
semifinal at Anthony Wayne High School Thursday at 8 p.m. Otsego
finishes 9-13.
The six free throws were part of a career-high 35-point effort from Beckford, a 5-feet-8 junior.
“I just knocked them down for the team. I really wanted this win, so it
meant a lot to me,” Beckford said. “We all just played as a team and
came out with the win.”
The Knights had beaten the Royals twice in the regular season.
“We just really wanted to come back and (beat) them,” Beckford said.
"We knew what they were going to do to us,” Elmwood head coach Skip
Bateson said. “We just needed to stay calm and handle the basketball.”
The Knights made a gallant comeback bid after trailing 59-46 at the start of the fourth quarter.
The combination of Otsego’s pressure, which forced several turnovers,
and Elmwood missing some close-range shots, allowed the Knights to get
back into the game.
“They (Otsego) are a tough team and I knew they would come back,” Bateson said.
Otsego started the fourth quarter on an 11-2 run and the Knights
finally
tied the game at 62 on Lexi Levin’s hoop in the lane with 3:01
left to
play.
Brittany Gross made one free throw with 2:51 left to put Elmwood up 63-62.
The Knights’ Megan Bundy rebounded her own missed free throw and found
Hannah Greulich for a layup to push Otsego ahead 65-64 with 2:10 left.
Beckford countered with a basket with 1:44 remaining, a free throw with
1:11 left and a pair of foul shots with 57.8 seconds left to give the
Royals a 68-64 lead.
Otsego got within two points, three times in the final 48 seconds, but
Beckford’s success from the line kept the Knights from taking the lead.
“Sierra played big. Those foul shots there at the end were huge,” Bateson said.
“We had a couple crucial breakdowns late … crucial turnovers,” Otsego head coach Scott Bernthisel said.

Otsego led 11-7 early, but Beckford scored nine straight points to help the Royals take a 20-14 lead
after eight minutes.
The Royals were up 42-34 at the half as Reagan Briggs hit two
3-pointers in the second quarter and Beckford scored eight points.
Elmwood closed the third quarter on a 10-3 run to take a 13-point lead into the final eight minutes.
Elmwood made only two field gaols in the fourth quarter, but was 8-of-13 from the free-throw line.
“If you would have told me we would have scored 70 points and still
lose, I would have said we were sleeping on defense.” Bernthisel said.
“We talked about Elmwood, but it’s hard to simulate that speed in
practice.
“Hats off to Elmwood. They shot the ball well and we didn’t defend the
way we should of or could of early,” he continued. “In the second half
we put forth a great effort and got back into it.”
In addition to Beckford’s 35 points, Briggs contributed 12.
“She wasn’t forcing a thing,” Bateson said about Beckford.
Bernthisel said the Knights used a box-and-one defense on Beckford in
the first meeting this season, but other girls scored for the Royals.
“We tried to play it more straight-up this time and we were very aware
of her, but she hurt us and she hit foul shots when she needed to,”
Bernthosel said.
Greulich led Otsego with 22 points, including 13 in the second half, and Kylee Bernthisel added 12
points.
ELMWOOD 72, OTSEGO 70
ELMWOOD
Briggs, 0-3-3—12; Gross, 2-5—9; Beckford, 8-2-13—35; Hillard, 1-0—2;
Wink, 0-0—0; Auchmuty, 3-0—6; Foster, 2-0—4; Hickman, 0-0—0; Morlock,
2-0—4. TOTALS: 18-5-21—72.
OTSEGO
Greulich, 8-2-0—22; Bernthisel, 6-0—12; Chalfant, 1-0—2; Murphy,
1-1-2—7; Bundy, 1-1-2—7; Mossman, 1-0—2; McCullough, 3-0—6; Strain,
1-2—4; Hagemeyer 0-1—1; Levin, 3-1—7. TOTALS: 25-4-8—70.
ELMWOOD 20 22 17 13 —72
OTSEGO 14 20 12 24 —70Sierra Beckford made six straight free throws in the final minute to
help Elmwood hold off Otsego, 72-70, in the Division III sectional final
at Bowling Green High School Saturday.
The Royals, now 6-16 overall, face Suburban Lakes League-foe Lake, the
No. 2-ranked team in the final Division III state poll, in the district
semifinal at Anthony Wayne High School Thursday at 8 p.m. Otsego
finishes 9-13.
The six free throws were part of a career-high 35-point effort from Beckford, a 5-feet-8 junior.
“I just knocked them down for the team. I really wanted this win, so it
meant a lot to me,” Beckford said. “We all just played as a team and
came out with the win.”
The Knights had beaten the Royals twice in the regular season.
“We just really wanted to come back and (beat) them,” Beckford said.
"We knew what they were going to do to us,” Elmwood head coach Skip
Bateson said. “We just needed to stay calm and handle the basketball.”
The Knights made a gallant comeback bid after trailing 59-46 at the start of the fourth quarter.
The combination of Otsego’s pressure, which forced several turnovers,
and Elmwood missing some close-range shots, allowed the Knights to get
back into the game.
“They (Otsego) are a tough team and I knew they would come back,” Bateson said.
Otsego started the fourth quarter on an 11-2 run and the Knights
finally
tied the game at 62 on Lexi Levin’s hoop in the lane with 3:01
left to
play.
Brittany Gross made one free throw with 2:51 left to put Elmwood up 63-62.
The Knights’ Megan Bundy rebounded her own missed free throw and found
Hannah Greulich for a layup to push Otsego ahead 65-64 with 2:10 left.
Beckford countered with a basket with 1:44 remaining, a free throw with
1:11 left and a pair of foul shots with 57.8 seconds left to give the
Royals a 68-64 lead.
Otsego got within two points, three times in the final 48 seconds, but
Beckford’s success from the line kept the Knights from taking the lead.
“Sierra played big. Those foul shots there at the end were huge,” Bateson said.
“We had a couple crucial breakdowns late … crucial turnovers,” Otsego head coach Scott Bernthisel said.

Otsego led 11-7 early, but Beckford scored nine straight points to help the Royals take a 20-14 lead
after eight minutes.
The Royals were up 42-34 at the half as Reagan Briggs hit two
3-pointers in the second quarter and Beckford scored eight points.
Elmwood closed the third quarter on a 10-3 run to take a 13-point lead into the final eight minutes.
Elmwood made only two field gaols in the fourth quarter, but was 8-of-13 from the free-throw line.
“If you would have told me we would have scored 70 points and still
lose, I would have said we were sleeping on defense.” Bernthisel said.
“We talked about Elmwood, but it’s hard to simulate that speed in
practice.
“Hats off to Elmwood. They shot the ball well and we didn’t defend the
way we should of or could of early,” he continued. “In the second half
we put forth a great effort and got back into it.”
In addition to Beckford’s 35 points, Briggs contributed 12.
“She wasn’t forcing a thing,” Bateson said about Beckford.
Bernthisel said the Knights used a box-and-one defense on Beckford in
the first meeting this season, but other girls scored for the Royals.
“We tried to play it more straight-up this time and we were very aware
of her, but she hurt us and she hit foul shots when she needed to,”
Bernthosel said.
Greulich led Otsego with 22 points, including 13 in the second half, and Kylee Bernthisel added 12
points.
ELMWOOD 72, OTSEGO 70
ELMWOOD
Briggs, 0-3-3—12; Gross, 2-5—9; Beckford, 8-2-13—35; Hillard, 1-0—2;
Wink, 0-0—0; Auchmuty, 3-0—6; Foster, 2-0—4; Hickman, 0-0—0; Morlock,
2-0—4. TOTALS: 18-5-21—72.
OTSEGO
Greulich, 8-2-0—22; Bernthisel, 6-0—12; Chalfant, 1-0—2; Murphy,
1-1-2—7; Bundy, 1-1-2—7; Mossman, 1-0—2; McCullough, 3-0—6; Strain,
1-2—4; Hagemeyer 0-1—1; Levin, 3-1—7. TOTALS: 25-4-8—70.
ELMWOOD 20 22 17 13 —72
OTSEGO 14 20 12 24 —70