BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — Bridgeport connected on ten shots from beyond the arc to hold off a stern challenge from county rival Robert C. Byrd, 61-53 Tuesday evening.
The Indians led for the final three quarters of the game and held off a few mini-runs from the Flying Eagles to win their eighth game of the season.
“The way Annamarie (Pinti) has been shooting the basketball and the way Gabrielle (Reep) has been shooting the basketball, three’s have definitely become a bigger part of our game, no question,” said Bridgeport head coach Herman Pierson.
“And Paige (Humble) is finally starting to get her legs under her and get comfortable again. She was comfortable at the beginning of the year and we took ten days off and it just killed her and all of us. Now she is starting to get her perimeter game back, which is one of the reasons they looked at her at Glenville.”
Bridgeport led 26-18 at halftime and built a double digit lead at the end of the third quarter, 44-33. RCB closed the gap to eight points at the five-minute mark but could not close the gap any further.
Reep led the Indians with 18 points. Humble, a GSC signee, scored 17 and Pinti added 16 for Bridgeport (8-4). Davis & Elkins signee Victoria Sturm led the Flying Eagles (8-8) with 28 points.
Despite their 8-4 record, Bridgeport is the No. 4 seed in their four-team sectional tournament next week. The Indians open with 2020 Class AAA semifinalist University. Buckhannon-Upshur and Preston will meet in the other sectional semifinal.
“They know that even though we have been beaten by the two teams we have played in the section, we could have won either game,” Pierson said. “We just need to be more composed. We are a bit more composed than we were a week ago.”