Harbor Country News ✹ Friday, January 28, 2011 ✹ B1

By Tim MoranNews Staff Writer

NEW BUFFALO — The New Buffalo High School women’s basketball team is on a roll, picking up a pair of non-conference victories over Watervliet and Cassopolis.

The Lady Bison traveled to Watervliet Saturday, Jan. 22, and came away with a 63-42 victory over the then 10-1 Panthers. New Buffalo stormed out of the gate to a 22-14 lead after one quarter, and held a 32-27 edge at the half.

Then they held the host Panthers to 15 sec-ond half points, while pouring in 16 as a team in the third stanza and 15 in the fourth.

Lena Madison had a season-high 32 points in the win, while Amy Golebiewski (11 points) and Abbey Dixon (6) also had solid nights for New Buffalo.

Returning home to face Cassopolis on Tuesday, Jan. 25, the Lady Bison (8-6) wel-comed back senior center Korbi Forker to the lineup for the first time this season. Although Forker was held to two points, her presence inside helped the Bison roll to a 43-24 victory over the visiting Rangers.

New Buffalo had a 37-14 edge at the end of three quarters, and held on despite being outscored 10-6 by Cassopolis in the final stanza.

Lena Madison and Jade Madison each had 11 points to pace New Buffalo. Amy Golebiewski scored 7.

Despite the lopsided win, New Buffalo struggled from the free throw line, going 3-for-13 on the night.

Whereas the girls team picked up their sec-ond win in a row, the New Buffalo boys were unable to put together a mini win streak, fall-ing to Cassopolis, 46-29 on Tuesday, Jan. 25.

SPORTS

Bridgman girls fend off HornetsBy David JohnsonNews Editor

BRIDGMAN — The Bridgman High School women’s basketball team did what it took to win a close one on Friday, Jan. 21.

The Bees entered the fourth quarter leading by just two points (25-23), but a series of clutch scores and defensive stops produced a 39-30 victory.

“They played a consistent four quarters tonight — they played hard from the tip to the end,” said Bridgman coach Amy Houghton. “The hit the open person, they made the exrtra pass, they were patient on offense.”

The visiting Hornets led 7-5 after one period, but second period three-pointers by Niki Strefling and Alyse Newman helped Bridgman build a 15-11 halftime advantage.

Rachel Stemm scored to open the third period and Alyssa Krynicki’s 2-for-2 trip to the foul line at the 6:11 mark of quarter number three opened up a 19-11 Bee lead, but the Hornets began a 12-5 run with Heather Medich’s three-point play. Subsequent scores from Medich, Brooke Howard, Blaec Arevalo and Jess Doster pulled Mendon within a single point (24-23).

Newman knocked down a clutch jumper from the top of the key 15 seconds into the fourth quarter, and

Stemm scored with 6:53 remaining to give the Bees a 29-23 advantage.

“We needed to come out with intensity, and knew that we could pull through,” said Newman. “We had to work together as a team, and we did for the first time in a while, and it felt nice.”

Bridgman maintained a solid margin down the stretch by out-scoring the Hornets 10-7. Lisa Bowman scored consecutive bas-kets, with Strefling picking up an assist both times. Lindsey Lowery then sank a short-range shot before finishing the scoring by sinking two free throws.

Strefling led a balanced Bee attack with 7 points. Three of her teammates (Lowery, Bowman and Krynicki) each tallied 6 points.

Medich paced the Hornets with 11 points.

Bridgman 63 Loy Norrix 61

BRIDGMAN — Cameron Reeves returned from a three-week absence on Tuesday, Jan. 25, to help the Bridgman High School men’s basketball team edge Kalamazoo Loy Norix 63-61 in overtime.

Reeves, who suffered a knee injury at Buchanan on Jan. 3, led all scorers with 17 points.

Conner Magro finished with 14 points for the Bees, Michael Kamp tallied 12 points, Zane Copeland contributed 8 points and 10 assists to the cause, and Cameron Magro netted 8 points..

Kamp came through with 7 of the Bees’ 11 points in the extra period.

Bishop Robinson paced the Knights with 15 points.

Lindsey Lowery of Bridgman (right) races past Mendon’s Heather Wright while going for a lay-up during a Jan. 21 game in “The Hive.” The host Bees prevailed 39-30.

Bridgman guard Taylor Tuszynski (center, No. 22) looks to disrupt the game of Mendon guard Brooke Howard on Jan. 21.

Seyfred going strong at BethelBy David JohnsonNews Editor

GALIEN — Heather Sey-fred is enjoying her final year of college basketball.

And why not? Having recovered from several knee surgeries the 2006 Bridgman High School graduate is the leading scorer at Bethel Col-lege in Mishawaka, Indiana.

Seyfred is averaging a little over 17 points a game for the Pilots. She finished with a game high 26 points during a recent 90-67 win over Indiana University Northwest, includ-ing six 3-pointers to push her season total to 71 trifectas – a number that led the nation as of Jan. 15.

Those who remember seeing her play as a Bridg-man Bee would probably still recognize the shooting guard’s style of play.

“I’m finally getting my speed back and my agility after three knee surgeries,” she said. “I feel like I’m back to my good old self that I was in high school. I feel a little older though.”

The first of those surgeries took place during her senior year in high school when Seyfred tore her ACL during a hard-fought game against Cassopolis.

“I recovered in six months, and then I tore it again. Later I had to have another surgery just to clean stuff up,” she said.

All of those surgeries oc-curred before Seyfred enrolled at Bethel College.

“I’ve been safe at Bethel so that’s been good,” she said.

A First-Team All-State se-lection at Bridgman, Seyfred is in the midst of her third year at Bethel after playing basket-ball for a year at Indiana State University where she was “red-shirted” as a freshman.

Seyfred said the Pilots ended the 2009-2010 season strong by claiming the National Christian College Athletic Association (NC-CAA) championship.

“It was the first time I’ve ever ended the season with a win, so it was pretty exciting,” she said. “Going into this year it was a good motivation.”

Seyfred, who averaged 16.5 points per game last year for a 23-12 Bethel team, said the Pilots were defeated in the Mid-Central Conference (MCC) tournament, so they didn’t qualify for the NAIA Nationals in Iowa, but Bethel was able to compete for the

NCCAA crown at Grace Col-lege in Winona Lake, Indiana.

During her sophomore year at Bethel Seyfred appeared in all 32 games, averaging 14.6 points per game as the Pilots won their second straight MCC title and advanced to the NAIA Sweet 16. Seyfred earned a spot on the MCC All-Conference Second Team and MCC All-Newcomer team.She was an MCC All-Conference selection and First Team NCCAA All American as well as the NC-CAA National Tournament MVP as a junior. Seyfred scored her 1,000th career point at Bethel in the second round of the NCCAA tourney.

Bethel’s current squad includes five seniors, three of them starters.

Seyfred said the other two starting players are sopho-mores.

The season goes about half-way into March, and Seyfred said the squad has two main goals.

“Hopefully we can end up winning the conference — that’s our first goal,” she said. “And our second goal is to get to the NAIA Nationals in

Iowa.”Although Seyfred lives at

the college when school is in sessions, the family farm is close by in Galien.

“I come home a lot to see my family, and my fiancé too,” she said.

Seyfred said she met T.J. McKee at Indiana State, but he now lives just eight miles from Galien in New Carlisle, Indiana.

Seyfred’s major at Bethel is Science Education, and she will be certified to teach fifth through 12th grade upon graduation.

“I hope to get a middle school science teaching job,” she said.

As for basketball, Seyfred said it will just be played for fun once the current college season is over.

“I don’t plan on playing overseas or anything,” she said. “I’m ready to move on to the next stage of my life.”

Seyfred said about the only player from her high school days she goes up against at Bethel is former Buchanan center Haley Cashier — now on the roster at Grace Col-lege.

Heather Seyfred (with ball) attacks the basket during last year’s National Christian College Athletic Association tourna-ment. Bethel ended up winning the tourney title.

New Buffalo center Korbi Forker (with ball) looks for some room to operate against Cass-opolis on Jan. 25.

Lady Bison defeatPanthers, Rangers

See BISON, Page B5

River Valley plays tough to top EaglesBy David JohnsonNews Editor

THREE OAKS — The River Valley women’s basketball team refused to fold when the pressure was on against Howards-ville Christian on Tuesday, Jan. 25.

The host Mustangs saw an nine-point lead dwindle down to zero (35-35) with less than two minutes remaining in the game, but a series of clutch plays yielded a 44-35 victory.

“We played hard and it was exciting to get a win,” said River Valley coach Zac Robert-son. “It was a great team effort.”

River Valley (5-8) jumped out to a 13-5 first-period lead as Morgan Adkins hit a three-pointer and totaled seven points.

A pair of second-quarter buckets by center Rachel Palen helped the home team maintain a 19-12 advantage at half-time.

Shelby Schlutt’s three-point shot and scores from Palen, Jessica Kersey, Jordan Gibson and Adkins pushed the margin to nine points (32-23) through three periods of play.

But the Eagles battled back in the final stanza. Lindsey Kuster and Breanne Bishop both hit three-pointers to help fuel a 12-3 run that tied things up at 35-all with 1:55 remaining.

Adkins earned a trip to the foul line seven seconds later, and made the first opportunity.

Cassi Bronson of River Valley (left) and How-ardsville Christian’s Breanne Bishop reach for the ball on Jan. 25.See PLAYS TOUGH, Page B5