The final score may not reflect it, but the game was a bounce-back effort for Bradford in a 47-34 loss to St. Marys.

Alanna Benson had the first points of the night for either team with a 3-pointer.

From there, St. Marys went on a 14-0 run that only ended when Benson made a free throw with 1:19 left in the first. Bradford would end the quarter down 18-4, in what would essentially decide the game.

“I think in the first quarter,” said St. Marys coach Michael Franciscus, “That we did a really good job of running our offense. Making good hard cuts, making good hard passes, protecting the ball, doing everything we want to do on offense… I think defensively we played very strong in all facets of the game… Really proud of how we played tonight.”

The second half was much better for the Lady Owls.

They out-scored St. Marys 11-9 and looked far more comfortable on offense. The Lady Dutch had a clear height advantage and used it exceptionally well in the first quarter, going up for layups and grabbing second-chance points. In the second period, Bradford did a good job fighting for the ball and not letting St. Marys walk into the paint.

“I thought our second quarter today was the best second quarter, the best quarter of basketball that we’ve had all year,” said Bradford coach Tony Richards. “That right there should show them that they’re more than capable of doing it. We came out and got down 18-4 right away. Called a timeout, had a discussion and they responded well.

“Normally, down 18-4 they cave, and the halftime score is like 30-6. So I was proud of them, that’s a good team over there and I’m excited to watch (St. Marys) in the playoffs.”

The second quarter ended with some promise for Bradford.

Both teams traded scores and then, with eight seconds left on the clock, Abbi Schleicher stole the ball at midcourt, went to the rack and got a layup. The play put some life back into the crowd and left just four seconds on the clock — not enough time for St. Marys to get a shot up.

Unfortunately, the Lady Owls couldn’t keep up the momentum in the third quarter.

The offense had looked more confident when facing a full-court press earlier in the game, but panicked in the third. They only scored two points and made too many turnovers while allowing St. Marys back into the paint.

Jayssa Snelick led St. Marys with 17 points while going a perfect 5-for-5 from the line.

She partnered with Isabella Caksey, who scored 14 points, to anchor St. Marys’ offense and dominate the interior on offense and defense. The two used their height to go up and grab rebounds, and St. Marys won that battle, 28-22. And they attacked the rim, driving well and using their length to shoot over Bradford.

“It’s boxing out,” said Franciscus. “We like that height (advantage) but it all comes down to boxing out. Doesn’t matter if you’re five foot or six foot, as long as you’re boxing out, anybody has a chance to win the rebound battle and that’s what we did tonight.”

The Lady Dutch also did a great job of passing the ball.

They didn’t let anyone pressure them and passed the ball back-and-forth until a Bradford defender was caught out of position. Then, whoever had the ball would drive to the rack, and especially in the first half, usually get a foul call, too.

The fourth quarter was much better for the Lady Owls defensively. They allowed just six St. Marys points and showed improved poise on the floor.

The game would have featured a more lopsided score, but with around four minutes left, Benson hit a 3-pointer for Bradford.

St. Marys answered with a layup and then Benson got the ball back at the same spot and hit another 3-pointer. St. Marys went scoreless on its possession, Bradford got Benson the ball, in the same spot and she promptly drained her third triple in a row. Then, Bradford forced a turnover and Benson hit a fourth trey in a row.

And with the crowd rocking and two minutes left, Bradford stopped the ensuing St. Marys offensive possession and Benson banked in her fifth 3-pointer in as many shots. She’d finish with seven triples on the night and lead all scorers with 24 points, getting 15 in that quick span to end the game.

Bradford has off until Saturday, when it travels to Warren. Practice will be important, but getting healthy will be the biggest goal for the next few days.

“We lost Makenzie Taylor in the JV game to a pretty bad ankle sprain,” Richards said. “So that bumped us down even more. Covid struck again on us. We have some players out, coaches are out. It’s just a trying year.”

Snelick 5 7-7 17, Caskey 7 0-0 14, M. Caskey 4 0-1 8, Catalone 4 0-0 8. Totals:

Bradford (34)Benson 8 1-4 24, Dixon 2 1-2 6, Schleicher 1 0-0 2, Miller 0 2-2 2. Totals:

Three-point goals: St. Marys 0, Bradford 8 (Benson 7, Dixon); Total fouls: St. Marys 5, Bradford 11; fouled out:

JV: St. Marys 31, Bradford 6