Bethel girls pick up win over Covington in CCC action

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By Rob Kiser

Piqua Daily Call

COVINGTON — For Bethel girls basketball coach Corey Steinke, it was the team he had been looking for all season.

For Covington coach Brandon Studebaker, it was a team he has seen too often this season.

The result was the Bees getting a 64-47 road win in CCC action Thursday night at Covington High School.

“This is probably as well as we have played as a team all season,” Steinke said. “It was probably the first time where they all worked together like that on the same night.”

The win improved Bethel to 9-9 overall and 5-4 in the CCC, while Covington dropped to 7-9 overall and 5-4 in the CCC.

“I think we shot about 20 percent and Bethel shot about 90 percent,” Studebaker’s said. “It was the same thing. We are getting good looks. We like the shots we are getting, they are just not going in.”

It was a breakout game for Bethel freshman Karley Moore who had 13 points.

“Yes, it was (her first game playing varsity),” Steinke said about Moore. “It was something we had planned. She really gave us a spark.”

Kenna Gray led the Bees with 15 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double, while Lydia Lowery added 12 points, Natalie Moorman had 10 points and six rebounds, Olivia Reittinger scored seven points and Sam Wiley pulled down five rebounds.

“Kenna (Gray) is the one that makes us go,” Steinke said. “I thought she played a great game tonight. There were times when we had her down in the post and I thought she did a great job. Lydia (Lowery) did a nice job getting to the basket. Liv (Reittinger) and Sam (Wiley) both had good games and Natalie (Moorman) is real solid.”

Covington had some standouts as well.

Morgan Kimmel had 13 points and eight rebounds, Claudia Harrington scored 13 points and Claire Fraley pulled down 17 rebounds and scored seven points. Ellie Hedges added nine points.

“The kids play really hard the whole game,” Studebaker said. “Morgan (Kimmel) is playing injured and just playing through it. You have to give her a lot of credit. Claire Fraley is really coming on. She is doing a great job on the boards, she just needs to be able to finish.

“Sometimes, she plays to the level of the competition and we just need to get her to play to the level of her potential.”

There were two big swings that determined the outcome of the game.

Covington had a 16-10 lead early in the second quarter after a basket by Hedges before Bethel went on a 17-2 run and opened a 30-21 halftime lead.

When it was tied at 16, Reittinger scored five straight points, followed by four straight by Moorman to make it 25-16 and complete a 15-0 run.

Moore, Moorman and Gray had scored the first six points in the run.

“We were able to force some turnovers at the defensive end and speed the game up,” Steinke said. “We were able to get some easy baskets at the other end.”

Despite Moore scoring nine points in the third quarter, Covington was within five points late in the quarter at 44-39 after 3-pointers by Lowe, Harrington and Hedges and Kimmel hit one of two free throws.

Bethel then went on a 16-1 run to open a 60-40 lead midway through the fourth quarter.

Six different players from the Bees scored during the run and Gray started and ended it with 3-pointers.

“We did a nice job there,” Steinke said.

Studebaker had seen it before.

“We talked at halftime and I thought we settled down in the third quarter and got back in the game,” he said. “Then, our bugaboo of not being able to hit shots hit us again in the fourth quarter.”

Bethel was 28 of 70 from the floor for 40 percent and three of 10 from the line for 30 percent.

Covington was 16 of 57 from the floor for 28 percent and 10 of 18 from the line for 56 percent.

Covington won the battle of the boards 40-38, but had 17 turnovers to Bethel’s 14.

Contact Piqua Daily Call Sports Editor Rob Kiser at [email protected].

©2020 Miami Valley Today, all rights reserved.

Ben Robinson|GoBuccs.com Bethel’s Olivia Reittinger drives between Covington’s Claire Fraley (left) and Claudia Harrington.
https://www.dailycall.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/01/web1_thumbnail_bethel-no2-1.jpgBen Robinson|GoBuccs.com Bethel’s Olivia Reittinger drives between Covington’s Claire Fraley (left) and Claudia Harrington.

Ben Robinson|GoBuccs.com Bethel’s Lydia Lowery shoots the ball against Covington Thursday night.
https://www.dailycall.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/01/web1_thumbnail_bethel-no30-1.jpgBen Robinson|GoBuccs.com Bethel’s Lydia Lowery shoots the ball against Covington Thursday night.

Ben Robinson|GoBuccs.com Covington’s Morgan Kimmel shoots in a crowd Thursday night.
https://www.dailycall.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/01/web1_thumbnail_morgan-kimmel-1.jpgBen Robinson|GoBuccs.com Covington’s Morgan Kimmel shoots in a crowd Thursday night.

Ben Robinson|GoBuccs.com Covington’s Morgan Lowe passes the ball against Bethel Thursday night.
https://www.dailycall.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/01/web1_thumbnail_morgan-lowe-1.jpgBen Robinson|GoBuccs.com Covington’s Morgan Lowe passes the ball against Bethel Thursday night.

Ben Robinson|GoBuccs.com Bethel’s Natalie Moorman (left) and Olivia Reittinger (right) battle with Covington’s Morgan Kimmel for the ball Thursday night.
https://www.dailycall.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/01/web1_thumbnail_scrum-1.jpgBen Robinson|GoBuccs.com Bethel’s Natalie Moorman (left) and Olivia Reittinger (right) battle with Covington’s Morgan Kimmel for the ball Thursday night.

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