State-ranked Annawan 
quiets Storm

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Bureau Valley junior Sam Shepard goes up for a layup Monday in Manlius against Annawan. The visiting Bravettes won 62-41. (BCR photo/Chris Yucus)

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MANLIUS – The visiting Bravettes of Annawan wasted no time getting to business, as they put on a defensive clinic in the early moments of Monday’s non-conference contest against Bureau Valley enroute to a 62-41 win.

Annawan used a full-court zone press, and trapping half-court defense to lock down the Storm in the opening quarter. The Bravettes’ defense gave Bureau Valley fits, forcing the Storm to commit nine straight turnovers during a four minute stretch of first-quarter action as the state-ranked Bravettes jumped out to a 21-7 lead heading into the second frame.

“They’re big and we didn’t execute very well. They caused us some problems with that (the defensive pressure),” said Storm coach Jeff Ohlson. “They came out and they were ready to go. They looked like a team that was ready to play as deep as they can into late February. We stood there and let them punch at us and punch at us and didn’t respond a whole lot.”

Annawan coach Matt Huber said it was important to set the tone early Monday.

“In a gym like this were Bureau Valley plays really well we’ve got to set the tone and kind of make it a home game for us with the way we’re playing…we’ve just got to capitalize and make sure that we’re dictating the tempo, and we did a good job with that,” he said.

Bureau Valley managed to solve some of the riddle to the Annawan defensive pressure during the second quarter, chopping the Bravettes lead down to single digits at 28-19 on a pair of free throws from senior Melanie Thompson with just under three minutes until intermission.

Unfortunately the Storm were without an answer for 6-0 Annawan senior forward Kelly Buresh, who earned first team 1A All-State honors last year as a junior. Buresh, showed why she is among the best in the state as she exploded for 14 second-quarter points, working both the post and perimeter as the Bravettes extended out to a 19-point advantage at the break, 41-20.

Buresh picked up where she left off after intermission, completing a three-point play that sparked an 8-0 Bravettes’ run that gave Annawan a 27-point lead at 48-21 with six minutes to go in the third quarter that made things academic.

“She’s a heck of a player,” said Ohlson. “She works as hard as I’ve seen any player work. She comes in with the idea that ‘no one’s going to stop me on the floor, I’m going to take over tonight.’”

Buresh led all scorers with a 28-point performance including a pair of threes. Joining her in double digits for Annawan (18-8) was junior guard Kelsey Koning with 10 points.

For the Storm (17-8), senior center Melanie Thompson led the way with 18 points, senior forward Lauren Hasbrook added nine.

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