MANNFORD — Snow and ice pared Mannford’s week down to a single test, but when berry hill came to town last Friday night, the Lady Pirates made their presence known, even if the scoreboard did not. Mannford pushed Berryhill deep into the fourth quarter before the margin finally widened and the advantage tilted away.
Berryhill pulled out a 60–46 win, but it was anything but smooth sailing.
“We stayed within range pretty much the whole game, and we let it slip away towards the end,” said Head Coach Nathan Reed.
Mannford trailed by just two after the first quarter and stayed within striking distance for most of the night, matching Berryhill possession for possession through the middle frames. The Pirates were down 29–26 at halftime and only 40–34 after three quarters, refusing to let the game slip despite Berryhill’s pressure and pace.
“Our girls played hard,” Reed said. They played their tails off. We took care of the ball a lot better than we did in the first meeting, but left some easy buckets out there tonight.”
It wasn’t until the final eight minutes that the margin widened. Berryhill found a late gear, outscoring Mannford 20–12 in the fourth, turning a tense, competitive contest into a scoreboard gap that didn’t fully reflect the fight.
Addison Pehrson carried the offensive load with authority, pouring in 27 points while adding 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals. Time and again, she attacked gaps, finished through contact, and kept Mannford within reach when Berryhill threatened to break free.
Adley Elliott owned the glass, hauling in 16 rebounds — that’s right folks, 16 — to go with 9 points and battling effectively inside against Berryhill’s size and refusing to give up second chances. Marin Chapman chipped in 8 points and 4 rebounds, while Ashlyn Elliott, Jayden Caruthers, Emma McCrackin, and Lexi Lovekamp contributed defensively and on the boards in a physical, grind-it-out game.
“I am proud of the fight and belief in each other, and hopefully we can learn from these experiences, despite the outcome,” he said. “Our goal is to be hitting on all cylinders come mid-February.”
Weather forced Mannford’s Tuesday matchup with Bristow to be pushed back to February 12, leaving the Pirates with little margin for rhythm this week — but plenty of resolve.
Mannford returns to action Tuesday on the road at Kiefer, then comes home Friday to host Perkins on Senior Night, a chance to turn hard lessons into momentum as February gets underway.