FREMONT - There was no junior varsity game Thursday night in Fremont.
No matter. Calvert's JV players got plenty of time on the floor.
The Senecas started out hot against St. Joe, scoring the game's first 16 points and leading by as many as 31 before defeating the depleted Streaks, 61-39.
Calvert improved to 5-2, 3-0 in the Midland Athletic League.
St. Joe (4-4, 1-2) was without three major contributors. Josie Weikert, Cassidy Frank and Emily Luc were all out with injuries or sickness, something Calvert coach Tim Ritzler was aware of.
"We talked before the game, we knew they were down (a few) players," Ritzler said. "But we told the girls, 'you can't take anybody lightly. You've got to play hard no matter who the opponent is.'"
Fact Box
Calvert 61,
Fremont St. Joe 39
Calvert (5-2, 3-0): Emma Sullivan 0-0-0; Taylor Ritzler 1-2-4; Ashley Perry 0-0-0; Marisa Horn 0-0-0; Samantha Beckley 1-0-2; Kate Brickner 5-10-20; Margaret Bowers 0-0-0; Alanna Widman 0-0-0; Megan Funkhouser 4-2-13; Amber Perry 3-0-6; Olivia Smith 2-2-6; Nicole Bickley 2-0-4; Lindsay Bickley 1-0-2. Totals: 19-16-61.
Fremont St. Joe (4-4, 1-2): Jensen LeJeune 3-0-6; Ashley Burns 2-0-5; Brennan Reardon 0-0-0; Be Reardon 7-2-18; Megan Mehalko 1-2-4; Laura Baez 2-0-4; Chloe Liebold 0-0-0; Hannah Stepanic 0-0-0. Totals: 15-4-39.
Calvert 2410198 - 61
Fremont St. Joe 76917 - 39
Field goals: Calvert 19-51; St. Joe 15-52.
Foul shots: Calvert: 16-18; St. Joe 4-7.
Rebounds: Calvert 48 (N. Bickley 9); St. Joe 22.
Turnovers: Calvert 18; St. Joe 16.
Kate Brickner certainly did, as she continued a string of strong individual games with 20 points, 10 of which came from the free throw line. Her prowess at the stripe carried over to her teammates; the Senecas were 16 of 18.
"(Brickner) started playing well at the end of last year, and kept it going in the summer," Ritzler said. "She was a gym rat all summer, and she's got a lot of confidence in her shot, and she's really worked hard to become a good free throw shooter."
Brickner conceivably could have scored 30 Thursday night, but Calvert was never in much danger, leading 24-7 after one quarter and 34-13 at halftime. As a result, Brickner, Megan Funkhouser (13 points), Nicole Bickley (9 rebounds) and the rest of the starters were on the bench for much of the third quarter and didn't return.
St. Joe was held scoreless for the first 5:39 of the game, and then went cold again in the second quarter, going on another drought that went almost five minutes. In the game, the Streaks were out-rebounded 48-20.
"You can't play at team the caliber of Calvert short-handed," said St. Joe coach Gary Geller said. "We were short-handed to begin with; we only had 15 kids to start with the whole season ... so when you're without three players, it's not working in your favor at all."
The bright spot for the Streaks was Be Readon, who had 18 points.
"She's just done a great job for us," Geller said of the sophomore. "She's got good ups, and she's relentless."
