Basketball Recap: Bella Diaz's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Brookside over Keystone

It was a proper cat-fight when Brookside faced off against Keystone on Wednesday. The game between the Brookside Cardinals and the Keystone Wildcats didn't end well, with the Brookside Cardinals falling 53-38. While losing is never fun, the Cardinals can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 640th, while the Wildcats are ranked 136th).

Several Cardinals players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Bella Diaz, who went 9 for 15 en route to 17 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Brianna Slaughter, who went 6 of 11 on her way to 12 points and five rebounds.

Cardinals

Previous 3 Games

01/15/25 vs Keystone	38-53
01/11/25 vs John Hay	47-51
01/08/25 vs Firelands	29-56

Even though they lost, Brookside smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive boards in five consecutive matches.

Keystone's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Madyson Sokolowski, who went 7 for 16 en route to 15 points. Sokolowski is on a roll when it comes to points, as she's now scored 15 or more in the last four games she's played. Vivian Cassell was another key player, putting up seven points in addition to 12 boards and four steals.

Brookside dropped their record down to 4-10 with the loss, which was their third straight at home. As for Keystone, the victory keeps them at an undefeated 14-0.

Brookside didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 48-46 win against Clearview on the 18th. Keystone has also already played their next game (against Black River), but no score has been uploaded at the time of writing.