FRILLS CORNERS, Pa. (EYT/D9) — For Brooke Steinman, getting around a defender in the paint on the basketball court is not much unlike making a tight turn around a barrel on her 12-year-old Quarter Horse named Easy Rip Charge during a rodeo competition.
Steinman has two passions — basketball and barrel racing — and is skilled in both.
She put one of those abilities on display on Thursday night, coming off the bench to score 11 points and play stellar defense in helping the North Clarion girls basketball team topple Ridgway, 49-33, in the first round of the District 9 Class A playoffs.
(North Clarion’s Brooke Steinman was named the Hager Paving Incorporated Player of the Game)
“It means a lot to contribute to the team,” Steinman said. “We definitely all work well together. To be able to add points like that, it’s definitely very nice.”
Steinman, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, has been invaluable for the Wolves this season, coming into the game to spell players like 6-3 Lauren Lutz in the post, as well as guards at times.
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Against Ridgway, she needed to fill in for Lutz, who found herself in foul trouble.
Steinman was key in helping North Clarion eventually put Ridgway away after leading 27-11 at the half.
“This definitely boosted our egos a little bit,” Steinman said. “It definitely helped. I think we needed that.”
North Clarion started the season 14-0 and was 18-1 at one point before dropping three of its last four games heading into the district playoffs.
The Wolves are also facing postseason life without point guard Lily Homan, who is ineligible after transferring in the offseason from Venango Catholic. Homan is North Clarion’s leading scorer at 12 points per game.
But the Wolves have shown this season that they have a stable-full of quality reserves. Steinman proved that with her play on Thursday.
“I just try to do the best I can for the team,” she said.
Steinman certainly did against Ridgway, which fell behind 7-0 out of the gate.
The Elkers crept back into the game briefly, cutting the gap to 34-22 after three quarters, but North Clarion quashed any comeback hope with a 9-0 run for a 43-22 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
Lutz added 10 points and Marie Bauer and Akeela Greenawalt each pitched in seven for the Wolves.
Gabby Amacher paced Ridgway with 14 points.
But it was Steinman’s night to shine in helping North Clarion advance to face Elk County Catholic in the Class A semifinals on Tuesday at a site and time to be determined.
ECC knocked off Clarion on Thursday night.
Steinman has been playing basketball since the fifth grade. She’s been riding horses much longer.
“Since I was able to walk I’ve been on ponies and barrel racing,” she said.
Steinman was in the Venango Catholic system until her freshman year, when she began attending North Clarion.
“Coach (Terry) Dreihaup definitely threw me in with the girls and I really appreciate that,” Steinman said. “It made me realize who I am and what I can do and the team has helped me a lot with all of that.”
Barrel racing has helped her on the basketball court, too.
“The mindset in barrel racing is huge,” Steinman said. “You have to have the perfect mindset if you’re going to accomplish what you want to accomplish. It’s kind of like that in basketball. You have to think about what you want to accomplish and then go out and do it.”
North Clarion wants nothing more than to accomplish a District 9 title.
“We’re definitely looking forward to playing (Elk County Catholic) and facing that challenge,” Steinman said. “I think all we need to do is play as a team like we did tonight and I think we can go a long way.”
