United senior Taylor Cope and Southern freshman Makenna Jones received the first “Ashley Bergman Award” at Thursday’s basketball game. On hand for the presentation were (from left) United head coach Cory Leek, Taylor Cope, mother Shelley Bergman, Makenna Jones, Southern head coach Michael Skrinjar and United coach Terry Leek. Ashley was a United graduate and Southern Local teacher and coach. She died in 2020 at age 33 due to an undetected heart condition. (Special to the Journal/Gary Leininger)

HANOVERTON — It was a special night in two ways when Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference girls basketball powers United and Southern met Thursday night — a physical game impressively won by the Golden Eagles, 45-23.

No. 1: It was special because the teams are two of three frontrunners battling for the EOAC crown again this season.

But, No. 2: It was a night to bring fans from both schools together to honor the late Kim and Ashley Bergman through a memorial fund established in their memory. Ashley, and her father, Kim, were United High School graduates and Ashley was a former player for the Golden Eagles, and later, a teacher and coach at Southern.

Students from both schools were provided free tickets to see the game paid by the fund. In addition, starting with this year’s contest, the first Ashley Bergman Award was bestowed upon a player from each team. This year’s recipients are United’s Taylor Cope and Southern’s Makenna Jones. Presenting the awards prior to Thursday’s tip-off was Shelley Bergman, the widow of Kim Bergman and mother of Ashley Bergman.

“Ashley coached with me when I coached at Southern Local, and my dad and I coached her here (at United) when she was in high school and she was one of the greatest persons I’ve ever known,” said United coach Cory Leek. “(Her passing) is just a tragedy and the first thing on my mind when I got this job was to honor her. I just love her and her family and it (having a memorial award in her name) means a lot to me.”

Ashley Bergman would have been proud of the way the Golden Eagles and Indians battled to the end in a physical game Thursday.

It was the defending EOAC champion Golden Eagles who grabbed momentum early and never let up in improving to 3-1 overall and 3-0 in the conference play.

“That (defense) is what we want to hang our hat on because they (the Indians) have one of the best players in the county (in Ashley Shroades), the player of the year in the county last year,” said Leek. “So that’s what we wanted to do, we wanted to play defense — we knew if we came in here and held them under 30 that we’d be in good shape to win the game.”

Southern is now 4-1 overall and 2-1 in EOAC action.

“I liked how our girls stuck together and played tough against a great United team,” said Southern coach Michael Skrinjar. “United’s a tough, competitive program. The girls played tough and it was a momentum game here and there, our shots didn’t go in and when you don’t put the ball in the hoop, the momentum doesn’t sway.”

The Golden Eagles combined a stifling defensive performance with a balanced offensive attack, led by standout senior guard Madison Kibler who finished with a game-high 19 points, including all three of the winners’ treys.

“I worked hard for this — this was a really, really big game in my eyes,” said Kibler. “I just went out there and tried my hardest and put everything I had out there.”

Also having a big offensive game for the Golden Eagles was standout senior center Taylor Cope, who added 15 points and 13 rebounds.

“My teammates all played hard, we all came out and did what we were supposed to and got (a win),” said Kibler. “We just want to go in there, work hard and work as a team, get a win every game and go in and win the league. Everybody comes out there and plays their hardest against us and we have to work as hard as we can every time just to prove to them that we’re still the team.”

“They got some nice things they were doing offensively, putting the ball in the hoop,” said Skrinjar.

The Indians were led by Shroades with 13 points, 11 rebounds and one steals. Olivia Kerns added six points, seven rebounds and nine blocks and Kennedy Lewis grabbed nine rebounds.

“I was really proud of our girls, coming in here we knew this was going to be a tough environment to play in against a great United program,” said Skrinjar. “We have to continue to work better and it’s a matter of how they respond from this. It was a great competitive battle and we treated this like a championship game.”

With Kibler hitting from long range, United jumped out to a 11-8 lead after one while forcing 10 first-quarter turnovers out of the Indians. Southern stayed in the game with four of its points coming at the foul line.

“She set the momentum right away,” said Leek. “She wanted this game and she took on the challenge of guarding Ashley (Shroades) and did a great job and we’ll take it.”

United began to stretch its advantage in the second quarter as Kibler, who had 13 first-half points, nailed two treys in the stanza. United took its largest first-half lead at 14 points and led by 12 at intermission (27-15).

The Golden Eagles really turned up their defense in the third quarter, holding the youthful Indians, with three sophomores in its lineup, to just two third-quarter points as United led 34-17 after three.

The Golden Eagles took their largest lead of the night at 25 points (45-20) following a layup by Cope with just 1:42 remaining and went on to the 45-23 triumph.

The Golden Eagles forced 21 turnovers out of the Indians.

“Wow, to do that (forcing 21 turnovers) is really a testament to our defense and the way the girls came to play tonight,” said Leek.

“They (the Golden Eagles) have got some great seniors and some juniors underneath,” said Skrinjar. “They’re a nice, complete team and coach Leek is doing a great job. They’ve been a great program the last four years and we have to continue to do our work on our end and continue to up the ante. This is the team you have to beat because they’ve won it, so that’s how you treat it. Our girls are going to continue to focus up. I was proud of them.”

Leek says United will continue to take things one game at a time because he knows how competitive the EOAC title race will be.

“We’re not looking past anybody at all,” he said. “Southern playing the way they’ve been playing, they’re a great team and it’s going to be a battle between us and them and Columbiana is going to be there, too, so we just have to come ready every night.”

Game notes

• United won a two-quarter junior varsity game against Southern by an 18-14 final.

• Southern will host East Palestine in EOAC action Monday.

• United returns to play Saturday in an independent game at Youngstown Ursuline.

SOUTHERN: 8- 7- 2-6–23

UNITED: 11-16-7-11–45

SOUTHERN SCORING: Makenna Jones 0-0-0, Olivia Kerns 2-2-6, Paige Riggs 0-0-0, Gigi Rodgers 0-3-3, Esther Forbes 0-1-1, Kennedy Lewis 0-0-0, Ashley Shroades 4-5-13, Josie Stanley 0-0-0, Maddy Jones 0-0-0. TEAM TOTALS: 6, 11-20: 23.

UNITED SCORING: Madison Kibler 5 6-19, Sam Lippiatt 1-0-2, Addy Blazer 0-1-1, Ally Lacey 0-0-0, Grace Knight 1-0-2, Taylor Cope 7-0-14, Grayson Kidder 2-1-5, Chloe Cooper 0-0-0, Katie Dees 0-2-2. TEAM TOTALS: 16, 10-21: 45.

Three-point goals: United 3 (Kibler 3).

Total fouls: Southern 18, United 16.

Fouled out: Addy Blazer.