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EDWARDSBURG — A solid defense has been the saving grace for the Edwardsburg girls basketball team in its first few games. 

The Eddies relied on another stingy effort on the defensive end yet again as they pulled out a 36-16 non-conference victory at home Tuesday over Buchanan. 

The win improves Scott Rodeslier’s Lady Eddies to 4-2 overall, while Buchanan slips to 2-4. 

“We struggled with our shooting for the first three quarters and one of our starters, Kourtney Zarycki, left the game with an injury right before halftime and never played in the second half. I thought we were getting good shots, but they just weren’t falling for us. Thankfully in the fourth quarter they started going in,” Rodeslier said. 

“Our defense held us in this game just like it has all season. That’s kind’ve been our calling card.”

When the Eddies finally found its shooting touch it was senior guard Maddie Pobuda who answered the call. 

Pobuda drained a trio of three pointers to score nine of her 12 points in a decisive fourth quarter as Edwardsburg outscored Buchanan 15-0. 

A 5-foot-7 guard, Pobuda also drained a triple in the opening stanza to help spark Edwardsburg to a 7-2 advantage. 

Edwardsburg made all six of their free-throw attempts in a second quarter that saw the Eddies outcore the Lady Bucks 10-9 and increase its advantage to six points, 17-11 entering halftime. 

Buchanan created some anxious moments for Edwardsburg fans though during the third quarter. 

The Lady Bucks pulled within three points (17-14) on an 8-foot jumper by its star 6-2 senior center Alyssa Carson early in the period. 

Junior postplayer Mya Eberlein scored six of her 10 points for Edwardsburg in the third to send the Eddies into the final eight minutes with a 21-16 lead.

Zarycki added six points to the Eddies’ cause, while Ella Zache tallied four and Shelby Laubach and Kya Shiver produced two points each for the winners.

Edwardsburg outrebounded Buchanan 23-17. Zache and Eberlein grabbed five boards each for Edwardsburg. 

Buchanan was led on the boards by Carson with six rebounds and Kate Ailes snagged four. The Bucks were led in scoring by Carson with eight, while Ailes and Aspen Berry contributed four each. 

Big goals lie ahead for Edwardsburg as they will enter the Christmas Break after Thursday’s home game with Sturgis.

“We want to challenge for a conference and district championship. Our goal is to keep playing better as a team everyday so we can reach those kind of goals and be playing our best basketball at the end of the year,” Rodeslier said. 

Edwardsburg is still a fairly young squad with Zarycki and Pobuda as the two lone seniors. Eberlein and Liyah Worthington are the only juniors, while the rest of the team is comprised of sophomores Laubach, Zache, Nanette DuFour and Shier, along with freshmen Reaghan Jenks, Delaney Schantz, Kaylee Scott, Shyann Flanery and Harlow Gropp. 

“We are a fairly young team but we’re athletic. Right now we have to improve and cut down on our fouls. We have some kids right now that need time to develop. It’s been kind of an uphill battle but we’re showing improvement,” Rodeslier said.

First-year Buchanan head coach Alex Austin remains upbeat about the season despite the setback.

“I thought our zone worked pretty well for us in the first half. We got a couple baskets and forced them to call an early timeout to start the second half. We got slow on a couple rotations in the third quarter and Edwardsburg hit two big threes. Mentally we got untracked there, but that’s part of the game and you have to learn how to overcome adversity. We have to get through that now, remain positive and continue to support one another. It’s moments like this that will help make us become a better team come playoff time. I still believe in our team because we have alot of talent here. It’s just going to come down to implementing more discipline and execution, especially on the defensive side of the ball,” Austin said.

Seven seniors give Austin hope that Buchanan will see that  progress take place on a daily basis. That group includes Cam Carlson, Carson, Caitlyn Horvath, Maddie Young, Evyn Pruett, Ailes and Akirrah Robinson. 

“Obviously we want to win every game. A state championship is the ultimate goal of everyone but of course not every team can go out and win that. What Coach (Nicole) Teska and I are trying to do right now as new coaches is to lay the groundwork while implementing our system and culture while emphasizing a family environment,” Austin said. “That’s something we feel is very important, especially with the group of seniors and juniors that we have with seven in each of those classes. We just want to make sure everyone is taking basketball serious but having fun at the same time. Our goal for many years to come is to continue building that culture and keep uplifting each other.”

Berry, Lea Atkinson, Justyce Cashier, Danica Taylor, Makynna Williams, Gabie Frain and Nevaeh Nowak comprise the Lady Bucks’ junior class.

Rounding out Buchanan’s squad is sophomore Cora Weinberg.