Berndt scores 12, but strong 4th quarter lifts Elkhart Christian to back-to-back sectionals

Val T.
2 days ago
2 min read

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Girls basketball

Elkhart Christian 37, Culver 27 (Saturday): Ashlynn Berndt scored 12 points, grabbed eight rebounds and had four steals, but the Culver girls basketball team scored only two points in the fourth quarter and lost to Elkhart Christian in the Class 1A, Sectional 51 final at Oregon-Davis Saturday.

Ava McCune added six points, and Brooke Davis had four points and six rebounds.

Kyla Yordy scored a game-high 16 points for the Lady Eagles. Ivy Clapsaddle added eight. Culver lost despite holding Lily Maxwell scoreless.

Culver made 3 of 10 free throws while Elkhart Christian was 8 for 13.

Elkhart Christian led 8-5 after one quarter, but Culver came back to lead 16-15 at halftime. The game was tied at 25 after three quarters.

No. 4 Elkhart Christian won their second straight sectional after never having won one prior to 2025. They will play West Central at 4 p.m. Saturday at Warsaw in a regional.

Elkhart Christian beat Culver 53-16 in their regular season meeting Nov. 20.

Culver (17-7) has not won a sectional title since 2011.

CULVER (27) (17-7)

Ava McCune 2 2-8 6, Ashlynn Berndt 4 1-2 12, Eliana Andrzejewski 1 0-0 2, Brianna Schlemmer 1 0-0 3, Brooke Davis 2 0-0 4, Haylie Parker 0 0-0 0

TEAM: 10 3-10 27

ELKHART CHRISTIAN (37) (21-4)

Maxwell 0 0-0 0, K. Yordy 4 7-11 16, J. Yordy 1 0-0 3, Clapsaddle 4 0-0 8, Hibbard 1 0-0 3, Hanlon 0 0-0 0, A. Meyer 2 0-0 6, L. Meyer 0 1-2 1

TEAM: 12 8-13 37

Three-point field goals:

Culver 4 (Berndt 3, Schlemmer),

Elkhart Christian 5 (A. Meyer 2, K. Yordy, J. Yordy, Hibbard)

Total fouls: Culver 12, Elkhart Christian 13