BUCHANAN — Ashley Streb has a new role this year for the Edwardsburg girls’ basketball team.

Streb, who averaged six points a game last year for the Eddies, is being counted on this season to be more of a scorer.

If Friday’s season-opener against Buchanan is any indication, Streb is ready for the new challenge.

Streb scored a career-high 20 points and grabbed six rebounds as Edwardsburg rolled past Buchanan, 46-21, in Lakeland Conference action.

“She has that potential,” said Eddies coach Nicole Cartwright about Streb’s offensive skills. “Her role has changed this year and she’s stepped up and welcomed that challenge. In the preseason (practices) she was definitely one of our go-to girls. From last year’s team, we lost 25 points worth of scoring so (Streb) knows she’s got to fill those shoes.”

Streb, who’s a 5-foot-10 senior, scored 12 points in the second and third quarters as the Eddies outscored the Bucks, 28-7, to take a commanding 37-13 lead.

Most of Edwardsburg’s points during that stretch came in the paint as the visitors did a nice job of passing the basketball. The Eddies, who shot 52-percent (12-of-22) from the field in the second and third quarters, totaled 15 assists. Alexis Blake had seven assists to lead the visitors.

“We can be a good passing team,” Cartwright said. “Ashley Streb (three assists) is a great ball distributor. She really sees teammates well. If they’re open, she’ll get them the ball.”

Edwardsburg also had few turnovers (11), controlled the boards (30-20 edge) and held the Bucks to 20-percent (9-of-45) shooting. Buchanan was held scoreless in the third quarter.

“As a coach I’m thinking about the first quarter and the fourth quarter when we reached too much and didn’t do what we needed to do,” Cartwright said. “Our defense was better in stretches, but our standards are higher because we want to win the Lakeland and to do that we have to play great defense.”

The Eddies placed second in the league last year and were Class B district champions.

Sarah D’Amico added 10 points and seven rebounds for Edwardsburg in limited play in the second half because of foul trouble. Branda Fleischauer totaled eight points and seven rebounds off the bench.

Maddy Vorrath scored eight points to lead Buchanan. The Bucks took their last lead of the game at 11-10 after getting a basket from Ashley Simpson with 5:11 left in the second quarter. Edwardsburg then went on an 8-0 run to take control of the game.

“I think we were stagnant (on offense) and one or two of our kids forgot plays,” said Buchanan coach David Cleveland. “We’ve got to get back to running the stuff that we run in practice. You also got to be able to hit shots and some of our kids got their heads down a little bit. Edwardsburg also did a great job of helping (on defense) and slowed up some of the stuff we were trying to do. Edwardsburg lost a couple of their good players from last year, but they still have some good players back for this year.”

EDWARDSBURG 46

Ashley Streb 8 3-6 20, Alexis Blaker 0 0-0 0, Katelynn Rogers 0 0-0 0, Brooke Portwood 3 0-1 6, Sarah D’Amico 3 4-4 10, Branda Fleischauer 4 0-0 8, Olivia Hack 1 0-0 2. TOTALS: 19 7-11 46

BUCHANAN 21

Maddy Vorrath 4 0-0 8, Ashley Simpson 3 0-0 6, Madison Prillwitz 0 0-0 0, Amanda Anglero 0 1-4 1, Erin Glavin 2 0-0 6, TateAnna Hinds 0 0-0 0, Jodi Mosier 0 0-0 0, Alexis Meahl 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 9 1-4 21

Edwardsburg 9 20 37 46

Buchanan 6 13 13 21

3-point baskets: Edwardsburg 1 (Streb), Buchanan 2 (Glavin). Total fouls (fouled out): Edwardsburg 10 (none), Buchanan 11 (none). Varsity records: Edwardsburg 1-0 overall, 1-0 Lakeland Conference; Buchanan 0-2 overall, 0-1 Lakeland Conference). JV score: Buchanan 28 (Selica Jones 11), Edwardsburg 24 (Catie Razzano 5)