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The Bellaire girls basketball team had quite a week, beating then-undefeated and arch rival Central Lake 48-45 in overtime on Tuesday and then topping Joburg 53-49 on Thursday.

The first win against Central Lake was perhaps the most shocking, but Central Lake head coach Al Becker chalked it upÊas an off night for his team.

Ê "It wasn't anything special that Bellaire did," Becker said. "We didn't take care of the ball. We quit playing the way that we play.

"With poor shooting, early foul trouble, a turnover every time we touch the ball, it all contributes to the loss.

"I have a smart bunch of kids; we have already learned from this loss, and we will bounce back. This loss will not break us," Becker said. For Bellaire head coach George Mason, the wins were all about building momentum and confidence heading into the postseason.

"We knocked off the number one and number two teams in the Ski Valley, and we're on a five game winning streak," Mason said. "We're building momentum for the end of the season."

However, that snowball of momentum didn't get going for Bellaire until the third period. The Eagles were down 12-4 after the first quarter and 22-17 at halftime.

"We talked to the kids (at halftime) about hurrying things too much," Mason said. "We told them to just settle down, have fun, and enjoy the gameÉdon't panic or get up tight."

The advice must have been well-received by the Eagles because they committed less turnovers in the third, fourth, and overtime periods combined than they did in the first quarter alone.

"When you're not turning the ball over and getting shots (instead), you increase your chances of winning a lot," Mason said.

Bellaire was down 32-30 to start the fourth quarter before tying the game at 32-all. From there, the Trojans went on a 10-0 run to extend the lead to 42-32 with 4:21 left in the game.

Bellaire came storming back, however, and tied the game at 42-all with just over a minute to play. Each team had chances to win at the end of regulation, but neither could do it. Regulation ended at 42-42, meaning that Bellaire held Central Lake scoreless over the last 4:21 of the fourth quarter.

Bellaire's Molly Poel was the difference in overtime. She scored the last bucket of the game, which also happened to be her 1,000th career point, to put Bellaire ahead for good 48-45. Bellaire closed the game on a 16-3 run for the win after being down 10 with just four minutes to go.

"Our goal from early in the year was to improve and get momentum going for the second half of the season," Mason said. "We're just trying to get ready for the state tournament.

"For us to beat them (Central Lake), the number four team in the state, gives our girls confidence to know that they are beatable."

Poel led Bellaire with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Logan Edgecomb knocked down 14 points and had 16 boards and 5 steals. Central Lake had two players in double figures, Jasmine Hines with 15 and Michelle Edwards with 10.

Bellaire 53, Joburg 49

The momentum kept building for the Eagles on Thursday when they traveled to Joburg and took down the host Cardinals, 53-49. "The girls wanted to prove that it wasn't a fluke to beat Central Lake," Mason said. "They wanted to show that they are for real by going out and beating Joburg."

Bellaire led at the end of each quarter, but not by much. "This was a close game the whole way," Mason said. "Both teams kept going back and forth. We'd make some big plays, and then they'd make some big plays."

With the win, Bellaire may have spoiled Joburg's chances for the conference title, ironically giving the lead in the standings back to the team they beat two days earlier, Central Lake.

"Joburg had a lot riding on that game," Mason said. "They had a shot for first place (in the conference). They had a lot more to lose than us. "They really came after us, but we held off their intensity."

Poel led the Eagles with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Edgecomb had 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 steals.

Joburg was led by Ashlie House with 16 points. Stephanie and Bridget Fisher put in 13 point and 10 points, respectively.

Bellaire was at Forest Area last night, and they travel to Pellston tomorrow (Thursday), where they hope to avenge an early season loss and keep their winning streak alive.