The girls basketball team proved a bulldog can brave the cold of the winter better than any polar bear.

The Lady Bulldogs went up against the Jackson Polar Bears on Jan. 21, extending their winning streak to five games and an overall record of 9-5.

The now 10-7 Polar Bears could not keep up with the fast-paced style of play the Bulldogs brought to the court, and early turnovers allowed Stow to capitalize on their mistakes. The end of the first quarter was controlled by Stow, who claimed a 16-5 lead.

The second quarter revealed a more offensively aggressive, patient Jackson team. The momentum shifted as Jackson went on a run to tie the game with 2:30 left on the clock. Back to back three pointers from Stow’s senior Morgan Thompson, and Jackson players, led to a tied ballgame going into the half with a score of 24-24.

Jackson’s momentum carried over to the third quarter where Stow’s sloppy offense and poor shot selection allowed Jackson to pull ahead with a 36-43 lead going into the last quarter.

The fourth quarter started in favor of Jackson, as they used their lead and the clock to their advantage. The momentum took a turn in favor of Stow though, as they began to chop away at Jackson’s lead.

A floater by senior Sam Shaver followed by three pointers by sophomore Kelly Fenwick and Thompson cut the deficit to one with 3:36 left to go. Jackson began to fall apart, as a steal by Thompson followed by a layup by Shaver gave the Bulldogs the lead.

The score remained close and with under a minute left, Stow trailed behind.

With three seconds left in regulation, and the scored tied at 57-57, Stow fouled and sent a Jackson player to the free throw line, where she went on to miss both shots and sent the game into overtime.

In overtime, Stow’s defensive game was forcing turnovers by Jackson, for which Stow’s offensive game benefited from.

Stow became patient with the ball, and with the clock on their side, were able to run the time down until Jackson had no option but to foul.

The Lady Bulldogs went on to defeat the Jackson Polar Bears in overtime 66-65. Thompson led all scorers on the night with 19 points followed by senior Chrissie Vaughn with 13 points of her own.

The girls basketball team will try to extend their winning streak to six games as they take on the Twinsburg Tigers at home Jan. 24 at 7 p.m.