SILVER BAY- Tuesday’s game against the Mariners proved the team’s second blowout of the week, this time by an even bigger margin than last Thursday’s drubbing of International Falls. Playing at Silver Bay, Ely starters spent the second half on the bench as they racked up a 51-6 margin as of halftime enroute to a 89-25 win.
While Ely’s defense was punishing, its offense was even better as the team racked up an impressive 62-percent shooting percentage from two-point range. Twelve Ely players scored in the contest, with three players in double digits. Senior Grace LaTourell led the way with 17 points, while freshman Amelia Penke added 15 and junior Maija Mattson added 12. Seven players posted multiple assists as well.
The Wolves racked up 23 steals, led by senior Sarah Visser with six.
Playing in Ely last Thursday, the Wolves showcased just how stingy they can be on defense, as Ely breezed to a 67-25 win over the Broncos.
Even when the Broncos managed to break Ely’s swarming press, the Wolves created havoc with a stifling man-to-man that allowed I-Falls only five baskets from the field in the first half as they rolled to a 33-15 lead at the intermission. Ely clamped down even harder in the second half, giving up only one deuce and one trey as they held the Broncos to just 10 points. Even more impressive was the Wolves’ ability to apply such intense pressure without fouling – Ely was whistled for infractions only 13 times the entire game.
Unsurprisingly, the Wolves had their transition game revved up, scoring seemingly at will on fast breaks and quick offensive plays before the Broncos could get set on defense. The Wolves also had good success working the ball down low for scores.
Senior Hannah Penke took full advantage of her opportunities, cashing in for a game-high 27 points. Clare Thomas knocked down 12 and Audrey Kallberg dropped in ten as seven Ely players scored in the runaway win.
“We can play good defense when we want to, there’s no doubt about it,” Head Coach Max Gantt said. “We played good man defense, and we pressed them a little bit. We gave up 10 points in the second half – that’s a quality effort.”
Gantt said fans can expect to see more out of the Wolves’ offense in the future.
“We will have better games finishing up at the rim and we’ll shoot threes better,” he said. “There’s even more offense to be had. We didn’t turn it over a lot of times, and that was good, and we got open looks. Those threes will go in. I’m not too worried about that.”
Looking ahead, the Wolves are set to face tougher opponents in the coming days. They face Cromwell on Friday on the road and will be back home to host Chisholm on Monday. “Those teams will be good tests for us,” said Gantt.