ELY— Solid defense and a big second half by senior Grace LaTourell made the difference for the Timberwolves here on Monday as they easily handled the Bluestreaks 64-36. “We played really great defense all night,” said Ely Head Coach Max Gantt. “We made their post player, Baumguard, really work for every touch and every basket. Zoe Mackenzie and Amelia Penke did great jobs guarding Baumgard.”
Both sides struggled to put points on the board in the first half. The Wolves went to the break, up 25-18 in a contest that was still anyone’s game, particularly against the Bluestreaks who came into Monday’s contest at 5-1.
But LaTourell came out on fire in the second half, pouring in 20 points in the stanza for a game-high 28 points on the night. Senior Sarah Visser added 17 points for the game, ten of them in the second half as the Wolves outpaced Chisholm 39-18 down the stretch. Senior Hannah Penke also made it to double digits with 11 points in the game. “It was that big second half that propelled us to a big win,” said Gantt.
The Wolves shot over 50 percent from two-point range and notched 20 steals. “We turned it over a little too much at times but, overall, it was a great home win against a tough team,” said Gantt.
Monday’s win came on the heels of a disappointing 61-51 loss to 6-2 Cromwell last Friday. “We just had too many turnovers in the first half,” said Gantt. It showed on the board as the Wolves headed into the break down by 17. While the Wolves whittled down the gap in the second half, a full comeback remained elusive. “We played pretty decent defense all night, and the second half was much better offensively,” said Gantt. “We stopped turning it over and took care of the ball. Overall, it was a game we can look back on and say, ‘We can compete and even beat the best teams when we take care of the ball and play defense.’”
Visser and LaTourell both scored 14 points on the night.
The Wolves were set to host St. Augustine Preparatory on Thursday. They’ll host their annual holiday tournament Dec. 27-29.