ELY— Senior forward Dylan Fenske poured in 31 points to lead the Timberwolves to a season-opening win over Two Harbors on Tuesday night, 76-41.

It was a promising start for the Ely boys basketball squad, who have a number of new varsity players this year. “I think it took them a while to adjust to the pace of the game,” said Ely Head Coach Tom McDonald. “We started off slowly and led by 13 at halftime but played much better in the second half and pulled away from them.”

While plenty of new players are in the lineup, some of the experienced upperclassmen helped set the pace. Fenske added 11 rebounds to his 31 points, good for a double-double. Senior guard Eric Omerza just missed the double-double with nine points and 11 assists, while fellow senior Bryce Longwell scored eight points and posted an even dozen boards. Juniors Will Davies and Brock Latourell scored nine points apiece and Latourell added six steals.

And younger players showed spark as well. Sophomore guard Harry Simons put up eight points, while freshman Joey Bianco tallied four rebounds, four steals, and three assists.

“We had a good, balanced attack,” said McDonald. “It was a great team effort.”

The 1-0 Wolves were set to host International Falls on Friday night. The varsity start is set for 7:15 p.m. The Wolves will hit the road for matchups against Hill City on Saturday and Silver Bay on Tuesday.