FIELD TWP- Baseline to baseline pressure propelled the North Woods boys to a convincing 71-42 home win over Ely last Friday, with the Grizzlies’ Jonah Burnett chalking up a double-double with 29 points and ten rebounds in the rivalry rout.
The Grizzlies never trailed as they took control of the game from the outset with opening buckets from Luke Will and Keenan Whitney, and a triple from Burnett gave North Woods a 9-4 edge. North Woods dictated the pace of the game with its swarming man-to-man defense, allowing Ely only two made baskets in the first seven minutes, with the Wolves’ Jack Davies ending a four-and-a-half minute drought with a three-ball at the 11:09 mark. North Woods answered back with treys from Burnett and Louie Panichi for their first double-digit lead of the night at 17-7. Ely had trouble getting good looks at the basket, and the taller Grizzlies were there to mop up the glass, holding a huge 48-28 edge in rebounds for the game. Panichi went on a ten-point tear in the final four minutes of the half in a 15-4 North Woods run that gave the Grizzlies a 37-19 halftime edge.
North Woods quickly crushed any hope for an Ely comeback in the second half by cranking up their running game, with Will, Burnett, and Talen Jarshaw scoring fast break buckets in a 13-1 run to put the Grizzlies ahead 50-20. Ely countered with scores by Wyatt Mattson, Trenton Bishop, Wyatt Tedrick, and Caid Chittum, but the Grizzlies matched the nine-point rally with one of their own, reestablishing a 30-point advantage at 66-36. Both benches saw action in the game’s final minutes, with the Grizzlies’ Charlie Wipf putting the final exclamation point on the 71-42 victory.
The Grizzlies shot 45.2 percent for the game while holding Ely to just 32.1 percent. North Woods had a big advantage in the running game, outscoring Ely 29-6 in transition points, and also dominated in the paint where they held a 40-18 edge.
Burnett’s 29-point game led all scorers and kept him near the top of the list of the state’s leading scorers, ranking fourth as of Tuesday in total points and seventh in per game average at 31.5 points. Panichi wasn’t far behind with 22 points, and Luke Will knocked down 14. Chittum was the only Ely player in double digits with 11 points.
“We knew that we had a size advantage and speed advantage from looking at film, but the boys had to execute,” North Woods Head Coach Andrew Jugovich said. “The goal in the locker room at halftime was hey, we have a lead, don’t let them even think about inching back. The entire second half we really did put them down, we ran the fast break and played intense defense, and that’s what we have to be known for.”