COOK COUNTY—The long bus ride to Grand Marais didn’t discourage the Timberwolves Tuesday night as they edged the Vikings 56-53 in a hard-fought game that came down to the wire.
“I think it was our best overall game of the year,” said Ely Head Coach Tom McDonald. “They have a nice team and we defended them well throughout the game.”
To win, the Wolves were going to need to contain Cook County’s top shooter down the stretch, and McDonald credited freshman guard Wyatt Tedrick with getting the job done. “I think that made the difference as he did not get many good looks at the basket after hitting four threes in the first half,” said McDonald.
Sophomore Jack Davies led the way for Ely offensively, pouring in 19 points while junior Cade Chittum notched 14 points and eight rebounds. Junior Wyatt Mattson added 12 points for Ely, while sophomore Drew Johnson posted six boards and six assists.
Playing at home last Friday, inconsistency proved the Wolves’ undoing as Mesabi East held on for a 63-54 win.
“At times we played really well,” said McDonald, reflecting on the game. But a 29 percent shooting percentage from the floor just wasn’t enough against a team as good as the Giants, he said. “Poor shooting was the difference in the game.”
The Wolves fell behind in the early going, but rallied from a 20-point deficit in the second half, cutting the Giants’ lead to six at one point. “Some costly turnovers stopped us from coming all the way back,” said McDonald.
Caid Chittum had a big night, pouring in a team-leading 23 points, grabbing six rebounds and five steals.
Johnson notched a double-double, with 11 boards, ten assists, and eight points, while Davies added 11 points on the night.