FIELD TWP — The Ely boys traveled to North Woods on Tuesday and came away with a hard-fought and long-sought victory over the tenacious Grizzlies, 68-58.
Wolves Head Coach Tom McDonald noted that Ely hadn’t won at North Woods since 2014, and it was no easy task against a resurgent Grizzlies squad that had a late season five-game winning streak and played the Wolves to within eight points in a January loss.
Jack Davies and Wyatt Tedrick got Ely off to a strong start, providing the key baskets leading to an early 12-6 lead. Consecutive buckets by Tedrick pushed the lead to 26-14 at the six-minute mark, and the Wolves were positioned to run away, but instead, North Woods clawed their way back into the game. Triples by TaySean Boshey-Wilkerson and Andrew Hartway cut the deficit to 27-22, and two baskets by Vincent Pascuzzi in the final minute of the half had the Grizzlies back in the thick of the battle just three points down at the break, 30-27.
It was another Boshey-Wilkerson trifecta that gave North Woods a 34-32 lead early in the second half, and the game turned into a slugfest for the next six minutes with the teams trading blows and the lead as they fought to a 42-42 tie.
Scores by Tedrick and Leo McKrahl and a trey by Drew Johnson gave Ely a 49-44 advantage, but a triple by the Grizzlies’ Caleb Rutchasky kept North Woods close at 49-47. McKrahl and Tedrick answered for the Wolves to extend the lead to five. It was the start of a push that would put the game out of reach, and a three by Davies and a pair of charities by Johnson gave Ely a 62-51 lead with less than three minutes left to play. Hartway hit a pair of free throws and a basket to pull North Woods to within seven at 62-55 with 1:49 on the clock, but the Grizzlies wouldn’t score again until a Hartway three-ball with only eight seconds left, and a pair of Davies free throws closed out the 68-58 Ely win.
Tedrick was the biggest thorn in the Grizzlies’ side with 22 points, and the Wolves had three more players in double digits, including Davies with 17, Johnson with 13, and McKrahl with 12. Hartway scored 19 for North Woods, and Cedar Holman added ten.
“It was ugly at times tonight, but it was just good to scratch out a win here on a court that we don’t play well on,” McDonald said.
McDonald was critical of some of the Wolves’ decision-making on defense but had praise for Tedrick’s and McKrahl’s contributions.
“He just kept attacking – to get 22 against that good defense was the key for us,” McDonald said of Tedrick. “And Leo, he’s just kind of a garbage man for us. He can’t jump very well, but he’s got a nose for the ball and is pretty crafty inside. He played really well for us.”
While disappointed with the loss, North Woods Head Coach Jessica Trunnell was pleased with her team’s effort.
“We were right there with them,” she said. “We absolutely have turned the corner and all of them are starting to click together a lot more. Our starting five has come so far, and knowing that, we have these great subs that are ready to play gives us fresh legs.”
Both teams were scheduled to finish the regular season on Friday, with the Grizzlies taking on Deer River and the Wolves matching up against Fond du Lac.