Inland Lakes girls open up fast, blow past Pellston on road
PELLSTON – The offensive play of the Inland Lakes girls basketball team has elevated in recent games.
Two days after recording a 54-point first half, the Lady Bulldogs kept their potent offensive attack rolling and captured a 66-16 victory at Pellston in a Ski Valley matchup on Friday.
“I guess it’s the second game in a row I felt like we were pretty unselfish,” said Inland Lakes coach Daryl Vizina. “I think the ball movement was good, we had a lot of players score buckets. Just about everybody who played scored. People were looking for people, and the score reflects it. Getting 66 (points) in a running clock game, I think that’s a pretty good output.
“Offensively, I think we’re starting to look really good, we shot the ball outside well, and we had a number of threes that didn’t drop, that almost dropped or were in and out. Offensively, I think we’re clicking pretty well.”
The Bulldogs (12-4, 9-2 Ski Valley) started fast by opening the contest on a 14-0 run. Igniting the Bulldogs early on was sophomore forward Brooklyn LaBrecque, who scored the first four points of the game under a minute in. By the end of the quarter, the Bulldogs held a 22-5 lead.
In the second, senior guard Natalie Wandrie wrapped up an 18-point half and helped the Bulldogs take a commanding 42-11 advantage into the break.
It was another consistent half for the Bulldogs, but Vizina said his team had to work for it against an aggressive Pellston squad.
“(Pellston) competed,” Vizina said. “I know their record’s not great, but they weren’t a pushover. They battled, we had a lot more size and experience, and I don’t think they have any juniors or seniors on their roster. I mean, they came out there and played hard. It wasn’t a gimme by any means, the score got a little out of hand, but overall, they’re a good team.
“It’s good to see some of our players who don’t get as many minutes get some playing time, so we’re pleased.”
The Hornets, (1-14, 0-10) looked solid at times, but they couldn't keep up with one of the Ski Valley’s best squads.
“They’re struggling, but they’re just a young team. It’s going to come together, but we’re really looking at the big picture,” said Pellston coach Clayton Irwin. “Next year, the year after, they’re all freshman, so we’re just looking to the future. Normally they break the press, and that’s one good thing they’ve done all year, but tonight they struggled with it a little bit. We’ll keep working at it and get there."
Wandrie finished with a game-high 20 points for the Bulldogs, who received 11 points from sophomore Tara Clancy, and eight apiece from junior Marissa Kolly and LaBrecque. Ryann Clancy scored six, and Chloe Robinson and Taylor Jones each added four to round out Inland Lakes.
“I think right now, the No. 1 one thing is our defensive intensity all the time,” Vizina said. “If you have one player on defense who maybe takes a play off, the plays can break down. And then just consistency every play, giving max effort defensively is I think probably our biggest issue right now, and if we get that figured out in the next couple games, I think we’ve got a shot to win our district and who knows from there.”
Freshmen Ella Klungle and Breanna Willis led the Hornets with seven points apiece. Fellow freshman Allie Cameron added two.
Inland Lakes hosts Mancelona Wednesday, while Pellston travels to Bellaire on Wednesday.
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Inland Lakes girls open up fast, blow past Pellston on road
