Petoskey girls earn 40-point win in opener; Rams, Red Devils start with wins

KALKASKA — Opponents better be laced up good and tight when the Petoskey girls’ basketball team is sitting on the opposite bench this season, as an active group of players get after it on both ends of the court.

And with a team full of capable mouths to feed on the offensive end, Petoskey players aren’t afraid to pickpocket and steal to get their chance.

The Kalkaska girls found that out Tuesday, when Petoskey opened the season with a 57-10 victory, while picking up a number of baskets on fast breaks off steals.

“We want to dictate the tempo and we’ve got girls that can run, finish and defend,” Petoskey coach Bryan Shaw said. “The way these girls play, it’s fun to watch.”

Petoskey had five players with at least four steals on the night, with senior point guard Hayley Flynn leading the way with eight.

“We played solid defense without fouling and moved our feet defensively,” said Shaw. “Just the intensity and energy. The way they got after it right away, that was nice to see.”

Petoskey jumped out to a 10-3 lead early on a steal and finish by Flynn, then led 15-4 after the first quarter.

Caroline Guy opened the second with a 3-pointer, then Eva Guy had a drive and finish later to make it 26-5 and Flynn closed the first half with a jumper to make it 30-5 at the break.

In the second half, Caroline Guy began the third with back to back baskets to make it 34-5, then the run continued from there. Ellie Pollion finished under the basket, Kenzie Bromley made a spin under the basket and finished, then Caroline Guy added back to back baskets again late that eventually made it 48-7 after three.

Bromley finished the game with 22 points, six rebounds and four steals, Caroline Guy had 11 points and four steals, Flynn finished with seven points, eight steals and five assists and Pollion scored six and had four steals.

Petoskey also had Hope Wegmann score five and have four steals and Eva Guy had four points and deflected four balls, with Shaw seeing strong play out of her defensively.

While it’s a good start for Petoskey, things get a bit tougher this weekend, as they welcome in Marquette, Grandville and Milan this Friday and Saturday, Dec. 3-4.

The Northmen will face Grandville around 7 p.m., Friday, following the conclusion of the Milan vs. Marquette game that begins at 5:30 p.m. They’ll then face either Milan or Marquette Saturday.

NON-CONFERENCE

East Jordan 71, Mancelona 32

MANCELONA – Things got off to just the right kind of start for the East Jordan girls’ basketball team Tuesday, as they hit the road to meet Mancelona and came out firing from the start.

The Red Devils hung 26 points on the Ironmen in the opening quarter and never looked back in a 71-32 victory.

“We had a lot of open shots and we hit a lot of open shots,” East Jordan coach Tim Smith said. “We’re going to be a real hard team to play zone against. We expect to shoot better than we did last year just because we’re able to practice.”

East Jordan led 26-10 after one quarter, then 34-14 at the break and another 20-point quarter made things 58-23 heading to the fourth.

Anna Richards knocked down seven 3-pointers for the Red Devils and scored 27 points, while Micah Heise had 21 points, six rebounds and seven assists, Lindsay Cross had nine points and June Kirkpatrick scored six.

For Mancelona, Ella Kruger led with 10 points.

East Jordan (1-0) will next welcome in Johannesburg-Lewiston (0-1) on Thursday, Dec. 2 with a 6 p.m. start due to no junior varsity game.

Harbor Springs 52, Johannesburg-Lewiston 38

JOHANNESBURG — The Amy Flynn era at Harbor Springs got off to big start Tuesday night, as they Rams traveled to Johannesburg-Lewiston and topped the Cardinals in a 52-38 final.

“I had all the emotions. Every one you could think of,” said Flynn with a laugh afterward. “I’m so proud of each and every one of them. From the starters to the girls off the bench. It was really a team effort.”

It actually came as a big night in the Flynn household as well, with freshman Olivia Flynn scoring 35 points in her first high school game.

A tight game early, the Rams began to pull away in the fourth with Olivia leading the charge, as a converted and-one put the Rams up 38-31 with six minutes left to play.

Harbor kept their foot down from there, pulling ahead 47-34 with around two minutes left on a finish by Olivia Flynn, before the Rams eventually closed out the game with the win.

Amy Flynn also credited seniors Jill Wagner and Claire Hayhurst with a strong opening game behind their leadership and J-L for playing a tough opener.

“Give credit to JoBurg,” she said. “For a season starter, they’re a good team. They play hard and they’re aggressive.”

Harbor Springs (1-0) will return to the court this Thursday, Dec. 2 when they welcome in Inland Lakes for the home opener.

Contact Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at dkochanny@petoskeynews.com. Follow him on Twitter, @DrewKochanny, and Instagram, @drewkochanny

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Petoskey girls earn 40-point win in opener; Rams, Red Devils start with wins