By Riley Holder
Review Special Writer
The varsity girls? of Lake Orion basketball have gotten off to a hot start to kick off the 2013-2014 campaign.
The squad played four games leading up to the beginning of divisional battles, including a matchup with rival Clarkston.
The early season schedule saw the varsity ladies roll to a 3-0 start, notching wins against Lapeer East, Brandon, and West Bloomfield. Among the victories was a dominating 66-24 win against Lapeer East to open the season at home.
‘We are playing a pretty well balanced game. We have people that are filling roles and playing good defense, rebounding, and scoring. They’re working together and playing as a unit, as a team,? Coach Steve Roberts said.
The following week brought only a road trip to Clarkston to take on the Wolves. In a tough defensive struggle that remained close for the entire duration of the game, the Dragons lost 35-25 against their biggest rivals, dropping their record to 3-1.
The margin of victory for the Wolves was inflated at the end of the game, as the Dragons were forced to send Clarkston to the foul line in an attempt to have a chance to come back in the game.
Following the loss, Coach Roberts expressed a few ways he hopes to see his team grow in the near future.
‘We want to play some stifling defense. We believe that we can play really good defense that keeps us in the game and that gives us an opportunity to win. We recognize the fact that we’re playing some pretty tough competition. We’re looking to improve our offensive output as well. Every day we keep getting better, but so do the other teams.?
Sophomore Evelyn Wischmeyer and junior Hannah Hamay, have contributed 12 and seven points per game respectively. The pair of senior captains on the team, Nicole Krier and Melanie Gagen, have also averaged 12 and seven points per game this season respectively.
‘We have great senior leadership this year. Our captains have a lot of experience, and that helps keep us together a little bit. We might be young, but we still have some experienced players to help the newcomers on our varsity,? Roberts said.
The team had two divisional games heading into the Christmas break. The Dragons were going against Bloomfield Hills at home, who were picked in the pre-season to win the division.
The girls then played Troy, who were also expected to be strong.
‘We want to challenge for the division title first and foremost. We’ve improved a lot since last year and we keep on working to get back up and compete for the division title, so we’ll see where we are.?