Cagers carry momentum into overtime

Sophomore Megan Hastings led the Lady Wolves as they took down Southfielf-Lathrup in two overtime periods, ending the game, 50-48.
‘The girls gave a great effort,? said Girls Varsity Basketball Coach Tim Wasilk about the Jan. 12 game.
‘They executed our game plan and played extremely well on both sides of the floor. It was a big win for us.?
The girls ended the first half trailing by two points, 18-16.
They were still behind as they went into the final quarter but found their footing as they scored 16 on Lathrup and kept their competitors to only 13 points.
The game went into overtime to name a winner in the OAA Red league game.
The first overtime period ended with no distinct winner as both teams kept each other down to two points.
Clarkston prevailed in the next overtime period outscoring Lathrup, 6-4.
‘Defense was pretty solid throughout the game,? said Wasilk. ‘They have two girls over six feet tall and we did a nice job defending them and limited their shots.?
He added the team did a nice job with their press and their communication on the defensive end of the court.
Hastings led with 18 points, four baskets from 3-points shots.
‘She took care of the ball,? said Wasilk. ‘She showed a lot of leadership and shot the ball extremely well.?
Senior Kaleigh Kenny added 12 points to the board.
‘She is coming back from injury and she had a much better week,? said Wasilk. ‘She is getting more comfortable after being out for nine months.?
Lindsey Rupphun had nine points and Delaney Kenny added eight.
‘Both stepped up and played poised and with more confidence,? Wasilk noted.
‘It was nice to see our girls shoot the ball well,? he continued. ‘Fifty points is the most points we have scored all year. It was nice to see our offense come around.?
The Lady Wolves continued on Friday night and lost to Rochester, 42-18.
‘We struggled to gain the momentum we were missing and Rochester was getting our long rebounds,? said Wasilk. ‘It was just one of those nights where not one person on the team was shooting the ball too well. We had a tough time scoring.?
Christina Jokisch led the team with nine points.
Though last week left mixed results for the girls, Wasilk said they learned from both games.
‘You can take away positives, either win or lose,? he added. ‘Every game we learn a little bit more. We are still improving and look to continue to play well in the league.
The girls were at Davison on Tuesday for a non-league game and are back home on Thursday as they take on another OAA Red foe – Pontiac High School.
‘They are pretty quick and pretty fast,? said Wasilk. ‘We will be ready for Thursday night. We are excited to be back home – it’s our only home game this month.?
The game will prepare them when they head to play cross-town rivals Lake Orion next Tuesday.
‘We are definitely optimistic,? said Wasilk. ‘We are feeling good about our chances about any opponent in our league as long as we can shoot the ball and shoot the ball well.?
JV begins at 5:30 p.m., varsity follows.
After the Rochester game, the girls overall record 3-6 and 2-3 in OAA Red.