Junior Nykole Pfaff and her Goodrich teammates wanted to start the 2004 season on a winning note.
Pfaff helped the Martians achieve that objective, draining seven 3-pointers and scoring a career-high 31 points as the host Martians defeated Davison 55-40 on Aug. 26, winning the traditional season opener between the two teams after the Cardinals had won the previous two years.
The Martians started off slowly, as the Cardinals took advantage of several missed Goodrich shots to build a 15-7 lead. However, Goodrich came roaring back, cutting the Davison lead to 15-14 at the end of the first period.
The two teams then battled to a standstill at the half, with the game tied at 25. Goodrich took a 36-33 lead at the end of the third period before putting the game away in the fourth.
Pfaff went 11-of-24 from the field and 7-of-16 from long distance in achieving her career high. Seniors Maribeth Barns and Julie Owen added six points each for the Martians. Lisa Seymour led the Cardinals (0-1) with 11 points.
The win was a positive start for the Martians, who return an experienced core from the team that won the Genesee Area Conference Red Division championship last year.
Goodrich finished with a 19-4 record and advanced to their district final before losing to Mt. Clemens 57-50. Key players returning from last year’s team are Pfaff, Barns, Owen, and seniors Andrea Howell and Michelle Elliott.