On paper, Onekama girls basketball (6-0) was a significant favorite Tuesday night when they traveled to Leland (4-0).
But don’t tell the Comets that, as they handled business with a monster 46-36 victory over the conference and state-leading Portagers.
“From start to finish, this was our most complete game of the year, and it really showed our potential for what we can accomplish this season. We executed our game plan to perfection against the #5 ranked team in the state and did a fantastic job withstanding Onekama’s defensive pressure all game. Our defensive rotations were sharp, and our players did a great job of communicating and playing in transition,” Leland coach Ryan Knudsen said. “I could not be more proud of their effort in preparation for this game, and even though this was an outstanding win early in the season, we still have a lot of room for improvement, and we are looking forward to the challenges we will face each game and how they will help us continue to grow and improve as a team.”
Onekama was the fifth-ranked girl’s basketball team in MHSAA Div. 4.
Leland (4-0, 2-0 NWC) remains undefeated with another game against Buckley tonight at 7 p.m.
The Comets were up 7-2 after the first quarter, then stretched their lead to 20-6 at halftime.
Leland had their best defensive half of the season.
Onekama would show life in the third quarter, cutting the lead to 33-20.
Leland would hold on in the fourth quarter to claim the 46-36 win.
Leland senior Elli Miller led with 17 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists; Addi Waskiewicz 12 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists; Lorna Wiesen 7 points, 7 rebounds; Ella Knudsen 4 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals; Lily Connor 4 points, 7 rebounds.
Eagles defeat GT Academy
St. Mary welcomed the new year by defeating Grand Traverse Academy 42-20.
The Eagles score 27 points in the first half to put the game away early.
St. Mary senior Kyla Barnowski had three 3-pointers and was lethal from deep.
Barnowski led the Eagles with 17 points, Lydia Bramer with 11 points, Cathryn Mikowski with 6 points, Mackenzie Schaub with 4 points, and Adrienne Schaub with 3 points.
“Defense is still something that we’ve got to work on. We’ve been doing a lot of offensive stuff, and everything’s brand new,” St. Mary coach Matt Barnowski said. “We’re pushing that on them right now, but we need to get back to the basics on defense.”
The Eagles have been playing a mix of full-court and halfcourt presses along with tight man-to-man coverage. Communication remains a key to the Eagles as they move forward, “If we can, if we can handle our turnovers and work on our defense a little bit more, we should be all right.” Barnowski said.
The Eagles will travel to Lake City before welcoming Leland next Wednesday, which is expected to be a thrilling local match-up.
Glen Lake falls to Frankfort
Glen Lake girls basketball (2-5) went into halftime up 18-10 against Frankfort Tuesday before a Panther storm stopped the Lakers in their track to capture the win 38-29.
A sluggish start to take an 18-10 lead against Frankfort on the snowy and cold night. Frankfort then went on a 14-2 run in the third quarter to take a 24-22 lead heading into the final frame.
“It was the time where we needed some offense, and we just weren’t buying shots,” Glen Lake coach Brad Fosmore said. “We’re just struggling offensively right now ... We have to try and get better every game.”
Glen Lake couldn’t get anything going in the second half, scoring only 11 points compared to the Panthers 28. The Lakers had open looks all night but seemingly couldn’t find the bottom of the net.
Frankfort played aggressive defense all night and forced missed shots from the Lakers.
The Lakers have lost four straight games. Glen Lake struggles to put a quality fourquarter performance together but will have plenty of opportunity throughout January.
The Lakers welcome Brethren Thursday at 7 p.m.
“We need to get a conference win right now ... We just gotta get it turned around.”
