Rough start for the Wolves
December 13, 2022
The boys’ and girls’ varsity basketball teams lost against the Mustang Broncos in the season opener on Dec. 2. The girls lost 27-31, and the boys lost 57-69.
The Lady Wolves played a physical game from start to finish, with intense defense coming from both sides. The game remained close as a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter was the largest of the game.
The biggest issue for the Lady wolves was turnovers. They had 20 turnovers in the game, and in the first quarter, they had almost three times more turnovers than points.
On the bright side, senior Taryn Crawford had a standout game as she led the Lady Wolves with 12 points and four rebounds.
In the boys’ game, the Wolves got off to a slow start, letting the Broncos go on a 17-2 run in the first three minutes. After the first quarter, the Wolves clawed their way back into the game. They outscored the Broncos in the second and third quarters and tied up the game 51-51 with five minutes left in the fourth quarter.
“I think we knew we might get off to a bit of a slow start, but once we settle in, I think we can see what our potential is,” said head basketball coach Troy Lallemand.
Due to some late-game turnovers and a technical foul on the Wolves’ bench, the Bronchos were able to go on a 10-0 run to close out the game.
“We just need to learn how to finish games,” Lallemand said, “We have a lot of new faces, and it takes time, but we will get there.”
Avoiding turnovers will be a priority for the Wolves as the season progresses; they finished the night with 18.
Offensively, the Wolves had a very efficient night. They scored a large number of their points in the paint and did a good job getting to the free-throw line. Junior Drelen Nero put up a 15-point double-double, and senior Tristian Peters also contributed heavily off the bench with 14 points and two blocks.
“We are just figuring our way through it, but I expect to see a lot of improvement,” Lallemand said.