Girls win play-in game to earn spot in SRV District play

The Lady Wolverines finished the regular Snake River Valley conference season in fourth place, which forced them into a play-in game against the fifth place team, the Payette Pirates.  

 The Wolverines hosted the pairing at Weiser High School on Jan. 31 and utilized their large contingent of loyal Wolverine fans to take the win 40-28 and earn a spot on the SRV District Tournament bracket.

 The Lady Wolverines came out shooting, literally, and with strong defense and a very effective press jumped to an early 8-0 lead, with all the baskets coming from the hot hands of Maddy Erickson. 

 The Wolverine press was too much for the Pirates to handle in the first quarter, and they were unable to successfully inbound the ball in five consecutive attempts without a Wolverine steal.  

 However, after a Pirate timeout, the ladies from Payette regrouped and were able to make it down the court for a lay-up off a Wolverine defensive break.  Despite some chaotic play, a well-executed play allowed Madison Phillips an open look for a close jumper and a basket by Marissa Moyle gave the Wolverines a 12-4 lead.  

 During the final minute of play in the quarter, a series of bad passes and Wolverine errors allowed the Pirates a basket. Senior Abbey Shirts drained a basket from behind the arc with mere seconds left, but the Pirates followed with a 3-pointer of their own, ending the quarter with the Wolverines up 15-9.

 Within the first 30 seconds of the second period, Shirts added another basket to her tally. Strong defense by the Wolverines kept the Pirates scoreless for three minutes, but then messy play from both squads resulted in numerous free throw opportunities.  

 The Wolverines capitalized on the opportunity, shooting 7-for-14 from the line to take a commanding 28-11 score at the half.

 The second half began with over four minutes of turnovers and possession changes before Macy Moore was able to score from the baseline. Leading 30-11, the Lady Wolverines slowed the tempo down and began to guard the ball better.  

 Frustration on the part of the Pirates placed Moore and Grace Soulen at the free throw line again, and both ladies added one point apiece, while Shirts added another 3-pointer with a mere two seconds left on the clock.

 The Wolverines led the Pirates 35-13 after three periods and head coach Nick Reed used the opportunity to rest his starting players for later games while simultaneously giving court time to his bench.  

 The Pirates managed a pair of 3-point baskets in an attempt to bridge the scoring gap, but even with multiple free throw opportunities for both teams, the Wolverines managed to maintain the lead to take the game 40-28.

 Maddy Erickson led the Wolverines with 13 points, followed by Abbey Shirts with 8. Madison Phillips was close behind with 7 points, while Macy Moore added 5 points. Marissa Moyle, Alex Bittinger and Sara Lundberg each contributed 2 points and Grace Soulen added 1 point.

 The win placed the Wolverines in bracket play against the first-place team, Parma Panthers.

 The girls kept up with the Lady Panthers in the first quarter but dropped the district game 49-26. 

 Weiser still had another chance to move on in district play. The Lady Wolverines were scheduled to play a consolation game on Tuesday night at TVCC.