Weiser girls start 2020 with 61-24 win over Ontario

The Lady Wolverines began 2020 with a home pairing in Tom Falash Gymnasium at Weiser High School by hosting the visiting Ontario Tigers on Jan. 2.  
 Despite a rough 31 percent shooting from the field, the Wolverines never let up on either end of the court, besting the Tigers in an impressive 61-24 win.
 With a strong contingent of fans in the stands, the Lady Wolverines wasted no time getting on the board with a basket from freshman Tobie Noyer, a mere 30 seconds from the beginning tip.  Andrea Bouvia found an opening at the top of the key for an additional bucket early in the period.  
 The Wolverines employed their full-court defense and fast-paced play from the very beginning and the Tigers struggled to counter the pressure resulting in a scoreless first period for the Tigers.
 The Wolverines led 4-0 through the first four minutes of the quarter, but the Wolverine press and defensive traps at half court resulted in numerous Wolverine steals and scoring opportunities.
 Mattie Shirts found an opening at the free throw line for 2 points and Alex Bittinger followed with a basket from behind the arc.      The Lady Wolverines fought for every shot and with aggressive rebounding and battling for every put-back opportunity, the Wolverines continued to draw fouls and found themselves in the bonus on free throws with two minutes remaining in the quarter.  
 The Wolverines struggled from the line, but Bouvia finished out the first quarter shutout for the Wolverines with a pair of successful free throws to lead 11-0.
 The Tigers found their way onto the scoreboard early in the second period, but Maddy Erickson countered with a back-to-back 12-foot jump shot as well as a basket on the baseline nearly in 3-point territory.  
 Noyer made a nice move in the paint for a basket and the 17-2 lead with a mere 1:35 off the clock. A pair of Tiger free throws brought the score to 17-4, but Jenifer Juarez hit the mark from the top of the key, and she followed it up with a forced Tiger turnover and the assist to Marissa Moyle for the lay-up.
 Erickson added another jumper to the Lady Wolverine credit for a 25-8 lead midway through the period, but with a series of Wolverine fouls and Tiger successes at the line, Ontario began to slowly chip away at the scoring deficit, pulling within 11 points at 28-17 at the half.
 The brief halftime break must have been energizing to the Lady Wolverines, as they came out in the third quarter with the speed and aggressive defense from earlier in the game.
 The Wolverines had the Tigers rattled with repeated steals, forced turnovers and big rebounds, outscoring the struggling Tigers 14-1.  
 Erickson added 8 points to her credit during the quarter and Bittinger was successful with 4 points of her own, while Noyer and Shirts had a free throw apiece.
 Despite a very comfortable 42-18 lead, the Wolverines never let up on the gas and continued their defensive pressure, good ball movement and dominance on the boards.  
 Erickson started out the fourth quarter with a successful steal and feed to Noyer for the lay-up, but the Tigers capitalized on four free throw opportunities.  Erickson drained a basket from beyond the arc, followed by a Tiger jump shot and a lay-up on the inbound pass.  
 With 5:48 left on the clock, the balance of the contest was all Lady Wolverines. Erickson found a seam in the Tiger defense for a lay-up, followed by a short shot in the paint by Shirts off a well-placed inbound pass. Ivy Morris was hot from behind the arc, hitting back-to-back threes in a span of 60 seconds, for a 58-26 lead. Bouvia stole the ball for an inside jumper and Juarez added a free throw to take the game in grand fashion, 61-26.
 Erickson started out slow in the first quarter, but finished the game leading the Lady Wolverines with 24 points. Bittinger was strong from the bench with 7 points, followed by Bouvia, Shirts and Morris with 6 points apiece.  Noyer, Moyle and Juarez added 5, 4 and 3 points, respectively.
 The junior varsity team was equally successful in their 53-22 win.