Lady Wolverines bring home a second win

 Weiser’s defensive strategy featured a full court press that allowed them to dominate the game. The Senators struggled to get past this aggressive defense, leading to numerous steals that the Wolverines converted into points. 

 Gooding fell deeper into trouble when their top player got into foul trouble after Ellie Shirts effectively took charges on two separate occasions. With a limited bench, the Senators had no answer for the Wolverines’ relentless play.

 Coach Laraine Harrison expressed her satisfaction with her team’s performance coming out of the locker room at halftime. The Wolverines returned with renewed energy and quickly extinguished any hope Gooding had of a comeback. 

 The Senators kept pace with Weiser through the first quarter, and with just over 11 seconds remaining, Gooding hit a deep 3-pointer to narrow the gap to just 2 points. Time expired before Weiser could respond, ending the quarter with a score of Weiser 14, Gooding 12.

 Forty-five seconds into the second quarter, Gooding tied the game at 14. On the next trip to defense, Lucy Hickey prevented Gooding from taking the lead by blocking a shot. Shirts then put Weiser ahead again with a layup at the 6:30 mark. 

 Nearly halfway into the second, Hailey Eames sparked a scoring run, beginning with a made free throw. After missing her second, she had a rebound put back. Eames capped off the run with a bucket after Shirts secured a loose ball and assisted her at the free throw line for 2 more points.

 Lucy Hickey and Kailee Lerew quickly added points for the Wolverines through fast transitions, finishing with layups.

 Weiser continued press was effective in the third quarter, increasing their lead to 25 points and holding Gooding to 6 points.

 A minute and a half into the fourth, Shirts knocked the ball loose during a defensive play. Lerew secured the ball and quickly passed it up court as Shirts drove in for a layup, scoring the first points of the final period. 

 The last bucket of the game came from Shirts, who hit a 3-pointer from beyond the arc at the top of the key with 4:20 remaining. This shot pushed the lead to 30 points, initiating a running clock. 

 Shirts added another point on a free throw with 4 minutes left, bringing the score to 52-21. 

 Harrison noted that the team had opportunities to take many shots but struggled with their accuracy. They will focus on finishing their shots to improve their shooting percentage. 

 Ellie Shirts led Weiser with 21 points, along with 3 assists, 2 steals, and 13 rebounds. Eames contributed 13 points, recorded 1 block, 3 steals, and grabbed 17 rebounds. Hickey added 7 points, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 steal, and 7 rebounds. Lerew scored 5 points, provided 2 assists, recorded 1 block, 3 steals, and collected 5 rebounds. Stromberg contributed 5 points, 2 assists, 4 steals, and 2 rebounds. Ali Sorenson had a strong performance with 10 rebounds and 3 steals. Sophia Shirts collected 6 rebounds, while Alyvia Goff added 2 more.

 The Wolverines will have a break over Thanksgiving and will resume action on Tuesday, Dec. 3, as they host Nampa Christian for both JV and varsity games.

 Scores at the end of Quarters:

Weiser Gooding

1st: 14 12

2nd: 30 18    

3rd: 46 21

4th: 52 21