Weiser girls 3-0 in early season hoops action

 The Weiser girls kicked off the 2022-23 basketball season in grand fashion, recording two pre-Thanksgiving road wins, the first on Nov. 15 against Nampa Christian and then Nov. 17 against Emmett.

 The Lady Wolverines wasted no time in the first quarter against the Trojans, jumping to a commanding 23-6 lead. Senior post, Mattie Shirts, was big in the paint with 9 points, while five more Wolverines, Kailee Lerew, Brady Reed, Jasi Yraguen, Tobie Noyer, and Kendall Rynearson all got onto the stat sheet in the first period. Weiser shot 10 for 21 (48 percent) from the field.

 Although shooting success slowed a bit to a mere 4 for 16 (25 percent) in the second quarter, the Wolverines continued to dominate and expanded on their lead, outscoring the Trojans 9-3, and lengthening the scoring gap to 32-9. Shirts added another 4 points to the score, while Rynearson and Samson had 2 points apiece. Another Shirts girl, Ellie Shirts, added a free throw to the score.

 The halftime break did not dampen the Lady Wolverines’ spirit at all, and they once again dominated the hardwood with a 12-7 scoring run over the Trojans. Noyer added a pair of baskets and Mattie Shirts had a basket and two baskets from the line. Reed and Macy Maloney also aided the cause with a basket each.

 With a huge 44-16 lead, and a running clock, the Wolverines headed into the final period with the same intensity on both ends of the court as the first three quarters. Yraguen was strong inside the paint with 6 points, while Noyer drained a shot from beyond the arc and Reed had another 2 points to take the game 55-18, Weiser notching its first “W” of the new season.

 Mattie Shirts led the Lady Wolverines with 17 points, followed close behind by Tobie Noyer with 12 points. Jasi Yraguen added 9 points, while Brady Reed had 6 points for the night. Kendall Rynearson had 4 points, and Kailee Lerew, Macy Maloney, and Hannah Samson all added 2-points apiece.

Emmett

 A mere two days after their 37-point trouncing of the Nampa Christian Trojans, the Lady Wolverines travelled to the dome gymnasium, and the former home gym of Wolverine head coach, Laraine Harrison, of the 4A division Emmett Huskies. 

 Coming off a commanding first win of the season can have varying results for the next game. Some teams push through with their momentum and the high of the previous win, and some teams get complacent. One thing that is evident with this 2022-23 Wolverine squad and the guidance of Harrison is that they will be the team that uses that momentum to move forward. This attribute was on full display against the Huskies in what can often be a loud and intimidating venue, but this veteran team handled it with poise and determination, taking the 48-20 win.

 Once again, the Lady Wolverines wasted no time in utilizing their first eight minutes of the game, jumping to a 15-6 lead. Kailee Lerew, Brady Reed, and Mattie Shirts each contributed 4 points in the first quarter and Jasi Yraguen was close behind with a basket and a free throw.

 The Wolverines remained consistent through the next three quarters, scoring 11-points in each period, all while holding the Huskies to a mere 14 points in the final 24 minutes.

 The 48-20 win was led by Mattie Shirts with 13 points, followed by Brady Reed with 12 points. Macy Maloney and Ellie Shirts added 8 points and 6 points, respectively, while Jasi Yraguen and Kailee Lerew had 5 points and 4 points, respectively.

Ontario

 In the first two matchups of the Lady Wolverines’ young season, the Weiser squad outscored their opponents by 65-points! If an average scoring deficit of 32.5 points wasn’t impressive enough, then you had better sit down because the Lady Wolverines blew that highly commendable stat out of the water with a 70-1 home court win against the visiting Ontario Tigers on Thursday, Dec. 1. 

 Yes, you read that correct. They won 70-1. 

 I’ve witnessed some impressive blowouts in my time as a player, coach, parent, and reporter, but I’ve never experienced this type of win!

 The home court intensity of Tom Falash Gynmasium and the Lady Wolverine fans is always inspiring, but there was electricity in the venue last week with the Lady Wolverines jumping to a 23-0 lead in the first quarter. 

 The Wolverines were 10 for 25 (40 percent) from the field with eight Wolverines getting on the scoreboard. Mattie Shirts had 6-points in the quarter, followed by Kailee Lerew and Brady Reed with a long-ball 3-pointer apiece. Jasi Yraguen, Quinci Marvin, Hannah Samson, Tobie Noyer, and Kendall Rynearson all had 2-points each.

The Lady Wolverine defense punished the Tigers, allowing only five, 3-point attempts and three shots within the arc, all of which were fruitless. 

 The Wolverines, meanwhile, expanded their lead to 48-0. 

 Senior, Quinci Marvin led the second period charge with 7 points, while Ellie Shirts had 5 points and Kendall Rynearson had 4 points. Brady Reed added another 3-point bucket, and Kailee Lerew, Macy Maloney, and Tobie Noyer each added 2 points.

 Although the scoring punishment eased up a bit in the second half of the game, the Lady Wolverines still put up 13 points and 9 points in the third and fourth periods. The Weiser defense held the Tigers scoreless until they broke the lid on their basket with a free throw in the fourth quarter.

 The score, although an unprecedented scene, I believe was overshadowed by the fact that every Lady Wolverine player that hit the hardwood on the Dec. 1 scored for their team, showing the depth of the bench on this largely veteran team.

 Mattie Shirts led the Wolverines with 15 points, followed by Ellie Shirts with 10 points. Quinci Marvin and Tobie Noyer had 9 points and 8 points, respectively, while Kailee Lerew, Brady Reed, and Kendall Rynearson had 6 points apiece. Macy Maloney and Hannah Samson added 4 points each and Jasi Yraguen had 2 points.

 The Wolverines played at Vale on Dec. 6 and will travel to Nampa on Friday, Dec. 9 to face the 4A Skyview Hawks.