LADY WOLVERINES ROUTE MORTON IN TOURNAMENT-OPENER, 74-35

The Springlake-Earth Lady Wolverines’ varsity basketball team routed the Morton Maidens in their tournament-opener on Thursday at the Whitharral Invitational, 74-35.

The Lady Wolverines came out on a tear to open the first quarter, as senior, Sayler Beerwinkle, dropped in a put-back off of her own miss and followed it up with a lay-up, off of the assist from junior, Halee Toscano to put them in front, 4-0. Emma Samaron banked in a jumper in the lane off of the assist from Beerwinkle and Beerwinkle followed it up with a layup off of the assist from sophomore, Taytum Goodman, to make it an, 8-0, scoring run with 4:47 remaining in the opening quarter.

Sydney Furr kept the run going with a lay-up off of the assist from Goodman. She drew an and-one foul on the play on Galilea Perez and sank the free throw to extend their lead to, 11-0. Morton took a 30-second time out with 3:54 to play in the first quarter, and out of the break, Goodman picked up a steal and got it ahead to Samaron in transition, who dropped in a lay-up to push their lead to, 13-0.

Sydney Furr buried a jumper from the right wing off of the assist from Toscano and Beerwinkle followed it up with a lay-up, stretching the lead to, 17-0, with 2:39 remaining in the quarter. On the next play, Toscano heaved an outlet pass down court to Samaron, who finished off the fastbreak with a lay-up to extend their lead to, 19-0. Samaron dropped in a bucket for the Lady Wolverines and with time winding down in the quarter, Jasmine Garcia drained a jumper from the right elbow off of the assist from Rylie Furr to close out the first quarter with the Lady Wolverines on a, 23-0, scoring run.

Perez opened the second quarter with a steal for the Maidens, as she got it ahead to Melony Alvarez in tran sition, who finished off the play with a lay-up to get the Maidens on the board. Beerwinkle responded with a lay-up for Springlake-Earth, but Perez fired right back with a three to cut the lead to, 25-5. Garcia dropped in a bucket for the Lady Wolverines, but the Maidens again answered, as Clarissa Holland scored a put-back to trim the lead to, 27-7, with 6:32 remaining in the first half.

Ruby Gutierrez dropped in a lay-up for Morton, but on the other end, Beerwinkle dropped in a lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Holland. She missed the free throw, leaving the score, 29-9, with just under six minutes to play in the half. Nissa Navarrette drained a floater from the left side off of the assist from Perez, but Samaron answered on the other end with a three from the left wing to stretch their lead to, 32-11. Goodman followed it up with a three from the top of the key, off of the assist from Beerwinkle, but Alvarez stopped the run with a runner in the lane to make the score, 35-13.

The Lady Wolverines strong scoring attack continued, as Samaron dropped in a lay-up off of an assist from Sydney Furr, however, the Maidens continued to answer, as Perez drained her second three-pointer of the quarter, this time from the left elbow, trimming the lead to, 37-16.

With just over two minutes remaining in the half, Alvarez dropped in a lay-up off of a turnover by Samaron, but Springlake-Earth responded, as Beerwinkle scored a put-back off of a miss by Toscano to close out the first half with the Lady Wolverines on top, 39-18.

Samaron scored a lay-up off of a steal to open the second half and Goodman followed it up with a three from the right elbow off of the assist from Sydney Furr, making the score, 44-18, with 6:32 remaining in the third quarter. Beerwinkle scored back-to-back lay-ups off of assists from Goodman and Samaron, but on the other end, Perez was fouled on an attempt by Beerwinkle, earning a trip to the line. She sank both free throws to trim the lead to, 48-20, but on the other end Toscano buried a three to push the Lady Wolverines’ lead back out to, 51-20.

Ruby Gutierrez responded with a lay-up for the Maidens, but Toscano answered on the other end with a bank jumper from the left elbow to make the score, 53-22, with 4:47 remaining in the third quarter. Perez hit Alvarez in transition for a lay-up and Navarrette dropped in a lay-up from the left wide, cutting the lead to, 53-26, but Beerwinkle ended the run with a layup to make the score, 55-26, with just under three minutes to play in the quarter.

Navarrette dropped in another layup for Morton, but Beerwinkle had the answer, as she knocked down a jumper from the left wing, off of the assist from Sydney Furr, pushing their lead to, 57-28. Garcia knocked down a three from the right elbow off of the assist from Sydney Furr, but Navarrette and Gutierrez answered with back-to-back lay-ups, cutting the lead to, 60-32. In the closing seconds of the quarter, Goodman pulled up and knocked down a jumper in the lane, making the score, 62-32, heading into the final quarter of play.

Samaron was fouled on an attempt by Gutierrez to open the fourth quarter. She sank both free throws, stretching the lead to, 64-32. Navarrette went coast-to-coast for a lay-up, but Samaron answered with a lay-up off of an assist from Garcia and followed it up with a jumper from the left side, off of the assist from Goodman, pushing their lead out to, 68-34. Springlake-Earth would go on a, 6-1, scoring run over the final three and a half minutes to take the contest, 74-35.

Beerwinkle led the team in scoring with 24 points, and she was joined in double-figures scoring by Samaron, who netted 21 points. Garcia tallied nine points, while Goodman chipped in eight points and Furr contributed seven points. Toscano finished with five points in the contest.