By Joseph Goral
Staff Writer
jgoral@mihomepaper.com
ORION TWP. — The Lake Orion varsity girls basketball team defeated Bay City Western, 56-29, at Lake Orion High School on Thursday night.
The win marked Lake Orion’s fourth straight, making the Dragons 5-2 overall.
Lake Orion made 10 of their 20 three-point shot attempts and held the Warriors to four points in the game’s first and third quarters. Senior Charlotte Peplowski finished with 14 points, five rebounds, six steals and five assists, while senior Izzy Wotlinski finished with 17 points and six rebounds.
Dragons Head Coach Bob Brydges said his team’s ball movement against Bay City’s zone defense performed “a lot better than we have against these zones in the past.”
Lake Orion shut out the Warriors in the first quarter 19-0, with 10 points from Peplowski, seven from Wotlinski and two from senior Amelia Guccione.
The Warriors outscored the Dragons in the second quarter, 15-8, after multiple Lake Orion turnovers led to Bay City layups.
Brydges said a sloppy offensive possession leads to a sloppy defensive possession, adding his team will continue to grow.
“I told the kids yesterday at practice, I said, ‘I don’t want to peak in December, I want to peak in March when it matters. I want to peak right around districts and regionals,’” Brydges said. “And they’re trending that way. They’ll get there.”
The Dragons led the Warriors 27-15 at halftime.
Lake Orion’s defense held Bay City Western to four points in the third quarter, and helped extend the Dragons’ lead to 41-19. Lake Orion’s Guccione and junior Riley House each made one three point shot while Peplowski and Wotlinski also scored.
LOHS freshman Ulara Hill, sophomore Vega Reglero and junior Audrey Heist each made one three-point shot in the fourth quarter compared to Bay City Western’s two. Additional baskets made by sophomore Kara Veeder and Peplowski helped the Dragons outscore the Warriors 15-10.
The Dragons’ next game is Jan. 6, at LOHS against Imlay City.