The Lady Wolves had their opponents where they wanted them by the end of the first quarter last Thursday when they beat West Bloomfield, 65-37.
The Clarkston Girls Varsity Basketball team had closed the quarter after going on an 8-point run begun by sophomore Erika Davenport with four points and escalated after senior Delaney Kenny scored a 3-pointer.
“Our defense has always been consistent,” said head coach, Tim Wasilk. “Offensively we know we are going to get a couple of hits off the valleys and it isn’t always the case. As long as we are solid defensively it works out. We were getting the ball inside to Erika. She created a lot of good stuff for us early.”
The first quarter closed with Clarkston taking a 17-7 lead over the Lady Lakers. The momentum carried into the next quarter as Kenny added two more to the board.
West Bloomfield scored on their next possesion with a 3-pointer. The Lady Wolves reacted with Davenport starting another run. This time they would score 15 points, four points from Davenport and eight points from her sister, senior Erin Davenport.
The run ended with the Lady Lakers scoring one point from the free throw line with less than two minutes to go in the half. Clarkston scored five more points before the half closed, 38-17.
Erika led with 22 points. Erin added 16 points, and Kenny had 11 points.
“Erika has improved with confidence and feels more comfortable with it being her second year on varsity,” Wasilk said, adding Erin was great, too. “Erin can get to the basket with the best of them. She is quick in her step and finishes really well.”
The win came off two more big wins for Clarkston after they beat Flint Carman-Ainsworth, 74-49, and Southfield-Lathrup, 37-35.
“Lathrup was great for confidence,” Wasilk added. “I don’t know if they believed they could beat Lathrup until halftime. By halftime we knew we could beat them.”
The Lady Wolves played Pontiac on Tuesday going in with a 10-1 overall recored and 6-0 in the OAA Red. They head to Avondale this Friday, 7 p.m.
Going into this week, Wasilk said the team will work on their presses and keep the players motivated.
“It is a long season,” he added. “We just find ways to keep the kids on task.”