DULUTH- The Ely Timberwolves girls had No. 1 seed Cromwell-Wright on the ropes in last Wednesday’s Class 7A semifinal game in Duluth, but couldn’t seal the deal as the Cardinals came back in the second half to win 57-51, eliminating the Wolves from the tourney.
Utilizing a 2-3 zone defense, the Wolves held the Cardinals below their season scoring average, and executing good ball control behind the shooting of Hannah Penke and Grace LaTourell, Ely took a five-point lead into the locker room at halftime.
But Ely had more difficulty finding their range in the second half, allowing Cromwell-Wright off the mat. The Cardinals hit a pair of big treys down the stretch to seal the victory and clench a spot in the final.
“It was a high level basketball game, maybe even state level,” Ely Head Coach Max Gantt said. “We just couldn’t hold on. We went a little cold from the field down the stretch. They hit a couple big threes at the end. Deep threes. Sometimes basketball is a make or miss game. Overall I was incredibly proud of our effort and the way we executed. Hannah Penke had 20 points. Including some strong post ups and a couple threes.”
LaTourell scored14 points, with 12 of those coming in that half. Sarah Visser had 16 rebounds.
The Wolves finished the year with a record of 22-7, the second most wins in program history.
“We have gone 45-12 the last two years- that’s real success,” Gantt said. “This group of seniors and starters have been a part of that. Grace LaTourell graduates with over 1,900 points scored, third in program history. Hannah Penke had over 900 points and some of the top highlights we can remember seeing. Sarah Visser finished with over 1,000 rebounds.”
And the senior trio provided much to the team beyond the numbers, Gantt said.
“All three seniors were incredible defenders as well,” he said. “Most importantly they were great teammates. Now we have a younger group ready to step in next year and mix in with some of our experience. This season was an incredibly fun and successful journey.”