TWO HARBORS—A tough Agates’ defense in the paint and ice-cold outside shooting put the Timberwolves behind the eight ball here on Saturday as they suffered their first loss of the young season, 70-43.
Two days earlier, the Wolves were red hot from beyond the arc as they racked up 101 points against International Falls. They should have saved some of the juice for Saturday as they went just two-for-twenty from three-point range in the first half and struggled inside thanks to the Agates’ aggressive defense and height advantage.
“I thought we played okay against a very good and physical team,” said Ely Head Coach Tom McDonald. “We just dug too deep of a hole with that poor shooting in the first half.”
The Wolves trailed 43-21 heading into the break and they only lost ground in the second half.
Senior guard Joey Bianco was Ely’s top scorer with 17 points, below his average game output. Freshman Jack Davies added 12 points to the mix.
Just two days earlier, on Ely’s home hardwood, Davies hit the bullseye on eight straight treys on his way to a career high 39 points as he helped the Wolves devour the Broncos 101-23. “We played very well from the start,” said McDonald, as Ely scored at will, racking up a 66-11 lead by the half on route to their second straight rout of the season.
While Davies led the way, Bianco had a strong night as well, racking up 26 points and tallying nine rebounds and eight assists. Sophomore Caid Chittum and senior Jason Kerntz added 11 points apiece.
The Wolves were set to host Northeast Range on Friday with a 7 p.m. start and no B-squad beforehand. They head to Mesabi East on Monday and host Cook County next Thursday, with a 6:30 p.m. start.