FLOODWOOD— In their first week of boys basketball action, the Timberwolves have combined solid defensive play with offensive firepower and the result is a 3-0 start.
Playing in Floodwood on Tuesday, the Wolves thoroughly dominated the young Polar Bears in a 110-36 rout. “They are a young team and we forced them into many turnovers,” said Ely Head Coach Tom McDonald.
Ely jumped to a big lead quickly and never looked back as they led 70-15 at the half. Five Ely players reached double digits, led by Caid Chittum with 24 points. Point guard Jack Davies added 21 points, while Drew Johnson and Leo McKrahl added 15 apiece. Wyatt Tedrick pitched in with ten points.
Playing in Hill City last Saturday, Ely faced its toughest challenge of the week in a 74-59 win that was closer than the score might suggest. “We pulled away with a 19-2 run to finish the game,” noted McDonald. “We hit a lot of big shots in that run and played well defensively down the stretch.”
Chittum again led offensively with 30 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double, while Johnson added his own double with 11 points and 13 boards. Wyatt Tedrick tallied 13 points, while Davies added 12.
Davies notched a truly impressive performance in Ely’s season opener with International Falls, narrowly missing a quadruple-double with 21 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, and nine steals to lead the Wolves to a 73-32 win. “We played well defensively the entire game,” said McDonald. “Our full-court defense forced them into a lot of turnovers and easy baskets for us.” Chittum again led in points scored, with 31 along with six steals. Johnson added 15 points and five assists.
The Wolves are set to face Mesabi East on Friday in Aurora. They’ll be back home on Tuesday to host Cook County, with a 6:30 p.m. varsity start.