ELY—Ely showed little remorse for Cook County here on Tuesday, winning 76-22 on their home hardwood. Up 39-13 at the half, the Wolves continued to push the gas pedal until the buzzer sounded.
“After being up 39-13, we continued to play well defensively in the second half against a young opponent,” said Head Coach Tom McDonald.
Sophomore guard Joey Bianco had a nice evening with 24 points and five assists. Emmett Faltesek scored 16 and Harry Simons had 10. Senior Will Davies added six rebounds and nine assists.
The blowout win against Cook County was much needed after a barnburner last Friday night at home against South Ridge.
The Wolves showcased their shooting talent early in the game putting them at a comfortable lead of 28-14. However, The Panthers did not back down.
With 20 seconds left in regulation, Ely was up three points, but not for long, as South Ridge came down the court and hit a three to tie it back up. The Timberwolves had a chance to end it in regulation, but the Panthers’ 6’7” post player blocked a shot at the rim.
“We played well in overtime and hit enough free throws to win the game. I thought our guys defended well throughout the night against a team that was bigger than us at every position,” said McDonald.
Senior guard Emmett Faltesek carried the team on the night with 27 points. He was 4-6 from the two-point range and 6-10 on threes. Will Davies added 12 points and Joey Bianco had 11 points and nine assists.
The Timberwolves host North Woods on Friday, at 7:15 pm. They travel to Nashwauk-Keewatin on Saturday, with a 2 p.m. start.