FLOODWOOD— The Timberwolves kicked off their 2022-23 season in good form here on Monday as they thoroughly dominated the Polar Bears on their home hardwood in a 72-32 rout. After a few opening game jitters early, Ely exploded in the rest of the first half to rack up a 37-6 margin by the half. “We settled down quickly and played well defensively and got into the flow of some offense,” said Head Coach Tom McDonald. “We shot the ball pretty well all night and Joey did a nice job of getting to the rim against their defense.”
Six-foot-one senior Joey Bianco, who led all Ely scorers last season with an average of 22.9 points per game, notched a double-double with 32 points and ten rebounds in addition to five assists. Sophomore Caid Chittum racked up 14 points while senior Jason Kerntz tallied 13. Senior Erron Anderson added seven boards.
It was an auspicious start for the Timberwolves, who finished at 15-12 last season but who were knocked out in the opening round of the playoffs. This year’s varsity squad includes five seniors, three juniors, a sophomore, and a freshman.
The Wolves were set to host International Falls on Thursday, with a 7:15 p.m. varsity start. They travel to Two Harbors on Saturday, with a 2:30 p.m. varsity start. They’ll be back home next Friday to take on Northeast Range, with a 7 p.m. start and no B-squad prior. The Northeast Range boys squad is back after a five-year hiatus under the tutelage of Head Coach Cody Siebert.