Last Thursday, Southfield-Lathrup fell by just two points to Detroit Community, the top-ranked team in Class B.
A day later they found themselves on losing end again, this time to Lake Orion, ranked ninth in Class A, by 27 points.
The Dragons continued their unbeaten start (now 13-0) with a 50-23 rout of visiting Lathrup, a victory keyed by a 26-4 run that spanned parts of three quarters.
Courtney Zott led all scorers in the game with 22 points, and Bethany Watterworth added 10 points and nine rebounds.
It was the Dragons? seventh straight win of at least 24 points or more, a streak dating back over a month.
‘For the most part, we get early leads,? Coach Steve Roberts said. ‘Once we get on a roll, we’ve been able to maintain that energy.?
The luxury of the early lead wasn’t the case against Lathrup, as the Dragons shot 25-percent in the first quarter, Watterworth missed her first seven shots and the team found themselves tied at 13 with four minutes left in the half.
Watterworth’s first hoop helped key a 10-2 run to end the half, and then the Dragons held Lathrup to just two points in the first 10 minutes of the second half to put the game away.
‘We got our looks, but just didn’t drop the ball through the basket,? Roberts said. ‘The kids played well defensively, though, and out-hustled and out-scrapped them. Then we went on that run just before halftime.?
Lake Orion had 14 steals as a team and forced 23 Lathrup turnovers.
The team started their week with a 73-29 drubbing of host Berkley in an OAA III contest Tuesday night.
Zott again led the Dragons with a game-high 16 points, on a night where every member of the LOHS squad got in the scorer’s column.
In that game, the team led by 17 after one quarter and held a 37-11 lead at halftime. A running clock was used for part of the second half, as the Dragons improved to 6-0 in league action.
The coach was most pleased with the balanced scoring attack in the victory.
‘We don’t have a go-to person, per say,? Roberts said. ‘We have a lot of kids that can handle the ball and make the most of their scoring opportunities.?
Lately it’s been Zott that’s led the team in scoring, and the coach said teams are struggling to defend their inside-outside combination of Watterworth and Zott.
‘She’s the type of player that can take the ball to the basket and score, shoot it both inside and outside and play good defense,? Roberts said of Zott. ‘She’s starting to play with more confidence.?
‘With Bethany, what makes her an even better player is that she wants to make her teammates better,? he noted. ‘At the end of the night, as long as her team has more points than the other team, that’s what’s important to her.?
Roberts said the entire start has been a team effort, from the leading scorers on down to first-year varsity players and role players like Kate Dalrymple and Kelsey Deppen.
‘Things they do sometimes go unnoticed, but they’re very appreciated among their teammates and coaches,? he said.
Their recent lopsided margins have allowed Roberts to use the entirety of his bench, but with upcoming games against Country Day (as part of a doubleheader with the boys? team on Saturday afternoon) and league rival Stoney Creek (next Tuesday at home), that could change.
Roberts said his team is looking forward to the challenge.
‘If we play the way we can play, we can play with anybody and beat anybody,? he said.
Prior to the Country Day (#2 in Class B) and Stoney Creek contests, the Dragons will travel to Oak Park for a league game on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Visit www.lakeorionreview.com for recaps of all the action.