BY WENDI REARDON PRICE
Clarkston News Sports Writer
Cagers opened with a 12-point run in their last game of the regular season against Birmingham Groves last Thursday.
Keira Tolmie opened with the first basket in the Clarkston Girls Varsity Basketball 52-49 win while Morgan Hunter and Kaelyn Kaul sank a basket each. Izzy Hadley gave the Wolves a boost with two field goals.
“Izzy was wide open,” said John Weyer, head coach. “She was taking advantage of what they were giving us. It was a good effort. I am proud of them.”
Groves closed the first quarter with a set of baskets as Clarkston held the lead, 15-7.
The Wolves opend the second quarter with two on the free throw line from Hunter and a basket from Hadley. They closed the half with a 28-15 lead.

Groves steadily climbed back up in points coming back from the break.
“They switched from the zone to the man,” Weyer said. “We were beating up on the zone pretty good when they switched into man. We had prepared the day before for the man. We were ready for it. We got behind their defense and scored some layups.”
With a minute to go, Groves’ Rachel Sample scored on back-to-back shots, to close the gap to eight points.
One point on the line from Hunter closed the quarter, 40-31.
The Wolves opened the final quarter with two baskets from Olivia Toderan and a basket from Hunter.
Sample hit back-to-back field goals with two minutes to go and another basket from Groves closed the gap to four points.
“Rachel went off,” said Weyer. “She hit all the threes. I have coached her in travel. It was good to see her hit them. But, not so good for us.”
Sample added one more point from the line with eight seconds lef in the team. Groves attempted one more shot but it missed its aim as the buzzer sounded, ending the game.
Tolmie led for the night with 14 points and six rebounds.
“Keira stepped in and led us with scoring,” Weyer said, adding Maddy Skorupski couldn’t play in the game. “That’s what basketball should be about – next person up. You pull the next person in line and that was Keira. She came in for Maddy and did a heck of a job.”
Hadley and Hunter both had 11 points and seven rebounds. Toderan had nine points and eight rebounds.
He added Ryan Bordogna and Lena Eblenkamp were great coming into the game.
“Ryan did great coming off of the bench,” Weyer said. “Lena had a good game until she hurt her hand.
The Wolves play in the MHSAA Division 1 Girls Basketball District 5 Semifinals on Wednesday, March 24 against Waterford Kettering at 5:15 p.m.
“We are going to give it our best shot,” said Weyer. “We will be prepared for Kettering.”
He added with COVID, the question in the air what teams are going to be in the playoffs and what players on the teams will be competing. He said some teams aren’t going to compete in the playoffs.
“I told them lock it down,” Weyer said to his team. “We have two weeks left. This is your group. If you guys are together, I get it. You are together on the court. But nobody else.”
The winner moves on to the district final on Friday, 6 p.m. Both games are at Romeo.

  Basketball, Girls Basketball