Coach Becky Graves said at the beginning of the year she intended for the Oxford Girl’s Basketball Team to face a tough non-league season – and she wasn’t kidding.
The Lady Wildcats lost their first away game 62-34 to Crosswell-Lexington on Sept. 1. The Oxford cagers held on during the first period scoring 11 points to Lexington’s 16; however, there were no offensive pushes beyond that point.
Crosswell-Lexington outshot the Wildcats by at least 2 to 1 in the second, third and fourth periods. At the free throw line, the Lady Cats managed only four for 18, while Lexington went 11 for 16.
Top scorer for Oxford was junior Mykala Salquist with 10 points. She hit five field goals, but went zero for three on the line. Senior Kacey Cookingham contributed five points of her own, including two field goals, but also struggle with free throws hitting only one out of five.
The Lady Wildcats now stand 0-3 overall as they prepare to take on another difficult non-league match-up against Goodrich at home on Sept. 9. Tip off will be at 6:45 p.m. The team then hits the road again for two away games: a non-league competition against Birmingham Groves on Sept. 11 and their first league match-up against Lapeer West on Sept. 14.