Athletes have been said to be creatures of habit, some good and some bad. For the Clarkston Wolves girls basketball team, their habit of going into overtime almost came back to bite them.
The Wolves? (11-5) fourth overtime game of the season came against West Bloomfield (9-8) on Oct. 26. It yielded the same result as those prior, a victory, 46-42.
‘We like to have them close and we’re finding ways to win,? Clarkston Coach Tim Wasilk said.
The Wolves were looking to beat the Lakers, a team it lost to Oct. 3.
The Lakers did not go away quietly after falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter. They would keep the game close, tying the final minutes and taking the game to double overtime.
‘We had a long way to dig out and to have the stamina to play an additional whole half of a game showed our character, I really give them credit,? Lakers Coach Pam Mahoney said.
‘We got a rough start tonight, I don’t know what it was, we came out seemingly lethargic. They hit a three and that really takes a lot of air out of you,? Mahoney said.
Jennifer Johnston again paced the Wolves in scoring with 14 points. Samantha Carter had nine points and Chelsea Kouri scored eight points. Both Jessica Palace and Taylor Daugherty had six points for Clarkston.
Clarkston shot 47-percent from the floor for the night, while the Lakers only made 31-percent of their field goals.
‘When our shooters are on, it definitely helps out and gives us a lot of momentum, no doubt about it. We have a little swagger to ourselves on the offensive end and we put a lot of effort and time into shooting in practice and hopefully it’s starting to come around and pay-off,? Wasilk said.
Throughout the night, the Lakers used several different tactics to try and contain Kouri’s play.
‘I give her all the credit in the world, it took everything we had. We threw maybe five different defenses out there to try to counter her and that shot. They run the most disciplined man-to-man offense I’ve ever seen. It’s no wonder they beat us,? Mahoney said.
Wasilk said Kouri’s four-years of experience at the varsity level helped her overcome the challenges West Bloomfield threw at her.
‘She was patient and when shots came to her, she took them. She didn’t force them and she played within herself.?
Chanise Miller led West Bloomfield with 16 points and Brittany Jones scored 10.
After falling behind early on, the Lakers played themselves back into the game by outscoring the Wolves 13-7 in the second quarter. At halftime Clarkston had a 17-13 lead.
The Wolves later went cold from the field late in the fourth quarter, scoring its final points of regulation on a Kouri three-pointer with four minutes remaining.
Carter was forced into a backcourt violation and Brittany Jones tied the score for West Bloomfield after rebounding a shot by Miller.
The teams played even in the first overtime session and the Wolves sealed the game in the second, as Johnston made a three-point basket, putting them ahead 43-42. The Lakers missed three consecutive shots from close range on the next possession.
The win pulled the Wolves above .500 in the Oakland Activities Association for the first time at 5-4, and dropped the Lakers to 4-5 in the conference. The Wolves are now in third place behind Auburn Hills Avondale (8-1) and Rochester (7-2) in the OAA division I standings. The Wolves? game against the Captains of Waterford Kettering finished after press-time of this edition of The Clarkston News. Clarkston travels to Rochester on Nov. 2 to try and defeat the Falcons, who stole a win at CHS earlier this season, 48-44.