By Wendi Reardon Price
Clarkston News Sports Writer
OXFORD — Clarkston Girls Varsity Basketball is ready for the postseason after wrapping the regular season with a close battle against Oxford which ended with a 29-25 win for the Wolves, Feb. 27.
“I wasn’t shocked that was what happened tonight,” said Aaron Goodnough, head coach for Clarkston, adding especially since it was senior night for the Wildcats. “I knew that they would come out and be really fired up, and they were.
The Wolves closed the first quarter with a 8-7 lead with 3-pointers from Ellery Hernandez and Claire Walker.
Hernandez scored another 3-pointer in the next quarter and Emily Valencia scored on a basket for the only points in the quarter.
Oxford outscored Clarkston to close the first half with a 16-13 lead with four points from Mia Champagne, two points from Allison Hufstedler and a 3-pointer from Emma Beggs, which sealed the lead with 90 seconds left in the half.
“We played really sloppy and really struggled against their zone,” said Goodnough. “We kept calling time outs and calling the same things. We would get it and not look at it or we wouldn’t get it because we wouldn’t get to the right positions. Oxford’s head coach Rachel Bryer is a good coach, and I knew she was never going to get out of it until she had to, I wouldn’t.”
Both teams battled for the lead during the third quarter, which ended with Oxford taking a two point lead with eight seconds left with two successful shots on the free throw line from Braydee Elling.
The Wolves took a one point lead off a basket from Brooklyn Covert, 26-25. They would finish the night with Elia Morgner being sent to the free throw line twice, making 3-of-4 shots.
Morgner led with eight points. Hernandez and Valencia each scored seven points.
Goodnough shared the close game will help heading into districts this week.
“We’re starting over next week,” he said, adding they already had a practice plan six minutes after the win over Oxford. “When you play a very tight game and it’s recent, it makes you take everything else pretty serious.”
Elli Robak is still out with an injury and Goodnough shared her appearance on the court in the postseason is to be determined.
“We’re preparing like she’s not. If she does, it’s just icing on the cake,” he said.
The Wolves (16-6, 6-4 OAA Red) play Waterford Mott in the MHSAA Division 1 Girls Basketball District 29 semifinal today, March 6, at 5:30 p.m. The winner plays the Lake Orion/Waterford Kettering in the district final on Friday, 7 p.m. The district is held at Waterford Mott High School.
“If we get through Mott, they want a shot at Lake Orion again,” said Goodnough. “So in that respect, we are probably good on many different levels.”
The district champion plays in the Regional 9 Semifinal at Walled Lake Northern on Tuesday, March 11 at 7 p.m.

  Clarkston Athletics, Girls Basketball