Wolfpack press checks Whitefish
Whitefish junior Karissa Demarco, number 15, is pressured by Glacier junior Cami Mathison, number 12, and freshman Nicole Heavirland, number 15, during their game on Tuesday night. Glacier won the match up 61 to 29.
As far as season openers go, Tuesday’s outcome for Glacier was something positive to build on, while for Whitefish, it’s still a work in progress.
Glacier kicked off the 2009-10 basketball season with a resounding 61-29 nonconference home victory over Whitefish.
The Wolfpack used aggressive and hounding full court pressure to jump in front quickly, up 18-0 in the first 5:19 of play, and never looked back after that.
Whitefish, with 13 turnovers in the opening quarter, trailed 23-7 and 35-15 after the first two quarter stops. Many of the turnovers led to layups or easy shots from close range for the Wolfpack.
“Play hard, play aggressive,” Glacier coach Doug Hashley said of his pressing defense.
“We have to. We have some pretty talented athletes.”
Brooke Watkins, a 5-foot-7 senior guard, led the Wolfpack in scoring with 19 points. Paige Latimer, off the bench, tallied 16. Latimer had 13 points in the first half.
Latimer was deadly from the free throw line, sinking 10 of 11 shots.
The only negative on the night for Glacier was foul trouble. The Wolfpack didn’t have anyone foul out, but they had to rest a couple of players in finishing with 24. That sent Whitefish to the free throw line 33 times, where it did the bulk of its scoring with 17 points.
“We got in foul trouble early, but I’m OK with that,” Hashley said.
“That’s the style of play we are going to play.
“The work ethic of the girls was awesome, especially the way they covered for each other,” he added.
“It was really enjoyable to watch them work so hard.”
Hashley said the team’s outside shooting, which struggled in the first half, improved in the final two quarters. Watkins totaled three treys on the night.
Whitefish, which totaled 38 turnovers, was led offensively by Jessica Slaybaugh, 10 points, and Olivia Nagler, 7.
Slaybaugh was 6 of 6 free throw shooting.
“They get after you defensively,” Whitefish coach Sean Duff said.
“The kids were shell-shocked the first couple of minutes. They responded, but it took us awhile.”
Duff said he was impressed with his players’ tenacity.
“I’m proud of the kids,” he said.
“They didn’t give up, fought the whole time.”
Glacier is back in action Friday, hosting Lake City from Idaho in another nonleague game. Whitefish plays Hamilton on Friday at 11 a.m. in Polson in the Tip Off Tournament.
Whitefish 7 8 9 5 — 29
Glacier 23 12 18 8 — 61
WHITEFISH (0-1) — Olivia Nagler 1 5-10 7, Taylor Havens 0 0-2 0, Jessica Slaybaugh 2 6-6 10, Jordan Carper 0 0-4 0, Jessica Poe 1 4-7 6, Shelby Backer 1 2-4 4, Abby Strellnauer 1 0-0 2. Totals: 6 17-33 29.
GLACIER (1-0) — Paige Latimer 3 10-11 16, Cami Mathison 1 0-0 2, Sydney Sharaf 1 0-0 2, Nicole Heavirland 2 0-0 4, Baylee Quay 2 0-0 4, Patty Hughes 3 0-0 6, Brooke Watkins 8 0-0 19, Ashlee Waggener 4 0-2 8. Totals: 24 10-13 61.
3-point goals: Watkins (3); Team fouls: Whitefish 12, Glacier 24. Fouled out: None.