By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
For the record, Ada Roth and Penny Grob are both only freshmen.
You never would have known that, though, based on the way the duo played when Saugatuck hosted Hartford in girls basketball on Friday, Dec. 2.
Grob scored a game-best 15 points, with Roth close behind at 14 points to help keep the Trailblazers unbeaten at 2-0 with the 50-37 victory.
“It was a relief to see our two freshmen get in a groove with their shot and overall play,” Saugatuck coach Kevin Tringali said. “They were pressing a bit in game one, but settled in nicely tonight.”
Saugatuck controlled the game from the opening tip, jumping out to a 14-7 lead after one quarter and taking a 27-10 advantage to halftime. By the end of the third quarter, the Trailblazers were up 42-15, allowing Tringali to get everyone plenty of playing time.
“It was a total team effort tonight,” Tringali said. “Everyone works hard on our team, so it was nice to get everyone an opportunity. What was more pleasing was watching how much our core players were cheering on the reserves.”
Saugatuck bested visiting Bloomingdale 44-30 on Tuesday, Nov. 30, in the season opener for both teams.
Kennedy Gustafson shined for the Trailblazers, amassing 12 points and 22 rebounds for the double-double.
Haley Rivera added a game-best 13 points.
Those performances helped Saugatuck shake off a slow start, as the Trailblazers were limited to four points in the first quarter.
Struggles with outside shooting were a big factor in the early lack of success on the offensive end.
“You wouldn’t have guessed it tonight, but believe it or not I feel this is one of our better perimeter teams,” Tringali said. “We had great looks, but it was just one of those nights.
“But I’m not worried about it. What’s impressive is that we found other ways to get it done, particularly with our defense. I’m very proud of our effort.”
Saugatuck used its pressure defense to force numerous Bloomingdale turnovers, which led to offensive opportunities.
Sunday, October 06, 2024
