Posen rolls to easy opening night win; head to Mio Friday

by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor

Four players scored in double figures in a dominant opening-night win for the Posen girls? basketball team. The Vikings outscored visiting Alcona 18-2 in the first quarter and controlled the game the rest of the way to notch the first of what should be many victories. The final score was 61-30. Head coach Karl Momrik won?t let his squad rest on the laurels of win number one, because getting win number two will be far from easy with a road trip Friday night to Mio. This is a rematch of last year?s district title game played in Mio and won by the Vikes.

BOTH TEAMS have plenty of returning talent back. The coaches may have wanted a few more warm-up games, but have not been afforded that luxury. The Posen defense, anchored by senior Lindsey Bar

tz and freshman Korynn Hincka, didn’t allow the Tigers? first points of the season until four minutes had passed. More than six minutes went by before they scored again. By that time, Posen had a 22-4 lead. ?We think the defense and the rebounding is what wins you championships, so we are very happy with that,? said Momrik.

While field goal percentage stats were not available, Alcona coach Dan O’Connor was impressed with Posen?s outside shooting touch, believing it must have been around 60 percent. Lindsay Ponik, Bartz and Hincka all scored two field goals apiece in the first eight minutes.

WITH THE score 26-4, the full-court pressure fueled quick baskets by LeAnn Strzelecki and Paige Lewandowski before halftime. The score at the break was 35-9. Hincka opened the second half with a three-point play, and a few minutes later, Anna Couture score two of her team-leading 12 points on a steal and a layup for a 41-11 advantage. The Vikings used a variety of ways to score at the start of the fourth quarter and went on a 10-0 run. Bartz scored two free throws, Ponik hit a jumper, Couture fed Ponik the ball on a fast break, which was followed by a jumper by Strzelecki, who on the next offensive play passed the ball to Couture on a fast break for Posen?s biggest lead of the night, 57-20. Hincka and Ponik both ended the night with 11 apiece, while Bartz finished with 10. The junior varsity lost earlier in the night, 27-20. Austin Sharpe had seven.