Hiltopper girls cage EPC Wolves for first conference win, clipped by SV Cardinals
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Last week the Glenwood City girls’ basketball team accomplished a feat its hasn’t been able to do in nearly two season – win a Dunn-St. Croix conference contest.
Hosting a fellow winless squad from Elmwood-Plum City in the conference opener last Tuesday, December 5, the Lady Hilltoppers coupled a lock-down defensive effort and their best offensive performance of the young season to earn a 61-41 victory over the Wolves. It was Glenwood City’s first Dunn-St. Croix win since a 48-47 triumph over Spring Valley on February 3, 2022.
A second straight conference win, however, wasn’t in the cards (pardon the pun), when Glenwood City visited Spring Valley three days later. An explosive second-half offensive performance by the Cardinals propelled them to a 51-30 triumph over the Hilltoppers.
With the split, Glenwood City heads into this week’s action with a 1-1 mark in conference play and 1-6 overall.
The Hilltoppers host Mondovi Thursday in its only contest this week. Glenwood City will then wrap up its pre-Christmas schedule with a pair of away games against Durand-Arkansaw next Tuesday, December 19 and Augusta on Thursday, December 21.
Elmwood-Plum City
Glenwood City’s second-year head coach Kirsten Konder knew hindering the Wolves’ Hailey Webb’s ability to put points on the scoreboard would be a key factor in whether her Toppers would find success and victory when Elmwood-Plum City came to the GC gym last Tuesday, December 5 for the Dunn-St. Croix Conference opener.
Konder assigned three of her players to guard Webb on a rotating basis. It was a strategy that worked well for the Hilltoppers and frustrated the Wolves’ top scorer.
Webb managed just eight points in the first half but she was also whistled for four personal fouls as Glenwood City took a 32-31 led into the intermission.
Webb eventually fouled out at midway through the second half and finished with just a dozen points to lead the Wolves.
With Webb relegated to the bench, the Wolves offense went ice cold as it scored just ten points in the final 18 minutes of action.
Conversely, the Hilltoppers continued to enjoy their best offensive performance of the season-to-date lead by a career high 24 points from freshman Tori Ohman. Glenwood City put another 29 points on the scoreboard in the final stanza en route to the 61-41 victory.
Ohman scored 18 points in the first half on six, two-point hoops and a 6-for-12 effort at the free throw line. She added three more deuces in the second half to reach her game-leading tally.
Junior post player Izzy Davis also scored in double figures for the Toppers as she finished with 13 points. Kaylin Brandt added eight points, Brooklyn Brite finished with six and Emma Bliese and Jenna McCarthy with three each. McCarthy had the Toppers only triple of the game.
Neither team shot well from the charity stripe. Glenwood City went 8-for-17 while Elmwood-Plum City was just 9-for-24.
Spring Valley
Looking for their second straight conference win in three days when it visited Spring Valley December 8, Glenwood City kept the game close in the first half, trailing 21-15 at the intermission.
But, Cardinal senior Mara Ducklow, who the Hilltoppers had held to just a pair of free throws in the opening half of play, busted loose in the second half to score 18 of her game high 20 points and led the Cardinals to a 51-30 win
Glenwood City was outscored 30 to 15 in the second half.
It was the second consecutive win for Spring Valley, who also began the week without a win, before nipping Boyceville earlier in the week by a single point.
Charli Vanasse, who scored 13 of the Cardinals 21 first-half points, finished with 15.
Izzy Davis and Tori Ohman led Glenwood City in scoring with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Spring Valley made 20 of its 26 foul shots while Glenwood City was under .500 with a 6-for-15 performance.