Lady Warriors defensive in opener

By Lenny Sementi
Tim Kohlbecker and his Lady Warrior basketball squad leaned on their defensive prowess to kick start the season dominating Argenta-Oreana 58-19. Tuscola pressured the ball and forced 18 Lady Bomber turnovers, eight in the first frame alone as the Warriors jumped out to 19-0 advantage after one scoring six times following miscues.

“It was not a strong Argenta team,” stated coach K. “But it’s always great to start your season off with a win. The girls played with a lot of energy.”

Nine players in all scored in the non-conference showdown with senior Lexie Russo leading the way, scoring a game high 15 points on 4 of 7 from the field. She was also strong on the boards, hauling in a game high eight, four of which came on the offensive end. Next up was classmate Natalie Bates with 11 points on 3 of 6 from the field, including a three pointer. The third-year starters each swiped five steals on the night, fueling the offense in transition.

Sophomores Marissa Russo and Brynn Tabeling did some damage and donated a combined 18 points. Russo chipped in 11 points and five boards, while Tabeling scored seven points and collected a game high six steals.

Kohlbecker’s crew got the ball rolling in transition following a block by L. Russo who was rewarded for running the floor on an assist from Tabeling. She then hit both ends of a one and one on the next possession, and Bates stepped outside the arc for a three following a steal. That gave the Warriors all they would need to lead at the break in the first three minutes of action. AO was held scoreless until the two-minute mark of the first frame and never recovered entering the break down 41-6. Bates and Tabeling will be one of the most dangerous backcourts in the area. The duo played sideline to sideline and end line to end line.

The full story can be found in the Wednesday, Nov. 28 edition of The Tuscola Journal.