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The Wrangell High School Lady Wolves started slow but finished with a flurry as they defeated the Petersburg Lady Vikings 48-10 in the opening game of the Region V 2A/4A Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at Thunder Mountain High School in Juneau.
“We just told them to play hard and have fun,” Wrangell coach Christina Good said. “Just go out there and execute at their level and that’s what they did today. It is always nice to get the first game out of the way. We met our goals today defensively and I think it is going to help prepare us for our game tomorrow.”
Both teams were slightly stalled in the first quarter with the Lady Wolves leading 5-0 heading into the second stanza.
Wrangell senior Kiara Harrison had the first block to open the game, the first rebound and scored the first basket of the game. Harrison scored 9 points in the second quarter to provide a cushion for the Lady Wolves as they took a 21-6 lead into the break.
Wrangell junior Kayla Meissner scored 10 of her game-high 18 points in the third quarter including two from past the three-point line as the Lady Wolves took a 37-8 lead with just eight minutes to play.
“It was really exciting,” Wrangell junior Kayla Meissner said. “Now, I am excited to play Metlakatla.”
Meissner led Wrangell with 18 points, Harrison added 17, freshman Christina Johnson five, sophomore Addy Andrews three, senior Trinity Faulkner and sophomore Aubrey Wynne two apiece, and junior Mindy Meissner one.
The Lady Wolves hit 3-5 at the free-throw line, the Lady Vikings went 0-2.
Petersburg junior Anya Pawuk had two steals and two assists for the Lady Vikings and Pawuk, senior Kasiah Lopez, junior Bryanna Ratliff, and sophomores Iris Case and Eleanor Kandoll all scored two points each.
“It is just fun to go out and play,” Petersburg coach Dino Brock said. “To just go out and compete. Somebody always walks away happy, happier than the other but it is always a good experience.”
Wrangell advances to face top-seed Metlakatla on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. Petersburg plays an elimination game Thursday at 3 p.m. against the loser of Wednesday’s Craig/Haines contest.
