Strong second half lifts Clare girls over Bullock Creek

 By BEN MURPHY

Cleaver Sports Writer

During their home game with Jack Pine Conference foe Bullock Creek on Friday, Feb. 6, the Clare girls’ basketball team found themselves trailing 29-25 at the half. The Lady Pioneers amped up their defensive efforts in the final two quarters and got some more shots to fall on the offensive end, and they were able to play their way to a 55-40 victory.

“Our defense (in the first half), we weren’t rotating and they just made some shots,” Clare head coach Shane Kelly said. “The second half, we took it away, the second half we gave up 11 points, and only three in the fourth and we knocked some shots down. We made 11 three pointers on the night which is the most I’ve had one of my teams make in the three years that I’ve been the varsity coach, so that was good, that was impressive.”

The Pioneers had Amelia Ryzyk lead them with 19 points, and she hit four three pointers along the way. Kamara Cooper made three treys to help her get to 17 points and Gabby Darland hit three triples to get her to nine.

“Gabby (a recent JV call up) had a lot of energy for us, played good defense and in the second half had three treys and my other freshman Kamara scored 15 of her points in the second half and Amelia had three treys in the first half,” Kelly said. “It was just a complete team effort on defense in the second half. My girls did a great job guarding their number one players, it was a good win. Being down at halftime was tough, but they knocked down some shots in the second half and that was good to see.”

Clare did drop a home Jack Pine game to Meridian on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 41-31.

The Pioneers were down 15-10 after the first quarter, 20-14 at the half and they were chasing a 29-21 deficit entering the fourth.

“We played a lot better defense after the first quarter and played great defense until the end of the game,” Kelly said. “It was a three- or four-point game (in the final minutes), they just broke our press.”

The Pioneers were led by Cooper with 13 points, 12 rebounds and four steals and Ryzyk was able to add seven points.

Clare (10-5 overall, 8-4 Jack Pine) was at Beal City on Monday, they played at Gladwin on Wednesday, they head for St. Louis on Friday, and they will host Ogemaw Heights on Tuesday.