Rocks put squeeze on Cobras in rivalry rematch, 49-36
Salem’s Julia Steinhebel (left) and Lainey Claramunt double team Canton star McKinsey Berlin during the second half of Tuesday night’s game.
How in the world did Salem’s girls basketball team score 49 points Tuesday night against Canton after being held to 28 points during the teams’ first meeting, which the Cobras won, 32-20 five weeks earlier?
“I looked at the film of the first game and thought the pace was too slow,” said Salem Head Coach Rod Wells, moments after his team’s 49-36 victory. “We were only 10 for 59 from the field — we were firing up a lot of threes; they were good shots, the ball just wasn’t going in.
“Tonight, I knew we needed to get more layups and get up and down the court, not play at Canton’s pace. I told my wife before the game, the first team to 35 would win because I had a lot of confidence in our defense.”
The Rocks’ catalyst was sophomore Stella Stotz, who was — to put it mildly — hotz.
Hot Stotz
Stotz scored 25 points and was a difference-maker on defense with her hands-always-waving style of play.
“Tonight, we played more of a team than we did the first time we played Canton,” Stotz said. “We stuck together, even when they went on a run. We had each other’s back the whole game.”
Stotz said the shot of the game was teammate Elissa Antoun third-quarter buzzer-beating three that extended the Rocks’ lead to 38-25 after Canton had cut a once sizeable Salem advantage to 28-25 earlier in the quarter.
“Elissa’s shot definitely got our energy up heading into the fourth quarter,” Stotz said.
Antoun’s buzzer-beater ‘huge’
Wells agreed Antoun’s three was huge, but not as impressive as her team-first attitude before the opening tip.
“Alissa is a senior who has been starting on and off for us,” Wells said. “Starting in a big game against Canton is important for seniors, but I wanted a little more quickness in our lineup so we could trap and press.
“When I told Alissa she wasn’t starting, she could have put on a sad face and been upset, but she said, ‘I got it, coach. I’m good.’ I’m happy for her that she hit one of the biggest shots of the game against Canton.”
McKinsey Berlin was exceptional for Canton, scoring 22 points and serving as a disruptor on defense.
Berlin, Reiger carry Cobras
Cobra junior Devyn Reiger also played well, contributing eight points and tons of hustle on defense.
Canton was red-hot from the free throw line, draining 11 of 13 attempts. Senior Devyn Plozai was 4-for-4 from the line.
Salem roared to a 16-7 first-quarter lead as Stotz scored 10 of her points in the first eight minutes.
“Stella was in a zone tonight,” Wells said. “She was mentally prepared and she had that look in her eye. She was aggressive and set the tone for us. We struggled offensively the first time we played Canton, but she said, ‘We’re going to score some points tonight’.”
Stella was on target
She was on target with her prediction — and her Shotz, er, shots.
Sophomore Lainey Claramunt added nine point for the Rocks.
Salem improved to 7-7 overall and 3-4 in the KLAA West Division. Canton slipped to 2-5 and 4-7, respectively.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
