Knights get back to winning ways 49-33
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NORWAY -- The Norway girls basketball team began the season with two wins. Two lopsided losses followed, so the Knights were looking to stop the skid quickly when the Forest Park Lady Trojans came to town for the first game of the girls-boys doubleheader Friday at Norway.
The Knights took advantage of nine Forest Park turnovers and jumped out to a 12-4 lead after the first quarter and never looked back in their 49-33 Skyline Central Conference victory.
Junior Jada Freudinger scored 14 points to go with 13 from Andi Carlson and 10 from Hannah Burklund to lift the Knights to their third win.
"We needed that game," Norway coach Joe Tinti said. "That Forest Park team, they're physical and they're aggressive, but tonight we executed some of our sets a lot better and made some of our high-percentage shots."
Meanwhile, the Lady Trojans lost their fourth straight game after winning their opener over North Central. During the losing streak, Forest Park has started slow amid a slew of turnovers and defensive breakdowns.
"Our defense is just struggling," Forest Park coach Kim Bjork said. "We let the girl get by us, we let ourselves get screened, we're not being the aggressor on defense and it's showing. Easy buckets and easy attacks. It's just that defensive rotation and being disciplined."
The Knights built a 27-13 lead at the halftime break and stretched it to 36-18 after three. Norway executed its halfcourt offense well though the Knights missed some point-blank shots. Junior point guard Burklund sparked her team's offensive play.
"Hannah is the catalyst to a lot of the good things that can happen out there," Tinti said. "She's quick, she plays good defense and she helps her teammates get open."
The Lady Trojans put together its best stretch in the final quarter when they scored 15 points. Sophomore Ema Stepien scored eight points and senior Gracie Peterson six points during that stretch.
"A lot of its a mental game for them right now," Bjork said of her team "We had a little bit of energy at the end and good things started happening, and we're like 'Oh, OK, we know how to play a little bit.'"
Tinti hopes the win can give his team the confidence to move forward as the conference race proceeds.
"Maybe this game is something we can build on," Tinti said. "I believe that we can get to that level that we can play with anyone in our conference if we correct some of the things we need to correct."
Jerry DeRoche can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 247, or jderoche@ironmountaindailynews.com.