FLORENCE, Wis. — The Florence LadyCats defeated Three Lakes/Phelps 63-39 on Tuesday, improving their record to 2-1 in the Northern Lakes Conference and 9-1 overall.

With the win, Florence extended its streak to six games.

The Ladycats came out firing, jumping to a 13-2 lead in the first five minutes behind a defense that forced five early turnovers.

Juniors CeCe Mills and Naomi Millan each drained two three-pointers in the opening half, while sophomore Miley VanDenHeuvel added another from beyond the arc. Florence’s defense was the story early, racking up 16 steals before halftime and holding the Blue Jays to just six points. Sophomore Kelsi Chrisman led the defensive charge with seven steals and six points before leaving the game early in the second half due to injury. At the break, Florence held a commanding 29-6 lead.

Freshman Leah Baker stepped up in Chrisman’s absence, contributing three rebounds and a steal. Six minutes into the second half, the LadyCats’ offense caught fire. Mills ignited the surge after being fouled on a drive to the rim, sinking both free throws and launching a scoring spree. She finished with a game-high 26 points, shooting 77% from the field, including four three-pointers and a 5-for-7 performance from the free-throw line.

Senior Ashley Peterson added eight points, attacking inside and converting four of five free throws. Millan added 14 points and five assists, while VanDenHeuvel added nine points, 10 rebounds, and six steals. Florence’s three-point attack was relentless, finishing with 11 makes from beyond the arc.

Defensively, the LadyCats forced 22 steals and controlled the tempo throughout.