Headlines.
ALPENA, MI - The Wildcats outscored Alcona 16-4 in the 4th Quarter to pull away for a 58-42 opening game victory on Thursday night at the Gillespie Gymnasium. The Tigers and Wildcats played to an 11-11 deadlock in the opening quarter as sluggish play led to numerous turnovers. Alcona took the lead early in the 2nd quarter behind a pair of buckets by Kelsey Hansen. With 2:28 remaining in the half, Megan Grove hit a big three to push the Tigers lead to five at 24-19. The Wildcats responded and closed out the half with a 10-3 run to lead 29-26 at the break.
The Wildcats came out with urgency in the 2nd half and quickly took a 36-26 lead, forcing a Tiger timeout. The Tigers used timely three-point shooting to chip away at the lead to trail 42-38 after three. The Wildcats began to pull away with tough defense and execution as they began to slice their way through the Alcona defense. Allison DeRocher nailed a long-range bomb with 3:42 remaining to spark a 13-0 run to close out the game.
