Junior High Girls Basketball
WLB 8th grade ladies second in State and No.1 in the hearts of their fans

[December 16, 2022]

The Lady Wolverines brought the crowd and the intensity Thursday night to Clinton Junior High School for the championship game of the 8th Grade Class 1A State Tournament but the Sigel St. Michael’s Sharpshooters brought the height and the experience to win at the eighth grade level. With just two eighth graders on the WLB team, the rest of the young lineup faced a tough battle and in the end they fell short 30-22.

The Lady Wolverines won the first quarter with their quickness and they surprised the Sharpshooters with a 7-2 lead. Sage Gilbert’s steal and basket allowed the Lady Wolverines to get on the board first with 5:40 on the clock. The Sharpshooters tied the game 2-2 on a couple free throws by Kailyn Gaddis at the 3:57 mark. With 2:02 on the clock, sixth grader Paisley Holmes brought the crowd to their feet with a three, giving WLB a 5-2 lead. With 30.7 seconds left in the quarter, Grey Gilbert stretched the lead to 7-2 with her basket.

The Sharpshooters came out in the second quarter and scored 20 points, which would ultimately be the difference in the game. After Elizabeth Chen pulled down an offensive rebound and banked it back in for a 9-4 WLB lead, the Sharpshooters went on a roll. With 4:31 on the clock, St. Michael’s tied the game 9-9 and didn’t stop there. The Sharpshooters took an 11-9 lead on free throws. Holmes did swish two free throws for WLB to tie the game at 11-11 with 3:57 left until the half. But the Sharpshooters used an 11-0 run to finish the second quarter and put the Lady Wolverines in a 22-11 deficit.

While the Lady Wolverines would outscore the Sharpshooters in the second half, it just wasn’t quite enough. Grey Gilbert scored all six of the Lady Wolverines points in the second quarter. Brooklyn Will scored all four points for the Sharpshooters. At the end of the third quarter, the Lady Wolverines trailed 26-17.

The Lady Wolverines pulled to within five points in the fourth quarter on a layup by Holmes and two free throws by Grey Gilbert. With just over four minutes left in the game, WLB had a chance to pull closer. But Grey Gilbert was called for a charge as she was dribbling up the court and this fueled the Sharpshooters. They got a quick two points to extend the lead to 28-21. Each team completed their scoring on free throws, with the Lady Wolverines last scoring with 2:05 on the clock. Sage Gilbert’s free throw made the score 29-22. Holmes would foul out with 44.7 seconds left in the game and there was certainly no lack of effort on this sixth-grader’s part, nor that of the entire WLB team. The Sharpshooters made one final free throw to set the score at 30-22. Despite the hard fought effort from WLB, the Sharpshooters walked away with the first place trophy.

With smiles and tears, the Lady Wolverines hoisted the second place trophy in front of a cheering crowd of WLB fans that filled two-thirds of the Clinton gymnasium.

Grey Gilbert led the Lady Wolverines with 8 points and Paisley Holmes scored 7 points for WLB.

The Lady Wolverines finished the season with a 21-7 record.

Sigel St. Michael’s repeats as the 8-1A State Champions with a 24-2 record.

Congratulations, Lady Wolverines! We are proud of you!

On an equally important note, the sportsmanship the Lady Wolverines demonstrated Thursday night needs to be highlighted. After they suffered the heart-breaking loss, they still stood on the court, facing the Sharpshooters, clapping as each one of their opponents received their medals. Through the tears, the Lady Wolverines also applauded the Sharpshooters on their trophy. Basketball is a game and it is so important to young people, but it’s equally important to be respectful. The Lady Wolverines demonstrated respect and for that, their families, coaches and educators who play a role in shaping their lives should be proud!

Lady Wolverines, we all look forward to seeing you at State again!

WLB 22

G. Gilbert 8
Holmes 7
S. Gilbert 5
Chen 2

Sigel St. Michael 30

Hatton 9
Will 6
Gaddis 6
Ordner 4
Jordan 3
Kollmann 2

[Teena Lowery with photos by Cindy Bivin]