Lady Wolves victorious in alumni game and season opener against Petersburg

The Lady Wolves, Wrangell’s high school girls’ basketball team, held their annual alumni dinner and game last Tuesday, Dec. 17. The game is a tradition where past and present basketball players come together to celebrate the opening of a new season. The team served dinner to attendees, raising money for the Lady Wolves’ trip to Rally of the Regions in Anchorage in January. There was also an auction of several gifts and treats for people to bid on. According to Coach Laurie Brown, they served about 180 people during the dinner.

Brown said that the game itself was very competitive and a good way for her team to get the jitters out of their system. The Lady Wolves are a small team this year, she said, but the players were very strong and talented. They are still making adjustments and learning to mesh as a team, but this game was a good sign. The Lady Wolves won the alumni game 41-31, she said.

It was a busy week for the Lady Wolves, as they travelled to Petersburg for their official season-opening games against the Lady Vikings shortly after the alumni game. These were some especially hard-fought games, as Wrangell and Petersburg have a longstanding rivalry. Their first game was on Friday, Dec. 20. The Lady Wolves took the lead early, holding a 10 point lead at the half. This lead grew to 20 points by the end of the game, with the final score being 57 to 37, a win for Wrangell.

Saturday’s game, on Dec. 21, was described as hard-fought by Brown. Wrangell and Petersburg stayed close together in the first quarter, the Lady Wolves barely leading at 14 to 11. The entire game was Wrangell fighting hard to maintain a narrow lead, only pulling ahead near the end. The final score was another win for the Lady Wolves, 61 to 51.

These three games demonstrated that the team still has some kinks to work out, Brown said, such as improving their passing game. All in all, though, she said it was a great way to begin the season. Rally of the Regions will take place on Jan. 3 and 4, where the Lady Wolves will be returning to defend their championship title they earned last year. Judging by these past three games, Brown said she likes the team’s odds of holding the title.