The Varsity Girls Basketball Team faced off with the Rockwood Summit Falcons in their district opener and won, 55-48.

The Wildcats got off to a slow start offensively, but clung to the lead at the end of the first quarter, 11-6.

“We got off to a slow start because we freaked out with the ball,” Mr. James Alsup, head coach, said. “We were our own worst enemies.”

After the Falcons closed the gap to two early in the second quarter, the Wildcats threw down a 16-2 run to put themselves up at the half, 29-13.

“We slowed down and took care of the ball,” Coach Alsup said. “We got to shoot the ball for a change.”

Kelsey Tepen, forward, led the team in scoring in the first half, pouring in 12.

“I kind of got lucky with a bunch of rebounds,” Tepen said. “Then when I went back up with it, I was able to get to the line.”

The second half was an uncharacteristic one for the now 23-2 Wildcats.

In the third quarter the Falcons outscored the Wildcats, 14-12, to cut the lead to 41-29 heading to the fourth.

“I thought we played pretty good defense,” Mallory Proffer, guard, said. “But [the Falcons] were making a lot of shots in the third.”

When the fourth quarter began the Falcons jumped out on a 9-2 run to cut the lead to five, 43-38.

“[The Falcons] just got hot from three,” Coach Alsup said. “We were defending pretty well, but they were hitting them anyway.”

The Falcons connected on five three-point attempts in the second half.

The Wildcats were outscored in the fourth, 19-14, but were able to hold on for the win, 55-48.

Torie Allen, point guard, recorded 16 of her 19 points in the second half, 12 of which came in the fourth quarter.

“In our offense whoever ends up with the ball gets the points,” Coach Alsup said. “Torie [Allen] ended up with it a lot, but she also took charge late.”

The Wildcats will play Marquette for the Class 5 District 2 final Friday, March 7.