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The Ely Timberwolves have good reason to be optimistic heading into the Section 7A high school girls basketball playoffs, which started after deadline with a home game on Thursday night.
That’s when the Wolves took on South Ridge, with a berth in Saturday’s 7A quarterfinals on the line.
Riding a five-game winning streak, including a 48-38 win over South Ridge in last Friday’s regular-season finale, the Wolves are seeded sixth in the 17team tournament.
Ely dominated against number-11 South Ridge for much of the regular season contest, with the Wolves building a lead as large as 30 points before the Panthers made a late run.
And should the Wolves move on to Saturday’s quarterfinal, set for 5:30 p.m. at Hibbing, they could be in a position to pull an upset.
Ely would likely face number-three Bigfork in the quarterfinals, pitting the Wolves against a team they played evenly with in January, only to fall short 41-39.
Ely (16-9) has made the section semifinals in three straight years, and a fourth bid would come in a rebuilding season after the loss of three all-conference seniors and with new head coach Tomi Cole taking the reins.
Mt. Iron-Buhl, rated second in the state and the defending section champion, is the top seed in the tournament while Cromwell comes in at number two.
The 7A semifinals take place Tuesday, March 4 and the finals are on Thursday, March 6, also at Hibbing.
• The Wolves took control early against South Ridge and extended their lead by dominating much of the second half.
Ely had excellent balance, with five players scoring at least eight points and Zoe MacKenzie leading the way with a team-high 12 to go with four steals.
Lydia Shultz was next with nine points, while seniors Maija Mattson and Clare Thomas and sophomore Audrey Kallberg all finished with eight points.
Mattson also snared eight rebounds while Thomas and Shultz both added four assists.
• Ely ran roughshod over Littlefork- Big Falls in a Feb. 20 home contest, cruising to a 75-49 victory.
Thomas led the way with a career night, scoring 25 points while shooting nine-for-14 from two-point range, two more three-point baskets, seven rebounds and five steals.
MacKenzie was next with 13 points and six rebounds and Kallberg picked up a double-double with a 12-point, 10-rebound evening.
Mattson continued a late-season surge with eight points and eight rebounds, while Shultz scored eight points and Amelia Penke finished with six.
