Ely’s high school girls basketball team emerged intact from what could best be described as a meatgrinder - at least in terms of its schedule.
Consecutive lopsided losses to unbeaten Mt. Iron-Buhl, Class AA powerhouse Mesabi East and Section 7A contender were a downer for the Timberwolves, but they bounced back Tuesday night.
They traveled to Silver Bay and got 26 points from Lydia Shultz and won 72-51.
The Wolves improved to 11-9 on the season, heading into the final week of the regular season and road contests with Deer River and South Ridge.
Those contests, as well as Thursday’s home finale with North Woods, will likely determine if the Wolves remain among the top-eight ranked teams in Section 7A and earn a home playoff contest on Feb. 26.
Ely needed a strong second half to open up a tight game at Silver Bay.
The Wolves led 32-29 at the break, but ramped up the pressure in the second stanza to finally pull away, Ely moved the ball well and had 19 assisted baskets, with Shultz dishing out eight assists while also topping the scoring chart.
Junior Amelia Penke scored 13 points and also helped her team dominate the boards, pulling down a season- best 17 rebounds.
Sisters Ruby and Gretta Lowe both knocked down three three-point baskets apiece and finished with matching ninepoint evenings, and freshman Kaija Shultz contributed eight points and seven rebounds.
• The Wolves bounced back with a nice second half at home Monday against Chisholm, but by then the damage had been done and the Bluestreaks prevailed 59-46.
The first half was all-Bluestreaks as they ran away and built a 25-point lead.
Penke had a monster game, scoring 18 points to go with 19 rebounds, but that wasn’t enough to power the Wolves all the way back.
Lillie O’Neill sank three triples and contributed 11 points, and Shultz finished with 10 points, six rebounds and three steals.
Ely struggled from the outside, connecting on just five-of-25 three-point attempts.
• Mesabi East completed a regular season sweep of the Wolves, winning the Feb. 5 contest at Aurora 62-43.
Shultz had 17 points, six rebounds and four assists, but was the only Ely player to reach double digits.
O’Neill finished with eight points, while Zoe MacKenzie and Penke chipped in with six points each.
