Lutheran Northwest comes back strong after quarantine
ROCHESTER HILLS >> After an 19day layoff, Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest’s girls basketball team didn’t appear to miss a beat.
Returning to action for the first time since Feb. 20 due to quarantine protocols for COVID-19, the Crusaders improved to 7-0 on the season with a 75-35 win over Southfield Christian on Thursday.
“Our first practice was (Wednesday), and then to have a game (Thursday), I knew it could lead to some rust, but we have a lot of senior leadership so I knew we would be able to click again quickly,” Lutheran Northwest coach Jimmy Mehlberg said.
The challenges of quarantine were nothing new for the Crusaders, who saw their 2020 postseason not come to an end on the floor.
The Crusaders were riding a 10-game winning streak as they were set to face Royal Oak Shrine in a Division 3 regional final. Lutheran Northwest was looking to claim the program’s first regional title on March 12, but the MHSAA was forced to end the postseason
because of the pandemic.
“This team has a chip on its shoulder from last year and not being able to find out what could have happened,” Mehlberg said. “Almost everybody is back from last year and it helps to have that kind of experience and leadership returning to keep everyone focused and motivated.”
Lutheran Northwest displayed their full array of talent in Thursday’s win, jumping out to a 7-0 lead and never looking back.
The Crusaders mixed up their zone defenses and created a lot of transition scoring. When not putting up points on the break, Lutheran Northwest used its quick passing and movement away from the ball to get open looks near the basket.
“That just comes from having four senior starters that have been on the floor a lot in their careers,” Mehlberg said of the ball movement and court vision. “They just really click together. Nobody cares about who is scoring the most, they just want to play together and do well as a team. It’s a rare group in that regard. It’s very helpful for me as
a coach because everyone has always been about the team.”
Among the seniors is Sabrina Gottschalk, who was Honorable Mention All-State in the 201920 season. She put up a game-high 18 points in Thursday’s win.
Sophomore Emily Grulke added 11 points for Lutheran Northwest, while senior Jena Maniaci and sophomore Stella Macavage each had eight points.
Southfield Christian is fielding a team without a senior on the roster this season, but the Eagles have some promising young talent. Junior Madison Moore had 16 points to lead the team on Thursday, while sophomore Rachel Cairo had 13 points, including three 3-pointers.
Now back from the lengthy layoff, Lutheran Northwest has five more games scheduled over the next week-and-a-half before the regular season ends.
“We like to play fast, so we just have to make sure we get back into shape in regard to pushing the pace for 32 minutes,” Mehlberg said. “After over two weeks off, you have to find a way to get back into that kind of shape and I think that will be the hardest part.”
The Crusaders have won all but one game this season by at least 22 points and find themselves ranked No. 9 in Division 3 currently.
Mehlberg won’t deny that the team is focused on getting an opportunity to play for that regional championship.
“We want a chance to get to do what we weren’t allowed to last year,” Mehlberg said. “That’s the one goal on everyone’s mind. We want to get back to where we were and see what happens so we can get closure from last year. It’s a hard-working team that plays very well together. I think they have the ability to reach their goals.”