ROCHESTER GETS PAYBACK, TOPS CLARKSTON AT HOME
ROCHESTER HILLS >> Four games into Rochester’s first go-round in its new division, and the reigning OAA White champions finally got officially the “welcome mat” treatment with a 15-point shellacking on the road at Clarkston.
Welcome to the OAA Red, where every single night is a physical grudge match.
“The Clarkston game was our really first really true taste of OAA Red. And we got we got our butts beat by them. And that’s where the girls you know, took it personal and wanted to make sure that they know what’s coming now,” Rochester coach Bill Thurston said of the 49-34 loss on Jan. 10 that snapped an eight-game winning streak for the Falcons at the time. “That’s what’s fun, because we got Stoney Creek coming up we got Lake Orion again we got West Bloomfield, so you know, the girls are up for the challenge and you know, they realize now what they’re where they gotta (be). … They just want to compete at a high level and that’s what we saw.”
In Monday’s rematch, the Falcons were the more physical team, fully utilizing their twin sophomore towers inside to grind out a little payback in the form of a resounding 51-24 win.
The Falcons (12-3, 5-2 OAA Red) jumped out to an 11-2 lead, stretched it to 17-4, and led 19-9 after the first quarter, using a 19-2 advantage in the second quarter to lead 3811 at the half.
After that, it was just a matter of never letting the Wolves (9-8, 5-4) get back in it.
“We came out so passive, we were just so passive. And it’s tough this time of year to still be this passive, and it gets us into so much trouble. But we came out so passive and we weren’t attacking the basket. Granted, they made a lot of shots. But I told them after the first quarter, that they’re not going to shoot this way the entire game. And frankly, they didn’t. But our passivity never changed,” Clarkston coach Aaron Goodnough said. “And when that happens, they can just keep hitting you with two 6-footers, and just jam it down your throat. And rightly so.”
While 6-foot-1 sophomores Kiely Robinson (nine points) and Alice Max (24 points) combining to outscore the Wolves on their own, it set up an inside out game — and vice-versa — with the Falcons nailing four 3-pointers in the first quarter, and six in the game.
“We did very good job communicating working together, we talked a lot more on defense as a team. Bench energy was great this game, which helps because we had the home atmosphere going for us this time,” Max said of the difference between the two games against the Wolves. “And then on offense, we focused in practice on making an extra pass working inside out. And I think we did a really good job executing that.”
Part of the maturation process for the Falcons — who were all the way down in the OAA Blue as recently as the 2019-20 season — learning how to play at increasingly more competitive levels each year.
And it’s part of the mental maturation process for the young bigs, knowing they’ll probably get bumped around a bit more in the Red.
“Before the game, I was talking to Alex, and explained to her how much she’s matured — going into the season from even the first game we played Clarkston, because they pounded her inside, and were all over her. And, you know, she just … she’s learning, you know,” Thurston said. “And I just remind myself as a coach that she’s only a sophomore. So she’s just doing an awesome job and maturing Kiely is understanding and, you know, it just, it’s just great to have these young girls being able to contribute.
I’m just very fortunate.”
Natalie Rayce added 10 points for the Falcons.
Emily Valencia had a personal 7-0 run for the Wolves in the third quarter, finishing with a teamhigh nine points, but
Clarkston would never get the deficit back under 20. Elli Robak added seven.
Now a half-game behind Lake Orion for second place in the division, the Falcons visit Southfield A&T for another OAA Red contest on Thursday, while the Wolves are at Birmingham Groves.