Last week, they did just that and won twice, in
overtime.
Wood River, staking its claim to Sawtooth Central Idaho Conference
leadership, shocked league-leading Wendell 41-40 in OT last Tuesday on the Hailey
hardwoods. Two days later the visiting Wolverines upset Kimberly 38-36, again in overtime.
Coach J.C. Nemecek’s Wolverines (9-5 overall, 4-2 league) made it
four straight league wins and settled into second place in the SCIC behind Wendell (9-4
overall, 5-1) and ahead of four teams: Filer 3-3, Kimberly 3-3, Gooding 2-4 and Buhl 1-5.
Not only has Wood River won five of its last six games prior to
Tuesday’s SCIC game at Gooding, the Wolverines are 4-0 at home with their final three
league games at home—Buhl Saturday, Filer next Tuesday and Kimberly Jan. 27.
The big hurdle was Wendell last Tuesday, and Wood River rose to the
occasion.
Led by freshman Kasey Monteith’s 12 rebounds, Wood River
outrebounded Wendell 33-22 and made 15-of-27 free throws. Laurel Williams’ free throw
with 38 seconds left in regulation tied the game 34-34.
The leader down the stretch was senior Rebecca Torresdal (19 points, 8
rebounds, 7 steals and 4 assists).
In the last 41 seconds of the four-minute OT, Torresdal pulled down two
huge defensive rebounds and quickly made outlet passes that resulted in the decisive
transition baskets by Monteith and Trudy Fochs.
Kimberly was a pretty ragged game, Nemecek said, that included 45
fouls, 49 turnovers and 31% free throw shooting between the teams. Monteith starred with
team-high totals of 11 points and 13 rebounds.
In addition, Monteith’s 8 blocked shots at Kimberly lifted the 6-1
freshman into first place on Wood River’s all-time single-season blocks list with 57,
passing Chelsy James’ six-year-old total of 51 rejections.
WOLVERINE NOTES—OT isn’t a familiar place, but
it’s friendly terrain for Wood River.
Before last week’s two OT wins, the Wolverines last played OT
beating Wendell 55-53 at the district tournament last Feb. 2. And the last OT before that
was in coach Nemecek’s first season—Jan. 16, 1991, a 48-44 win over Carey. Wood
River girls’ teams have only won 130 games in 25 seasons, but they’ve won their
last eight OT games dating back to 1984.
Wood River is now 5-15 lifetime vs. Wendell, and 2-2 vs.
Kimberly….Wood River has scored 559 points (39.9 ppg) and allowed 558
(39.9)….The school’s all-time record for single-season girls’ basketball
wins is 11….Torresdal (497 points) has passed Lori Pascoe and settled into #5 on the
all-time scoring list. Her 411 rebounds in four productive seasons put Torresdal close to
Jill Brown’s second-place 425.
