The Superior Central Cougars girls basketball team registered a spirited victory against Skyline Central Conference foe Crystal Falls-Forest Park 48-37 on Tuesday, Jan. 3 in Eben Junction.

“It was an ugly win, but still a win,” Cougars Head Coach Skip Rutter said. “We had at least 20 turnovers and didn’t rebound particularly well, but coming off the break, it was a win we needed.”

The contest was the first game for Superior Central’s girls basketball team since a loss at Carney Nadeau on Dec. 13 and the Cougars came out rusty. The two teams combined for both more jump balls and more fouls than points in the first quarter. Superior Central righted the ship with a run in the second quarter, thanks to a big push by Maddie Begovac until SC hit a nine-point lead at halftime.

The second half saw more of the same, but without the Cougars’s top sophomore in Sammy Johnson. She had more foul troubles in the first half, requiring her to sit the entire third quarter.

“We weren’t able to keep our starting five out there as long as we wanted to, but our freshmen stepped up,” Rutter said.

Rutter credited the defense for their work in determining the win. Guards fought for loose balls, multiple players had at least one block and Bree Swajanen had four steals in the first half alone.

“Our defense overall was what kept us in the game,” he said.

The win might not be the prettiest, but it gets the Cougars back into the win column and back to .500 on the season. With a favorable schedule for the rest of the month, Rutter believes the team will be on the right path when SC faces their rivals in Munising in February.

Superior Central travels to Rapid River on Friday for a 4:15 p.m. game. The Rockets do not have a JV team, so this will be a varsity- only contest. SC defeated Rapid River 41-23 in December.