Things got interesting in the final moments, but the Superior Central girls basketball team was able to earn one of its best wins of the season on Jan. 16.

The Cougars held on for a 3736 home victory over Stephenson.

“A nice win for us,” head coach Skip Rutter said. “Stephenson came into the game 7-3, having beat Crystal Falls and Carney. Peyton Adams went down with a wrist injury in the fourth quarter, but everyone stepped up their play, especially on the defensive end. Aubrey Kroupa, our eighth grader, came in after the injury and gave us some good minutes, especially on the glass. We also hit some big free throws late in the fourth.”

With just a few seconds left in the contest and the Cougars holding a three-point lead, Rory Hancock stepped to the free-throw line with a chance to ice the game. She buried the second of her two

“
A nice win for us. Stephenson came into the game 7-3 … but everyone stepped up their play, especially on the defensive end.

—Skip
Rutter

”

attempts to make it a four-point cushion. It’s a good thing, too, since Stephenson made a last-second shot from about half-court to bring it to the 37-36 final.

In the first quarter, Addi Frusti hit a 3-pointer and had five points, though the Cougars trailed 9-7 after one. Sam Johnson netted four points in the second, and Kroupa buried a 3, which trimmed the Stephenson lead to 19-18 at the half.

Triples by Adams and Frusti helped send the game into a 2727 deadlock into the fourth.

In the final quarter, Johnson knocked down a key field goal, and she was 4-of-4 from the line as well. Frusti and Hancock both made two free throws in the final minutes that also proved to be vital.

For the Cougars, Johnson finished with 13 points; Frusti scored 10; and Adams netted five. Marissa Strohm added four points; Kroupa finished with three; and Hancock netted two.

On Jan. 13, Superior Central fell at home against Newberry, 44-37.

“Newberry defends well. They are quick and physical,” Rutter said. “They outrebounded us 4026, and we turned the ball over more times in this game than any other game this year. We will not win games with those two stats.”

SC was behind 12-7 after the first quarter and 24-21 at the half. The Cougars’ second frame was highlighted by 10 points from Johnson, six on the floor and four at the line. She had four more points in the third, but the Cougars couldn’t get any other field goals in the frame, and they fell further back, 38-27, entering the fourth.

Johnson netted seven more points in the final frame, and she finished with 21 in the game. Adams hit double figures on the night as well, scoring 11. Frusti scored three, and Strohm added two.

SC (7-4 overall) had a home contest with Munising on Wednesday; welcomed in Powers North Central on Thursday; and makes the trip to Felch North Dickinson on Monday.