Losing a key player due to an injury in practice is any coaches’ nightmare. Superior Central’s girls basketball was able to survive that nightmare for at least one game on Monday, when they defeated visiting Rock Mid-Pen, 58-25.

“It was our first game without our second leading scorer and only senior (Alice Hancock),” head coach Skip Rutter said. “We are very depleted already, losing her brought us down to five players. I had to bring up two additional (junior varsity players).”

The Lady Cougars got an offensive spark in the first quarter by Addi Frusti, as she was able to score eight points. The team’s leading scorer Sam Johnson did her usual work in the opening quarter as well, scoring 11 points, including an and-one play; helping make it a 21-6 lead after one.

Johnson poured in 10 more points in the second and Frusti netted four more, and the Cougars rolled to a 37-10 halftime lead. They also led 44-23 entering the fourth and played out the win from there.

“We played well defensively and that was the difference,” Rutter said. “We already rely very heavily on Johnson to score, and that will be even more the case as the year progresses from here. We will need some of the younger girls to step up offensively. We do hang our hat on defense, so if we execute on that side, hopefully we can stay in most ball games.”

Johnson was able to lead all scorers with 25 points and Frusti hit double figures as well. Scoring 16. Peyton Adams chipped in with nine points, Kianna Perron and Marissa Strohm added four points each and Rory Hanock added two.

Superior Central (5-4 overall) was at Powers North Central on Thursday, hosts Felch North Dickinson on Monday and is scheduled to host Cooks Big Bay de Noc on Thursday, Feb. 1.