CG-Belgium starts slowly

The Cedar Grove-Belgium High School girls’ basketball season got off to a slow start on Nov. 24. The Rockets never led in a 40-29 home loss to Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah.

The newest element to the season is the players wearing masks throughout the game due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It kinda sucks. It’s hard to breathe. You get tired faster,” sophomore guard Alexis Bahr said.

“It’s horrible and hard. You can’t really breathe,” senior guard Alyssa Mentink said.

As a result of Covid-19, the number of fans are also limited. During free throws, the gym got as quiet as a classroom during an ACT exam.

Bahr led the Rockets with 11 points, and Mentink had eight.

The Resorters took an early lead but the Rockets kept it close throughout the first half. It was 21-15 at the break and the Rockets never got closer than seven after that.

Rocket post player Brooke Braga picked up three fouls in the first half and fouled out with five minutes to play.

The Resorters could have pulled away earlier but went 12-for-26 on free throws.

“I thought the girls did a pretty good job on defense,” coach Jason Jones said.

The Rockets struggled against the Resorters’ zone defense.

“We were a little cold,” Jones said. “And a lot of new girls are stepping up and playing this year who haven’t before.”

He said he knows the offense will come around.

“It was a good learning game for us. I know they’re going to keep getting better as the season goes on,” Jones said.

Both coaches called timeouts throughout the game, and Jones said he tried to sub more often to help the players catch their breath.

Jones said he expects Mentink and Bahr to lead the way at guard this season and be the team’s leading scorers.

Braga, a senior who Jones said is a hard worker and good listener, will patrol the inside, along with Laura Jerbek and Jessica Schueller. Bahr may also get in the paint, Jones said.

“She can play inside out and is versatile,” he said.

Senior Ellie Dirkse is expected to step up to shoot well from the outside, Jones said.

The team isn’t blessed with height, with the tallest player a couple of inches short of six feet.

“We’ll have to play hard and aggressive,” Jones said.

Defensively, Jones wants to mix man-to-man and zone defenses.

“Either way we like to play tough defense — no matter what we’re playing we’ve got to hustle and work hard at it,” Jones said.

The Rockets were to play at Random Lake Tuesday night and host Reedsville Saturday afternoon. They host Random Lake Tuesday, Dec. 8.