Warrior girls start hot as weather gets cold

Before Thanksgiving leftovers have been consumed, the Ozaukee High School girls’ basketball team has already eaten up the competition in three of its first four games.

The Warriors, after a 72-33 season-opening loss on Nov. 18 at Manitowoc Lutheran, ripped off three straight blowouts of their own against nonconference foes.

Ozaukee won, 59-31, at West Bend East on Nov. 20, 61-36 over Campbellsport on Nov. 25 and 57-33 over New Holstein on Monday.

“We have been working hard already this season,” coach Linda Weyker said.

Senior guard Savannah Quade is back after earning Big East Conference honorable mention last season, when she led the team with 10.1 points per game, was second in rebounds with 4.9 and tied for the lead in assists with 1.8. She was second in steals with 1.6 per game.

The Warriors lost guard Ellie Rodgers, another Big East honorable mention, to graduation after she was second on the team in scoring with 9.2 points per game and led the Warriors in three-pointers with 57.

Sophomore guard Mya Schroeder has stepped in to fill some of that role, as has sophomore guard Bianca Marini. The starting forwards are senior Chloe Dybul and junior Kenedeigh Harness, the team’s tallest player who replaces 6-foot-tall Paige Kurlinski, who graduated.

“We have been working well as a complete team so far this season from the starters to the girls coming off the bench,” Weyker said.

“Our starters have all stepped up on the court this season.  We are seeing balanced scoring from them as well as tough defensive play. We also have several players off bench that have had some great contributions as well, including Alegra Krenek, Katelyn Gomez and Marissa TerMaat.”

The Warriors will push the ball on offense.

“One of our strengths this season is our quickness and hope to keep the ball moving each game,” Weyker said.

She said she will mix up defensive schemes, depending on the matchup.

Many of the players return from last season and picked up where they left off.

“This group of girls is playing well together as a team. They move the ball and can read each other quite well already,” Weyker said.

In the season opener, Quade led the team with 14 points. Schroeder had six points and eight rebounds, and Dybul had seven rebounds.

Against East, Schroeder led four Warriors in double figures with 16 points , along with eight rebounds, four assists and four steals. Marini had 14 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals. Quade had 11 points, six rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocks, and TerMaat had 10 points. Gomez had seven rebounds.

Against Campbellsport, the Warriors led 30-24 at halftime and outscored the Cougars, 31-12, in the second half to pull away.

Schroeder nearly posted a triple-double with 13 points, 16 rebounds, nine assists and four steals. Marini had 15 points and four steals. Dybul had 13 points and eight rebounds. Quade had nine points, six steals and five rebounds. Harness had eight points.

Stats from Monday’s game weren’t finalized yet.

The Warriors host Sheboygan Christian on Thursday, Dec. 4, and play at rival Random Lake on Monday, Dec. 8.

Ozaukee went 10-15 overall last season and 3-9 in the Big East, tied for fifth place of seven teams.