T-Birds take early lead
By Greg Seubert
A strong start and big finish added up to another win for the Iola-Scandinavia girls’ basketball team.
The Thunderbirds scored the first 11 points in their Central Wisconsin Conference East Division rematch with Weyauwega-Fremont Feb. 1 and ended the 46-28 win with a 12-3 run.
W-F, playing without injured starter Rylee Bartel, fell behind 11-0 in the opening minutes, but closed the gap with a 9-0 run that included a pair of three-pointers from Taylor Folk.
The T-Birds led 20-13 at halftime, but Kiley Akey cut into the lead in the opening minute of the second half with a basket and free throw. The Indians never got any closer, as I-S scored the next nine points to go up 29-16.
An Akey three-pointer cut the T-Birds’ lead to 34-25, but I-S closed the game by outscoring the visitors 12-3.
Bryanna Kisting led the T-Birds with 16 points and added five rebounds and five assists; Emilie Briquelet finished with 13 points and seven rebounds; Kaitlyn Miller had 11 rebounds, nine points and three assists; and Hannah Melum and Payton Wester added nine and seven rebounds, respectively.
Akey scored all 12 of her team-high points in the second half and Katie Bleck added nine for the Indians.
I-S improved to 3-7 in division play and 9-9 overall with the win, while the Indians fell to 0-9 in the East Division and 1-17 overall.
Both teams have division games scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 6. The T-Birds will head to Shiocton and the Indians will host Menominee Indian.
