ONALASKA — The Aquinas High School girls basketball team was quick on the trap, quick to trigger its transition game and quick to find senior Emma Dobbins in the paint during a 55-36 nonconference victory at Onalaska Luther on Monday.
Junior Sammy Davis scored 16 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Blugolds in both categories, and Dobbins established herself as an inside force on her way to 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting, five boards and four steals.
“Her touch around the rim and her hands are really good,” Aquinas coach Dave Donarski aid of Dobbins, who has also boosted Aquinas in other games with her 3-point shooting. “She also played with a lot of joy tonight.
“Her demeanor was awesome, and she was really big not just finishing but with her rebounding at both ends (of the floor).”
Davis had 12 points in the first half and sat out a large chunk of the second after the Blugolds (16-3) stretched their leads into the 20s to pick up their 15th win in a row. The Knights fell to 14-4 and had a five-game win streak snapped.
Aquinas did most of its damage through full-court pressure and trapping.
Luther had trouble finding a consistent flow, and while it cut an early deficit to five when Payton Holub hit a jump shot with 5 minutes, 6 seconds on the clock, the Blugolds scored two quick hoops — one by Dobbins and the other by Alaina Elias off a steal — to keep control and turned it into a 36-21 halftime lead.
“We’re trying some different defensive schemes to get ready for later in the year, and sometimes that confuses (players), and sometimes that confuses (coaches),” Donarski said. “We have some things to refine, but I felt like our 1-3-1 was pretty decent, our 3-2 three-quarter-court was pretty decent, and there were a couple of presses where I liked what we did.”
Senior Macie Neumeister had nine points and four rebounds for the Knights, and Holub added eight points and four boards. Luther also struggled with shooting from the perimeter, making just 3 of 21 attempts (14.3 percent) from the 3-point line.
Sophomore point guard Ava Fernholz had five assists and five rebounds for the Blugolds, who put their 9-0 MVC record on the line in a game at second-place Central (14-4, 6-1) on Friday.
AREA GIRLS BASKETBALL SCORES
Viroqua 66, Tomah 61
Independence/Gilmanton 56, Osseo-Fairchild 47
Eleva-Strum 49, C-FC 34
AREA GIRLS HOCKEY SCORE
Black River Falls co-op 3, Stoughton 0
