By Tim Wester
Sports Correspondent
Sometimes things just click for a sports team.
Last week, things clicked perfectly for the Waterford girls basketball team after holding two conference opponents to a combined 60 points en route to a pair of impressive victories.
The Wolverines (11-3, 6-1) thumped rival Union Grove 53-32 last Friday night and then blasted Burlington 54-28 the following day to remain just one half game behind first place Wilmot in the Southern Lakes Conference.
“We really put things together this past week,” Waterford coach Dena Brechtl said. “We didn’t just rely on a few players to get things done. Defensively we just clicked and it was a testament to the girls figuring things out.”
Waterford followed up those easy wins with a tough one Tuesday night.
Hosting Racine Lutheran, Waterford jumped out to a 39-30 halftime lead and held on in the second half for a 63-59 victory.
Madison Blair had a big night with 22 points, six rebounds and three assists.
Also, Jenna Bouffiou added 15 points, seven assists and five rebounds.
“We took it to the rim hard,” Brechtl said. “We played hard all game, but defensively we need to be a bit more consistent.”
The Wolverines certainly had it all figured out from the opening tip against Union Grove. Waterford opened the game with a man-to-man press that kept the Broncos out of rhythm in the first quarter. The Wolverine offense capitalized from there, hitting a pair of last second three-pointers in the first and second quarters on its way to a 32-11 halftime lead.
“We were down 8-7 with 30 seconds left in the first quarter and then they (Waterford) hit two three’s to close out the quarter, Union Grove coach Rob Domagalski said. “It kind of took some wind out of our sails and then they hit another three at the buzzer at halftime.”
The Wolverines poured it on further in the third quarter with a 16-3 outburst and a 48-14 lead.
“We forced them into making bad decisions in terms of shot selection,” said Brechtl, whose team held Union Grove to just 10 for 39 from the field. “We tend to use different zones, but our man-to-man defense was working well, which makes a tough team to scout.
Shauna Malchine led the way for Waterford with a game-high 16 points, while Blair added 12 and Rylee Chart chipped in 10 and six rebounds in her first varsity start for the victory.
“Rylee started in place of injured starter Sydney Linder and was very impressive,” Brechtl said. “It really shows how much depth we have.”
Waterford didn’t miss a beat the following day in an impressive victory against Burlington.
Bouffiou led the way with 14 points, 4 assists and two steals, while Shauna Malchine added 10 to help the Wolverines cruise to victory.
“As a point guard, Jenna has to be an extension of the coach,” Brechtl said. “She did a great job controlling the speed and tempo of the game for us.”
After enjoying a 29-15 halftime lead, the Wolverines blew the game open in the third quarter with a 14-2 run, thanks to its strong defense. Sophomore Ella Hunsucker led the defensive attack with seven deflections.
“Ella has shown defensive flashes this season,” Brechtl said. “She has definitely gotten to a point where she is comfortable.”
The Demons never had an answer from there and limped off their home court dominated by the Wolverines.
Waterford will attempt to ride its defensive momentum into its showdown at Wilmot on Thursday and then another road game at Elkhorn Saturday.
“The Wilmot game is on a weeknight, but I don’t think that fazes our girls,” Brechtl said. “I think they will be ready.”
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