BASKETBALL: Saline Stifles Skyline, Improves to 4-0

ANN ARBOR - The Saline varsity girls basketball team was far from perfect during Tuesday's 42-17 win over host Skyline  - but they were more than good enough to maintain their perfect record.

Saline improved to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the SEC Red. Saline hosts Monroe Friday evening.

Freshman Keira Roehm led Saline with 11 points, five rebounds and five assists. Beth Ann Ford had 10 points and five rebounds. Kate Stemmer had seven points and seven rebounds. Hadley Griffin had six points, four rebounds and two steals.

Anna Hesse had a monster game in the paint with 14 rebounds and six blocks. She also had three points and three steals. Kadyn Maida scored three points and had three rebounds and seven steals. Taylor Kangas had two points, two rebounds, two blocks, two assists and four steals.

The 4-0 Hornets are only hinting at what's to come, coach Leigh Ann Roehm said.

"This team is just scratching the surface of what we will be. While we didn’t shoot great from 3 tonight, I still love how we are sharing the ball and we are really finding success in areas of our attack we needed to build up," Roehm said. "And, we held another opponent to under 20 points defensively. When we put it all together, this team is going to find huge success. It’s time to get back to work and get better one practice at a time."

After the game, Roehm could be heard challenging her team for tomorrow's practice.

Saline led 10-1 after the first quarter even though the Hornets couldn't get threes to fall. Roehm had six of her points in the first quarter. Ford scored four points in the first.

Anna Hesse got things moving in the second quarter with a layup and then a point from the stripe.

Stemmer hit a three-pointer to give Saline a 16-4 lead. After Skyline closed the lead to 16-10, Stemmer helped the Hornets get back on track with a strong drive through the paint.

"Kate Stemmer kept constant energy at the defensive end and really did a great job on the glass and pushing in transition. Her big 2nd quarter 3 and transition bucket really gave us a run we needed as we headed into the half," Roehm said.

Ford beat the buzzer with a  basket from underneath to give Saline a 22-10 lead at halftime.

Ford kickstarted Saline in the third quarter with a steal and layup.

One of the most dominant sequences of the game came in the third quarter when Anna Hesse had two offensive rebounds to keep a possession alive. On the Hornets' third try, Griffin drained the first of her two threes. Saline led 27-14.

Hesse and Ford continue to provide the Hornets with some of the best post play the Hornets have had in years.

:Tons of credit goes to our post play again. Beth Ann Ford was a force at the offensive end and her post positioning really opened up the zone for us. Double figures in the paint for Beth Ann really kept us going and fueled our offense. Anna Hesse dictated so much of the game…14 rebounds and 6 blocks!!! That is a dominant performance," Roehm said.

Ford made a couple of free throws to make it 29-14. Saline made it 31-14 on this basket by Ford set up by Roehm.

Griffin ended the third quarter with her second three-pointer, giving Saline a 36-17 lead.

Saline scored just six points in the fourth - but that's OK because the defense completely blanked their opponents.

Saline's varsity freshman led the Hornets in scoring again but also showed great versatility.

:Keira Roehm did a great job getting to the offensive glass to get us some high-percentage buckets. She also did a great job moving the ball and feeding the post as she led us with 5 assists," Roehm said.

Roehm also had good words about the play of Griffin and Maida.

"Hadley Griffin’s two 3s in the third quarter were a turning point in the second half and Kadyn Maida’s seven steals at the defensive end really helped generate some transition offense for us," Roehm said.

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