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South Lyon East jumped to a big early lead and held on to beat Saline, 58-44 in varsity girls basketball action at Saline High School Friday.
Saline fell to 1-1. South Lyon East improved to 2-0.
The Hornets were ice cold for much of the night and the Cougars were about as hot as a team can be. South Lyon East led 27-11 after the first quarter. On opening night against Riverview, the Hornets allowed 20 points all game.
The Saline found its game in the second quarter, giving up just five points, and then 10 in the third quarter, but the Hornet shooters couldn't do much to close the gap against the speedy and aggressive defenders.
"Give credit to South Lyon East. They came out and punched us in the mouth. After that first quarter, we responded well and battled hard," coach Leigh Ann Roehm said. "I was proud of the way the girls competed the entire game regardless of the score."
Roehm said she believes the Hornets can find a silver lining in the loss.
"Games like this are a blessing in disguise. I truly think this game is going to be a turning point in our season. It was a game that we learned valuable lessons. And, sometimes, lessons hit home more after losses. Our team had a great conversation after the game. I can tell you that we will bounce back. If anything, this is going to fuel our improvement even more," Roehm said. "Even in a loss, I choose this team every day. I can't wait to get back to practice with them and take the next steps towards our goals."
Sophomore Halle Powell led Saline with 18 points. She also had a team-high six rebounds, three steals and four assists. Junior Harper Backus scored 13 points. Keira Roehm scored 10 points and had four assists. Myla Talladay had two points. Ayla Stager scored a point and had five rebounds.
Saline is home to Skyline Tuesday.
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