1-21-2019 4:14pm

BASKETBALL: Saline Returns to Winning Ways Against Skyline

The Saline varsity girls basketball team returned to winning ways Friday with a dominant performance against their SEC Red rivals from Chelsea.

Ella Stemmer scored 19 points, had six rebounds, four steals and four assists as Saline won, 62-27. Nicole Sweetland added 11 points, four rebounds and four assists. Saline improved to 8-1 overall and 2-1 in the SEC Red.

It was the kind of complete team effort coach Leigh Ann Roehm wanted to see after Saline suffered its first loss of the season earlier in the week against Pioneer.

“You can tell a lot about a team’s toughness with how the respond to a loss. I was really happy with the way we got after it at practice this week. Tonight we responded with a big SEC win,” Roehm said.

Most of Stemmer’s points came in the first half. She made her shots from the outside and was dangerous driving the lane.

Coach Roehm has come to expect offensive leadership from Stemmer, a sophomore, and Sweetland a senior. She also had high praise for seniors Maddy Welch and Kelsey Alexander. Welch scored 10 points and had three steals and three assists. Alexander scored three points and had seven rebounds, three steals and three assists.

“Maddy and Kelsey did a lot of things to ignite and fuel us tonight. They got the loose balls and the rebounds and made the extra pass to move the ball to their teammates,” Roehm said. “Those extra things made the difference tonight.”

Also making the scorebook were Erin Reilly (five points, four rebounds, two steals), Liz Sekerak (five points, two rebounds, two assists), Sophie Gasparovic (six points), Amera Boyd (three points, two blocks), Leeya Lawson (two points, three rebounds), Emily Wilczynski (two points) and Fiona Morcon (two points, two rebounds)

Saline is home to Romulus Tuesday. Tip-off is at 5:30 p.m.