By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
The Class 3A No. 2-ranked Silver Lake girls have lived up to their expectations in the 2022-2023 campaign thus far, with the Eagles' size, team chemistry and high basketball IQ helping them start the season with a perfect record of 4-0.
In Friday night's 59-36 home romp over Mid-East League rival St. Marys, Silver Lake was in control from the opening tip.
Silver Lake junior standout Makenzie McDaniel, going over several St. Marys players to grab a rebound, scored 21 points in the Eagles' 59-36 Mid-East League win over the Bears Friday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Senior Taylor Ross, who scored 10 points, puts up a shot in Silver Lake's 59-36 Mid-East League win over St. Marys Friday night. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
Makenzie McDaniel, a 6-foot-1 junior center, was the ultimate weapon in the win, collecting 21 points and wreaking havoc in the paint.
It didn't matter if three Lady Bears were surrounding McDaniel, Silver Lake threw the ball up to McDaniel constantly, and St. Marys had no answer for her.
"From last year to now, I had been working on my shot and free throws throughout the club season," McDaniel said. "My teammates have my back, and they're always looking for me. They're racking up their assists, and I'm grateful for that. I've seen some improvements and look forward to improving more."
Not many people familiar with Silver Lake's girls' basketball program have seen McDaniel guarded man-to-man. McDaniel's post abilities require a lot of attention, but St. Marys mainly patrolled McDaniel and senior post player Taylor Ross straight up.
"We haven't seen a lot of man-to-man, and we think we have a pretty good advantage down in the paint if we do get guarded straight up," Silver Lake coach Kyle Porter said. "When our offense can flow through the paint, it opens everything else up. Opening up the paint is something we try to do with each possession.
"There were times tonight where we did that well, and there were other times where we maybe forced some things. It's a long season; we have a lot of room to grow. We will look to continue to emphasize that going forward."
Silver Lake opened up the game on an 8-2 run within the first few minutes of the opening quarter as McDaniel and Ross both had four points.
Silver Lake was using McDaniel and Ross' size to its advantage. However, St. Marys would adjust later and get the game back within reach. McDaniel would end up having seven in the quarter.
Silver Lake would put its foot on the gas in the second quarter. Again, most of the lineup was getting buckets to fall in. McDaniel, Ross, and guard Kaibryn Kruger all had an immense offensive contribution in the quarter.
Defensively, Silver Lake won the battle in the first half. The full-court defense forced St. Marys into some tight and uncomfortable situations. The Lady Eagles' full-court defense was forcing turnovers and causing pressure.
Kaylee Deiter's presence was a notable spark plug off of the bench. Deiter was a key defender for the Lady Eagles. St. Marys couldn't get past Deiter, Mariah Farmer and McKinley Kruger.
A 5-point lead in the first quarter was doubled to a 10-point lead for Silver Lake, going into the halftime break with a 31-21 lead.
Silver Lake started the second-half scorching from the field. The Lady Eagles would go on a 13-4 run, gunning it down the court and did most of the things right defensively. Silver Lake would jump to a 21-point lead over its Mid-East League rival during the third quarter.
"Fortunately for us, I think we were able to wear (St. Marys) down," Porter said. "I thought that it was evident in the third quarter. We were able to get easy buckets out of transition opportunities. We still have a long way to go and have a lot of room to grow, but I was pleased with our effort tonight."
Silver Lake was able to get its younger girls meaningful minutes in the fourth quarter and rest some starters en route to the 23-point conference victory.
Silver Lake (4-0, 2-0) will collide with undefeated Rossville (5-0, 0-0) after winter break on January 3rd in Rossville.
SILVER LAKE GIRLS 59, ST. MARYS 36.
St. Marys 10 11 5 10 – 36
Silver Lake 15 16 15 13 – 59
St. Marys (1-4, 0-2) – Garland 2 0-0 5, Moylan 1 0-0 2, Smith 4 1-3 9, Heim 8 1-3 17, Hurla 1 1-2 3. Totals – 16 3-8 36.
Silver Lake (4-0, 2-0) – Farmer 4 0-0 8, McDaniel 10 1-4 21, K. Kruger 2 0-0 5, M. Kruger 2 4-4 8, Ross 5 0-2 10, Hanni 1 2-4 4 Wehrli 1 0-0 3. Totals – 23 7-15 59.
3-point goals: Silver Lake 2 (Wehrli, K. Kruger), St. Marys 1 (Garland). Total fouls – Silver Lake 8, St. Marys 12. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls – none.
