Wildcats clamp down on Tigers in opener

The Blair-Taylor girls basketball team held Black River Falls to fewer than 30 points — most of which came when the game was already well in hand — in its season opener last Thursday.

The Wildcats struggled early on the offensive end, but got going in the second half as they broke the game open for a 43-29 win.

B-T played at Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau on Tuesday of this week and will open Dairyland Conference play with their home opener against Melrose-Mindoro this coming Tuesday. B-T will play at Augusta next Friday and at home against De Soto on Saturday.

B-T 43 BR Falls 29

After a slow end to the first half, the Wildcats got the ball inside and pulled away early in the second.

The Wildcats had an 18-11 lead at halftime, but had just two field goals inside the three-point line. They got the ball inside to sophomore Andrea Waldera for four baskets and two free throws in the early going. Andi Beck was also aggressive, getting to the free-throw line five times in the first nine minutes of the second half and making two shots. The Wildcats scored 22 points in the first nine minutes in the second half as they went ahead 40-19.

The offense slowed down for B-T late in the half, but they remained in control. 

B-T took an early lead as Maddie Frederixon and Andy Beck both made three pointers in the opening minutes to help put the team ahead 12-5. But B-T’s offense slowed down as the only points it got in the final nine minutes were three pointers by Elissa Smetana. 

Waldera led B-T with 12 points, one more than Beck. Both Smetana and Samantha Aguilar had eight and Frederixon scored four points.