WESTPHALIA – The Pewamo-Westphalia and East Lansing girls basketball programs started last season with one of the most dramatic games of the year — a double-overtime, buzzer-beating win for the Pirates on a 3-pointer from then-junior guard Elly Bengel.
Bengel and the rest of P-W welcomed the Trojans in for another season-opening clash on Tuesday, Dec. 9. And while this one lacked the late fireworks of last season’s matchup, the result was the same as the Pirates earned a 58-50 win in the season opener for both teams.
“The fact that East Lansing wants to come over here to play us, they’re doing us such a favor, and I appreciate this little rivalry that we’re forming,” P-W coach Steve Eklund said. “I liked how we scored multiple ways. I don’t think the offense will be a concern for us. Mainly, I think the way we competed was pretty good for opening night.”
P-W maintained a small advantage heading into halftime and after three quarters, but saw its lead balloon to double digits in the fourth quarter behind some big defensive stops and finishes at the rim.
Bengel, the senior lead guard for the Pirates, led P-W with 19 points, with sophomore forward Adrianna Eklund adding 16. Senior guard Alonna Thelen also hit double digits, pouring in 13 points. As a team, the Pirateshit seven 3s on the evening.
“We did a good job at keeping the game around five or six, you know, never letting them get any closer,” Eklund said. “Any time you let a team with the quality like East Lansing has tie it up or take that first lead, it’s a challenge, but we did a good job of responding tonight.”
East Lansing junior guard Sydney Black led all scorers with a 23 points, while sophomore guard Nandi Gordon added eight for the Trojans.
P-W (1-0) will host Lansing Christian (1-0) on Dec. 11, while East Lansing (0-1) will look to pick up its first win in a CAAC Blue matchup against Lansing Everett (0-1) on Dec. 12.
Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on X @Nathaneil_Bott
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: P-W girls basketball opens season with statement win over East Lansing
Reporting by Nathaniel Bott, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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