By Chris Bennett
Correspondent
The Elkhorn Area High School girls basketball team improved to 2-0 on the young season with a 64-24 rout Nov. 15 in a non-conference game at Williams Bay.
The Elks played a non-conference game last Tuesday at Palmyra-Eagle, and play a non-conference game Nov. 27 at West Allis Central.
The game against Williams Bay (0-1) was a mismatch from the start.
“The game was never in doubt,” Elkhorn coach Jeff Brown said. “We were just too big and physical inside for them.”
Brown said a positive aspect of the game, for the Elks, is he got a chance to clear the bench.
“During the year, you will have games where some people will not play,” Brown said. “It’s great to see them perform when they get the chance.”
Elkhorn led Williams Bay 39-14 at halftime, and outscored the Bulldogs 25-10 in the second half.
Payton Christensen led the Elks with 15 points. Chloe Erhardt added eight. Dillyn Ivey scored seven points and finished with six rebounds.
Victory in opener
The Elks opened the season Nov. 13 with a 63-46 win over visiting Columbus.
Elkhorn trailed 29-27 at halftime but came roaring back to win by a comfortable margin.
“The key to the game was that we had an 8-0 run to end the first half and a 12-0 run to start the second half,” Brown said. “There were no adjustments (at halftime). We had to settle down, more than anything else.”
The game against Columbus marked the season opener for the Elks, so it’s understandable if nerves played a factor.
After the Elks found their groove their play led to Brown finding reasons to be proud of his girls’ performance.
Brown said the Elks outscored Columbus 42-4 in the paint, and enjoyed a lot of layups after breaking the team’s press.
“I’m really happy with the defensive end in the second half,” Brown said. “We got out on their shooters more and they struggled as the game went on.”
Elkhorn outscored Columbus by twice as many points – 36-17 – in the second half.
Christensen led all scorers with a game-high 21 points. Ryley Rand added 18 points, along with five rebounds and three assists.
Taylor Raley led Columbus (0-1) with 10 points.
