By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
Two fast starts last week paid big dividends for the East Troy High School girls basketball team.
And in the process, the Trojans never let either opponent in the game right from the opening tip.
East Troy jumped out to a 40-21 halftime lead Friday night at Clinton en route to a 76-60 Rock Valley Conference victory that improved the Trojans to 4-1 overall and 4-0 in conference play.
In the week’s first game Nov. 27, East Troy built a 34-11 lead over Edgerton and cruised to a 62-21 victory.
In the victory over Clinton, the Trojans had four girls in double figures, led by Gracie Moker, who scored 20 points on the strength of three 3-pointers. Moker also had four rebounds.
Other leaders were Mackenzie Lindow (16 points, 14 rebounds, three steals), Grace Lomen (18 points, nine rebounds, five assists) and Morgan Golabowski (10 points). Erin Rice chipped in with eight points.
Rice led East Troy in the opening win over Edgerton with 17 points, followed by Grace Lomen with 10 points, seven rebounds, three steals and three blocked shots. Lindow added nine points, 10 rebounds and six assists, followed by Addy Lomen with eight points and four steals.
East Troy hosts Whitewater on Thursday at 7:15 p.m. in an early-season showdown with the Whippets, who entered play this week tied with the Trojans at 4-0 in conference play.
Whitewater is led by three double-digit scorers in Abby Grosinske (13.5), Cassidy Laue (11.2) and Kacie Carollo (11.2).
Following the Whitewater contest, East Troy travels to Jefferson on Tuesday, Dec. 11, to face the Eagles at 7:15 p.m.
Boys rally past Spartans
East Troy scored the game’s final 11 points to stun host McFarland, 66-61, on Thursday night.
Trailing by six, A.J. Vukovich converted a three-point play to cut the deficit in half, and after McFarland missed the front end of a bonus free throw, East Troy’s Quinten Lottig knocked down his fifth 3-pointer of the game to tie the score at 61-61 with a little more than a minute left.
The Spartans appeared to take the lead on a dunk by Trevon Chislom, but he was whistled for a technical foul when he hung on the rim. Lottig made one of two free throws, then added two more after he was fouled to give the Trojans a three-point lead.
McFarland had one last shot at a tie, but missed a 3-pointer. East Troy’s Michael Polakoski made two free throws to account for the final score.
Lottig led the way with 22 points, followed by Vukovich with 16, Polakoski with 13, Chase Cummings with eight and Michael Rosin with seven.
East Troy (1-1 overall, 1-0 RVC) hosted Big Foot on Tuesday night. The Trojans travel to Milwaukee Washington this weekend for two non-conference contests.
The Trojans open the weekend Friday against Milwaukee Vincent at 5 p.m., followed by a 6 p.m. matchup Saturday against the Milwaukee Academy of Science.
