THUNDER BAY – Nikki Ylagan says she found her zone in pre-game warm-ups.
She never left it.
Lakehead’s third-year guard buried six three-pointers in the first quarter alone, collecting 22 of her game-high 31 points in the opening 10 minutes on Friday night, powering the Thunderwolves to a statement-making, season-opening 110-53 triumph over the visiting Algoma Thunderbirds at the C.J. Sanders Fieldhouse.
“During practices this week, coach was telling us that all shooters always think that it’s always going to go in, so that’s just how I had my mentality entering the game,” said Ylagan, being counted on this season to help fill the giant backcourt gap left by the graduation of all-star guard Jerika Baldin.
Ylagan hit all six shots she took from behind the arc in the first, adding a pair of buckets off steals, two of her five thefts on the night, but said she really had no idea just how hot a hand she had in the early going.
“To be honest, I didn’t really look up at the (score)board,” Ylagan said. “To be honest I wasn’t sure. Then when I came to the bench everyone was like, ‘You’ve got 22,’ and I was just like, ‘Really?’”
Her hot hand made it easy for her teammates to know what to do, especially in the first half.
Lily Gruber-Schulz, who just missed the double-double, finishing with 10 points and nine rebounds, said it quickly became clear to get the ball in Ylagan’s hands, by any means possible.
“We were definitely trying to get her the ball for sure. In warm-ups she was really on to begin with and she just kind of continued that into the game,” Gruber-Schulz said.
“We thought that they were going to play a little bit more up on her, but they didn’t so we just kept giving her the ball.”
It was a milestone effort for the Thunderwolves, helping 17-year veteran coach Jon Kreiner crack the 100-point mark for the first time in his OUA career.
“I don’t think we hit 100 points before, even with Jylisa (Williams),” Kreiner said. “It was a great first quarter. Nikki got us going with 22 points in the quarter. I’ve never had that happen either. I was pretty happy how we came out tonight.”
Kreiner stressed it was team defence that got Ylagan the open looks, adding it was great to see someone other than reigning OUA most valuable player Leashja Grant stepping up in the opener. Grant, coming off a strong pre-season, had 16 points and seven rebounds in just 22 minutes of court time.
“We’re going to need different people stepping up. I thought (guard) Tiffany (Reynolds) also was very aggressive tonight getting to the lane. She missed a couple early, but she stuck with it,” Kreiner said.
“When other people like Nikki or Karissa Kajorinne, who got a couple quick fouls off the bench, can lead the way for us, then it makes life so much easier.”
Kajorinne hit double-digits with 10 points, while Reynolds collected five points, two assists and two steals.
The Thunderwolves, who never once trailed in the contest, led 38-7 after one quarter and 59-13 at the half, the lone blemish coming in the fourth, after Kreiner had emptied his bench, when the Thunderbirds outscored LU 25-22.
Thunder Bay sisters Keyra and Kayla Gallo had three points apiece for Algoma, who were led by Rebecca Wylie’s nine-point effort.
The two teams meet again on Saturday night. Tip-off is 6 p.m.
