Wolves earn second straight win

Like Friday night, the Lakehead Thunderwolves fell in an early hole. But unlike Friday night, when they climbed out, they stayed out.

The Wolves, who went on a 23-3 run that spanned the first and second quarters, built a big enough lead on Saturday night and withstood a late charge from division rival Laurentian, cruising to a comfortable 79-66 win at the Thunderdome on Day 2 of the Victoria Inn Basketball Tournament.

Forward Lindsay Druery keyed the Lakehead attack, scoring 11 first-quarter points – 19 in total – in a game that saw the Wolves test the depth of their bench and discover there’s a lot of talent hidden there.

Perhaps none more effective than Hammarskjold High School grad Katie Ulakovic, who earned plenty of playing time against the Voyageurs and made the most of it, scoring five points and adding four assists and winning player-of-the-game honours in the process.

Ulakovic, who trained with the Wolves in the second half last year, permitted under OUA rules, said it’s been a learning experience so far.

“It’s a completely different game,” said Ulakovic, a player coach Jon Kreiner would love to mold into the team’s next floor general and fill the gaping hole point guard Tasia McKenna will leave when she departs after the current season.

“It’s a lot more intense and fast-paced, but I like it because it’s a lot more competition and I find it a lot more fun.”

She certainly didn’t look out of place on Saturday, running the floor with confidence in the seven minutes Kreiner allotted the rookie, one of six true freshmen to make the grade this fall.

“Today he told me just to be ready to play. Every game is a different game and he’s going to sub someone in when the time comes ... That’s what happened,” she said. “Everyone got in this game, so it was really good, a good game for our team.”

Described by Druery as the most energetic player on the floor and by Kreiner as the fastest, it was her speed and court sense that helped the Wolves rebound from an early 17-9 deficit.

Ulakovic drained a three-pointer from the hinterland in the final minute of the opening quarter, capping a 10-0 Lakehead run, a shot that put the Wolves up three at the buzzer.

Colour Kreiner impressed.

“Tonight was an opportunity for Katie and she took advantage of that opportunity,” said Kreiner, acknowledging the teen still has weaknesses she must overcome. “I think she struggles against pressure and knowing that Laurentian isn’t a pressure team, this was going to be a situation where I could put her in and get some confidence. I was able to do that with a number of players tonight.”

Ulakovic’s high-school teammate Lindsay Inkila was also on that list, nailing a three of her own with under a minute to play in the third, a shot that gave the Wolves a game-high 14-point lead at the time.

Unlike Friday night, when Lakehead built a big lead, only to see it disappear in the dying seconds before it was resurrected by Tasia McKenna in time to eke out a one-point win, Lakehead never really let the Voyageurs back in this one.

At least not closer than eight points, a plateau the Sudbury school reached with less than four minutes to go.

But Kreiner kept his calm. Up nine, with Druery, McKenna and newcomer Lacey McNulty on the bench, he sent the trio back onto the floor and got immediate dividends from Druery, who scored a hoop and blocked a shot.

After Laurentian pulled to within eight on a three from Lyndi Meloche, who had 11 on the night, second to Erin Simpson’s 14, Druery completed a pretty three-way passing play with her well-rested teammates to re-establish a 10-point advantage. The lead just grew from there.

Druery, who found herself in foul trouble in the second half, said she just took what her opponent gave her and in the end the win is all that really matters.

“We knew we didn’t want to let Laurentian back into it, with them being really our rivals in the season play. We just wanted it really bad tonight. We just went at them and were strong right from the start of the second half. We didn’t let up.”

The Wolves wrap up tournament play on Sunday at noon against the University of Winnipeg. They begin regular season play on Nov. 5.