Freshman Chloe Carroll, playing her finest game as a Ranger, scored a team high 13 points—matched by junior point guard Charleigh Doxley—and when the final buzzer sounded, Lakewood (5-2 CWC, 7-5 overall) had avenged an earlier loss to Bay—51-40. Chloe was a force on both ends, as was Charleigh, who’s steady ball handling and tough on ball defense show up every night. But this is only the beginning of the story.

Sophomore Ari Hueter (6 points) had early foul trouble and therefore sat out for much of the first half, but she still dominated the boards (12 rebounds) and blocked 6 shots. With Ari out, junior Maeve Andrews came off the bench with with a burst of energy, scoring two points, grabbing 7 rebounds and playing her usual tenacious defense. Fellow junior Olivia Andregg scored 10 points, including a late 3 pointer that shot down the Rockets last hope for a comeback.

Speaking of the 4th quarter—Bay closed within 8—but senior Paisley Norris was having none of it, scoring all 5 of momentum killing points in that stanza. Junior Chelsea Payne (2 points) came off the bench and played valuable, steady minutes down the stretch.

The game had many ebbs and flows, but Lakewood never wavered, always responding to Rocket runs with ones of their own. Every player chipped in with hustle plays (diving for loose balls, deflecting passes, gaining tie-ups) that are not easily quantified, but add up to victories.

Led by Jasmine Hanna, Illyana Dagiasis and Kennedi Byroads, the JV team won handily and is undefeated. The future is bright. But, win or lose, the Lakewood Rangers are one team, from one town, that always plays hard. Long Live Lakewood