Eleva-Strum opens season with tough losses

by Doug Sands

The preseason opened on a rough note for the Eleva-Strum Varsity girls basketball team as they fell to a pair of hard-nosed non-conference teams this past week, first Black River Falls, then Fall Creek.

On Nov. 18, the Cards hosted Black River Falls for their first game of the preseason. All players felt a bit of nervous energy; it was their first game as a team under their new coach, Amanda Galetka. Everyone on the Cardinal side was eager to see how the team would stack up against a difficult opponent like the Black River Falls Tigers.

The young Eleva-Strum team took the gymnasium a little by surprise when it upended the Tigers in the first quarter 11-16. Boosted by their upset, the Lady Cards kept their drive strong; they closed the first half leading the Tigers 25-28. Coming out for the third quarter, Eleva-Strum was ready to hammer out the energy, but a devastating series of setbacks on the court allowed the Tigers to rack up 18 uncontested points. Wounded, the Lady Cards attempted to make a comeback in the fourth, but Black River Falls held them out. Eleva-Strum loses 52-37.

Leading points for the Cardinals was Josie Olson with 13, followed by Greta Monson with nine, Alexis McDonald with eight, Jenna Booth with two, and Lauren Jaskowski with two.

Following the upsetting Black River finish, the Cardinals prepared themselves for a second tough opponent, the Fall Creek Crickets, who came out of the gate fighting and overwhelmed the Cardinals with a 66-23 loss.

The Lady Cards play their next match against Gilmanton after Thanksgiving week. Eleva-Strum hosts the Panthers at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 2.