GIRLS HOOPS: CAM pulls out important victory over Boyer Valley

CAM senior Alyssa Kragelund leads the way with 21 points in 46-44 win 

By Drew Herron - AJ/NT Sports

ANITA – Right before Christmas Break began, CAM coach Joe Wollum talked optimistically about how his team might make considerable improvements in the second half of the season.

When the Cougars move through the Rolling Valley Conference schedule for a second time, it might provide a yardstick to measure tangible progress.

So went Friday night’s thrilling 46-44 home victory over Boyer Valley, a gutsy win that snapped an 11-game losing streak for the Cougars and gives them a jolt of confidence heading into late January.

“This win gives us some confidence and some energy going into next week,” coach Wollum said. “We really needed this to put some life back in our program.”

Friday’s win marks a season split with the Bulldogs, who defeated CAM 36-32 in Dunlap on Dec. 10. During that meeting, the Cougars turned the ball over 32 times in their four-point loss. On Friday night, CAM had half that total (16) and ended up winning by two.

“Those stats really hit home as far as how important it is to value the basketball,” coach Wollum says.

CAM started out Friday’s game with a great deal of struggle. So much so that coach Wollum yanked all five of his starters from the floor with about two minutes left in the opening frame, and kept them on the bench until after the second quarter had started.

“I just wasn’t happy with the effort at the start, but we got the message across,” coach Wollum says. “Our girls played hard from there on out.”

CAM overcame a nine-point deficit in the first half to take a slim lead into the break. In the second half, the Cougars started to warm with their outside shooting, and it made all the difference.

Senior post Alyssa Kragelund led the way with 21 points on the night, and hit some very timely 3-pointers in the second half to help preserve the lead.

“We’d get a little lead, and then they’d get some momentum back…then Alyssa would hit a 3 that would just kill their momentum,” coach Wollum says.

It might seem strange to some that CAM relied on its center’s ability to hit long-range shots to carry them to victory, but for the Cougars, it just plain worked.

“She has always said that she wants to shoot 3-pointers,” coach Wollum says. “I told her that if she works hard on it and can put up a good percentage, than we will give her a shot. She’s absolutely knocking some down lately.”

Three of those 3-pointers came at clutch times in the fourth quarter, and junior Mackenzie Schwenke came off the bench to knock down another as CAM worked from inside-out.

Erin Daugherty finished with 11 points, including a 7-of-9 effort from the free throw line.

The game was won at the free throw line late, where CAM ultimately onverted 14-of-21 attempts. Over the last three games, CAM had been shooting around 25 percent from the line, and on Friday they stepped it up to 67 percent.

In a two-point spread, those conversions most definitely count.

“I think this really shows the girls how important free throws can be,” coach Wollum says.

The victory for CAM snaps an 11-game losing streak, and puts them at 2-12 as they head into a busy week. The Cougars will head to Woodbine on Tuesday, followed up with a home game Friday against Paton-Churdan and a road game Saturday at Charter Oak-Ute.

CAM is looking at this as an opportunity to start climbing the ladder in the RVC standings.
“The second time around we want to continue to see improvement,” coach Wollum says. “We are going to continue to work hard, put everything in, and see where the chips fall.”