LAKE LEELANAU - The sixth-ranked Lake Leelanau St. Mary Eagles battled hard to earn a 53-44 non-conference win over Gaylord St. Mary on Monday.
The Eagles led the majority of the game, taking a 10-8 advantage after the first quarter, and a 21-15 lead at halftime. They would build their lead to as much as 10 in the second half, but the Snowbirds kept battling back, pulling within a point with about three minutes to play in the game.
Kyla Barnowski led Lake Leelanau St. Mary with 19 points. Teammate Leah Flies chipped in with a dozen for the Eagles. The Snowbirds were led by Kaylee Jeffers with a 22-point effort.
“At the beginning, we didn’t start as strong as we’d hoped to,” Lake Leelanau St. Mary senior Leah Fleis said. “But, as the game went on, we started getting stronger with the ball, playing together more, and just like playing as a team more. And that’s something we’ve been trying to work on.”
“I feel like this was the best challenge we’ve had this season,” said Eagle senior Delana Kirt. “We started out a little rough, but we definitely put it away at the end.”
Lake Leelanau St. Mary (9-1) has another big matchup this week, as they host Northwest Conference-leading Glen Lake on Wednesday night. Gaylord St. Mary (7-4) travels to take on Ski Valley Conference-leading Inland Lakes on Friday evening.
