By Robert Tomlinson
News Director
THREE RIVERS — On a night where four people were inducted into Three Rivers High School’s Athletics Hall of Fame, it was a Three Rivers senior’s Hall-of-Fame-worthy performance that stole the show Friday night.
Senior guard Dani Glass scored 41 points, falling one point shy of tying the school’s single-game record, and was the catalyst for the Wildcat girls’ basketball team’s 65-52 win over visiting Paw Paw.
Glass, in an interview after the game, said she wasn’t even aware until after the game that she was getting close to a school record, let alone 40-plus points.
“I didn’t even know I was in the 40s, I thought I was in the high 20s,” Glass said after the game. “I saw they weren’t as cluttered in the middle, so I was like, I’m gonna get my shots on them, try to get through, get fouled, and my free throws were working. I was just trying to attack the rim.”
Glass’ 41, a career-high for her, fell just short of the record of 42 points set by former Three Rivers star Hadley Miller. The 41 points places her in a tie for second all-time in a single game with Becca Cline. Glass had 28 of her 41 in the first half, and 13 of her 41 points came on free throws.
“We’re so proud of her. She attacked all night tonight, driving to the rim,” Three Rivers head coach Mike Morrison said. “She didn’t settle for what they were trying to give her, she didn’t settle. She attacked and was solid all night long.”
The game itself was fairly close in the first quarter, with both teams trading the first few buckets of the game, with Three Rivers eventually pulling away at the end of the first quarter to take a 14-10 lead. Glass scored 11 in the quarter, while Emmy Quake added a floater to break what was an 8-8 tie late in the stanza, and Braylee Burg added a free throw to round out the scoring.
The second quarter would be more favorable to Three Rivers, thanks to a 14-3 run over the first five minutes. Glass scored 17 of the Wildcats’ 19 total points in the quarter; the other two points came on a layup by Karsen Keller midway through the quarter. Paw Paw’s Stella Shaefer hit a three-pointer at the buzzer, but the Wildcats would be well in front at the half, 33-21.
Paw Paw would make things closer in the third quarter, as they would outscore Three Rivers 14-8. The Red Wolves went on a 9-1 run to start the quarter, with Shaefer getting two free throws and a fadeaway jumper, followed by Mecenzie Allen getting a bucket off a Wildcat turnover and Ruby Schincariol hitting a three-pointer to make it a 34-30 Three Rivers lead. Glass would hit a three-pointer for the Wildcats to get the lead back up to seven, then the teams would trade buckets with Elie Herbert of Paw Paw hitting a shot from close range and Quake adding a long two-pointer. Schincariol would add another two points to make it 39-34, and then a long two from Neiraja Reyes for the Wildcats would bring them above 40 points, 41-34. The Red Wolves’ Zoey Bridges would hit a free throw to round out the scoring, making it a 41-35 Three Rivers lead going into the fourth.
Glass would get two free throws for Three Rivers to start the quarter, and the Wildcats would go on a 9-2 run of their own in the first five-and-a-half minutes to go up 50-37. Shaefer would then hit another three-pointer to make it 52-40, but Paw Paw would only get as close as 10 points the rest of the way. Glass would score four points in the final minute to get above the 40-point mark, capping it off with two free throws with five seconds left. An impressive half-court shot made by Shaefer of Paw Paw at the buzzer would get kudos from both sides of the bleachers, but it would not be enough as the final score ended up being 65-52, and the home team Wildcats getting the win.
“It was a great team win. We’re coming together, and we’re building toward districts,” Morrison said. “These three-game weeks are really trying us, but we’re doing everything we can to win.”
Outside of Glass’ 41 points, Quake and Reyes had nine points each to lead the way. Keller added three points, Kyrstin Stalker had two points, and Burg had just the one free throw to round out the scoring.
Glass agreed that it was a team win all around for the Wildcats.
“It was a great team win, our defense stepped up and got a lot of steals,” Glass said.
Shaefer led Paw Paw on the day with 24 points, followed by Carlie Streich with nine points, Schincariol with five points, Jordan Zent with four points, and Bridges and Herbert with three points each. Mecenzie Allen and Meagan Miller had two points each to round out the scoring.
With the win, Three Rivers moves to 6-9 on the season. Paw Paw dropped their record to 4-13 with the loss. The Wildcats will play next on Monday on the road against Lawton in non-conference action.
Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.
