Powers Catholic junior Giselle Wolschleger didn’t show up on the stat sheet until the fourth quarter of the team’s regional final matchup against Portland, but she quickly made up for lost time – and helped Powers put away what had been a competitive game most of the way.
Portland scored five quick points in the final minute of the third quarter, and then added another basket early in the fourth quarter to get Portland within five. That’s when Wolschleger came off the bench and made her presence felt. She hit a three-pointer to end Portland’s 7-0 run. Then, with about five minutes remaining and Portland still within six, Wolschleger grabbed an offensive rebound after a lengthy Powers possession in which they’d had the ball for nearly a minute. She got the ball to Kendyl Smith, who was fouled and went to the line and hit 1-of-2 free throws to put Powers up seven.
After Portland cut it to five again, Wolschleger then came up with a steal and found a cutting Paige Ringwelski for a layup to push the lead back to seven with about 2:40 left in the game. With just over two minutes remaining and Powers with the ball, Wolschleger passed up two open three-pointers to instead run more time off the clock, eventually getting fouled and shooting 1-for-2 at the line to put Powers up 10.
She again found a cutting Ringwelski for a layup to push the lead to 11 with 1:25 remaining, and then grabbed an offensive rebound on a missed free throw, absorbed a shot to the face, and made both free throws to put Powers up 46-33 on their way to a 48-37 win..
The win is the fourth by nine or more points in these playoffs for Powers (23-3) and puts the team in the MHSAA Division 2 state quarterfinals, one win away from the state final four at the Breslin Center. They face the winner of Petoskey and Big Rapids at 7 p.m. on March 17 for a chance at the Breslin.
Wolschleger’s performance was one of several that showed off Powers’ depth. Kendyl Smith, the team’s leading scorer and the top scorer in program history, had a quiet game by her standards, finishing with just nine points. Sophomore Evah Smith, also typically a focal point of the team’s offense, finished with just four points and was held scoreless in the second half. Both players received extra attention from the Portland defense, and their teammates were more than capable of picking up the scoring slack.
Ringwelski was a force moving without the ball, slipping free on cuts to the basket regularly and leading the team with 19 points. Bella Harley scored 12 points, including hitting two 3-pointers.
Powers, typically a dangerous three-point shooting team, struggled from the perimeter. The team didn’t connect on a three until Harley got one to go in the second quarter. They also struggled at the rim, missing several shots in the paint despite getting good looks.
Being able to play through dry spells offensively isn’t an accident – the foundation of Powers basketball is defensively, and that kept them in the lead against Portland. Despite cold shooting at times, after falling behind 2-0, Powers never trailed again after getting the lead.
Early in the season, coach Ryan Trevithick said that the team’s unselfishness and commitment on defense is key for them.
“We hang our hat on the defensive end of the floor,” Trevithick said at the time. “So for us to really establish a defensive identity, that helps us regain focus. They know it’s not personal, it’s about winning, and they all put their egos aside to win. We’ve got some good players that can put the ball in the hoop, and then we’ve got some good players that can change the momentum of games. And for us, it’s just really about staying on the same page together.”
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