The campaign gets a lot tougher from here on out.
But for now, the Wolverines and Head Coach Eric Jangard are enjoying the ride after opening the season with back-to-back victories at home over the weekend.
That’s right. The Friday Harbor girls basketball team is 2-0.
Following a season-opening 56-35 defeat of Bush High School on Friday, the Wolverines posted win No. 2 by clobbering South Whidbey 51-33 less than 24 hours later.
Admittedly, the Division 2A Falcons, playing without former leading-scorer Lindsey Newman for the first time in four years, are not the same team they’ve been in the past. Still, Jangard was apprehensive about a possible let-down after the season-opening win over a lesser opponent. His fears vaporized in a matter of minutes.
“The girls were eager to go right from the start,” he said. “All we had to do is pretty much turn them loose and let ’em go.”
In a replay of the night before, the Wolverines jumped all over the Falcons in the first eight minutes of play and led 17-4 at the end of the first period.
South Whidbey junior Ashlinn Prosch pumped in eight points before the break to keep the Falcons in the contest, but the Wolverines, with a combined 19 points from senior Kayla Short and junior Maggie Andersen in the first half, went into the locker room with a 27-16 advantage at the half.
Despite a sub-par performance at the free-throw line — the Wolverines hit only 13-of-32 attempts and shot 63 percent at the charity stripe against Bush — the points kept coming. They outscored their opponent 24-17 over the final two periods to bag the win.
Andersen tossed in 19 points to pace the Wolverines on the offensive end, and Short added 15, one fewer than the 16 she had against Bush. Kelsey Barnes contributed 10 points.
“We’ve got a ton of returning players and we’re definitely feeling a lot more confident on the court,” said Andersen, who tossed in 17 in the win over Bush, all in the first half.
“It’s a new feeling, and it’s a ‘good new.’ ”
Next: The Wolverines are on the road Friday at La Conner; tipoff is 3:30 p.m. They are on the road Saturday at University Prep; tipoff is 12:30 p.m.
