“Give me some scratching, diving, hungry ballplayers who come to kill you.” – Leo Durocher

Major League baseball player Leo Durocher would have enjoyed watching Polk County’s women’s varsity team attacking from all angles, seemingly at once, to defeat visiting Mitchell, 57-43, on Tuesday, Jan. 26.

Grabbing rebounds with abandon, clinging to loose basketballs as though they were family heirlooms, defending like a swarm of hornets, and scoring enough points, the Wolverines controlled the game’s tempo, building leads of 15-11, 28-16, and 42-23, after the first through third quarters, respectively.

The mostly-young (all is relative) Wolverines are now 8-9 overall, and up to 3-4 in the Western Highlands Conference. WHC rival Mitchell fell to 8-11 and 2-5.

“I think we put ourselves into position to get more rebounds,” explained Polk head coach Brandy Alm.

Polk’s Hayley Kropp (25 points) dominated the boards with 15 rebounds, while teammates Ansley Lynch (eight) and Maria Overholt (eight), helped deprive the Mountaineers of scoring chances.

Changing defenses “created a lot of offensive opportunities,” Alm observed, noting that man-to-man was working.

Sophomore Autumn Owen scored 14, Lynch added six, Mariah Overholt scored five, Alana Sea four, and Bella Marino, three, all contributing offensively and were to be found wherever the ball was.

Mitchell lead early, 7-2, but Owen’s two-for-two at the line, and Kropp’s all-the way layup, quickly made it 7-6. Marino’s goal gave Polk an 8-7 lead, and the rest became history.

Kropp’s two-point jumper closed out the half with Polk ahead, 28-16. Overholt’s two-pointer helped the Wolverines take that 42-23 lead after three quarters, and though the Mountaineers outscored Polk in the closing eight minutes, it was, from their standpoint, far too little, far too late.

Polk’s next home game is next Friday, Feb. 5, against Owen’s Warhorses.