Posen coach pleased with effort despite season-opening loss

by Peter Jakey–Managing Editor
Posen girls’ basketball coach Karl Momrik had a message for his team following an opening night loss to 2016 regional finalist, Pickford Tuesday at home – great effort.
It was there until the final buzzer. In the final moments, the Lady Vikings were down by 10 with a minute-and-a-half to go but kept working until it was over.
There were two blocked shots on Pickford’s last possession and the players on the bench were encouraging each other. “That’s the kind of kids we want on this team,” said Momrik. “We have five underclassmen. We are not going to use that as an excuse. Early on it is tough when you play a veteran team like this.”
Posen and Pickford went basket-for-basket in the fourth quarter. The Vikings could never get the lead below double digits. The final score was 46-34.
Pickford has brought back nine players from a team that played for a regional championship, while the Vikings had several underclassmen getting their first taste of varsity action.
“I like our team and I think we are going to have a real good season. I think, by the time the second half of the season rolls around, we are going to be tough to beat. All nine kids on this team can play.”
The Vikings trailed from the very start, getting down 5-0 before the first points of the season were scored by Sam Lenard, one of three players who are expected to put points on the board this season.
Any time Posen scored, Pickford was sure to answer, and did, to go up by five. Following a three pointer with more than two minutes to go in the first, it was nine, 13-4.
Lay ups by Brooke Ciarkowski and Faith Ann Romel cut into the Panther’s lead. The score was 14-8 at the end of one.
Early in the second, Brianna Kuffel made the first of two free throws. She missed the second, but chased down the rebound and fired a pass to Lenard for a quick deuce to trim the visitor’s lead to seven.
The scoring was 6-6 into halftime. The teams went into the lockers with the score 24-17.
Posen played its best basketball of the night in the opening moments of the third. Cami LaTulip fired in a jumper and Lenard scored a layup to get within three, 24-21.
LaTulip went to the bench with three fouls with 6:20 in the third, which is about the time Pickford went on a 12-3 run to close out the quarter. The only field goal for Posen came from Ciarkowski.
In the fourth, the teams went back and forth before the opener was in the books.
Lenard and Ciarkowski both had eight each.
“We are going to need to get more scoring from more players,” said Momrik. “We knew we were facing a rebuilding process, but we want to rebuild in a hurry.”
Up next is a road tilt at Hillman.
The Posen junior varsity lost 41-15. The halftime score was 20-7. Hannah Stone had seven points for the Vikings in the game.