The key to the Cardinals winning games, though, would be putting enough points on the board to outscore their opponents. In the early season, as OHS split its first six games, the defense shined, while the offense struggled.

That was not the case Wednesday, however, as the Cardinals returned from the holiday break by playing their finest ball of the season against visiting Mancelona. The D was outstanding, as usual, but the offense was even better.

The Cards won the game, 83-32. By the time a minute elapsed in the third quarter, all nine Onaway players had scored, paced by Sam Freel, who poured in a career-high 21. Temara Lupu scored 16 points, Kallie Shimel scored 13, Molly Cleaver and Megan Estep scored eight apiece, and Ashley LeCureux and Emily Estep scored seven apiece. The Lady Ironmen tried a full-court press. They tried a half-court trap. They played the Cards man-to-man, and they dropped into a zone. Nothing worked. Onaway attacked, moved the ball well, and made shots.

The Red Birds jumped out to a 6-0 lead, and led 16-10 when Shimel banked in a trifecta at the first-period buzzer to put her team up nine. LeCureux hit a three to open period two, and the rout was on. After a Mancy three cut the gap to 27-13 midway through period two, the Cards reeled off eight straight points to stretch the lead to 22 and erase all doubt as to who would win. OHS led 41-19 at the half.

Emily Estep drilled a trey to open period three, becoming the ninth and final Cardinal to enter the scoring column, and as coach Marty Mix substituted players in and out, every combination seemed to work as well as the one before it.

The lead was 60-28 after three quarters, and when Emily Estep scored off an offensive rebound to put her team up 40-plus (72-31) with 3:30 left in the game, the MHSAA running-clock rule came into play. The victory improved the Cardinals’ record to 4-3 (2-3 Ski Valley Conference) and showed that they should not be taken lightly by any of their remaining opponents.

Earlier in the evening, the OHS JV improved to 5-2 with a 43-29 win over Mancy. Onaway trailed 12-10 after one period, but took a 21-18 lead into the half when Rachel Nave hit a three at the second-period buzzer. The Cards stretched the lead to 29-23 through three periods and never looked back. Elise Arkwood led the Red Birds offensively with 12 points, with Mariah Ehrke chipping in with 10.

The girls’ basketball teams will travel to Pellston Friday and host Forest Area on Monday. The JV contest that evening tips off an hour earlier than usual, at 5 p.m.