Lutheran North’s Lindsey LaBara looks for an open teammate during a non-league game against Warren Woods-Tower on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022. (GEORGE SPITERI for MediaNews Group)

Basketball is fun when Lutheran North’s press is working like it did in the Mustangs’ non-league opener Tuesday.

“You get hyped when you get a steal,” senior Lindsey LaBara said after North’s 68-27 victory against Warren Woods-Tower. “It goes into your offense and makes you play way better.”

The Titans struggled to get the ball past mid-court when the Mustangs went to their trapping defense.

“I think it works so well because we have so much history together,” LaBara said. “We pick up on each other. If someone’s not in the right spot we help each other out. We’re like a family.”

North coach Andrea Tiedt said that the Mustangs take pride in their defense.

“We have some pretty aggressive girls,” she said. “They’re very focused on where the ball is. They just want to steal it and go for the extra two points.”

When Lauren Koski fired in a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the first quarter, Lutheran North had a 24-8 lead. The margin grew to 38-17 at halftime.

“I knew going in this would be a tough one on our schedule,” said Titans coach Phillip Bowen. “It’s not ideal to start the season with a game like this, but by the same token it gives us a good idea of what we have to work on.”

That would be breaking the press.

“When the press was off we played pretty decently with them,” Bowen said. “I think we’re OK in the half court but we’ve got to learn how to break the press.”

Bowen expects the other coaches in the Macomb Area Conference Silver Division to bring out the presses when they play WWT.

“They will after watching that,” he said. “We’ve got to get better at our press in practice so we can get better in breaking it. I have us for 33 turnovers. You won’t win many games with that, but I liked that we didn’t quit.”

The Titans had a summer program for the first time this year. Bowen expects to reap the benefits from that and a strong freshman class.

Tiedt was pleased that every Mustangs player got into the game and scored.

“I was pleased that the girls were so supportive of each other,” she said. “Everybody got in. We worked on things we practiced. At the varsity level we can’t always get every girl in every game so it’s nice to have a game like this. They all work hard in practice so it’s a great thing to give them the opportunity to get on the floor.
“We were able to work on different pieces, different strategy, different defenses and presses. You do gain things from games like this.”

Ava Herbst led North’s balanced scoring attack with 13 points. Freshman Emma Rosenow had 12 and Claire Leinberger added 11.

Rebecca Voss led Woods Tower with seven points and Ayanna Dulin scored six.

Warren Woods Tower 8 9 6 4—27
Lutheran North 24 14 18 12—68

Warren Woods Tower (0-1): Ayanna Dulin 6, Jessica Gatto 4, Rebecca Voss 7, Samantha Cali 5, Tazaria Hill 2, Taliyah Dawson 2. Totals: 12 (0) 3-7—27.

Lutheran North (1-0): Madeline DiLella 6, Ava Herbst 13, Lindsey LaBara 5, Claire Leinberger 11, Elise Neumeyer 7, Makenna Gudenau 4, Lauren Koski 3, Katherine Martin 2, Anne May 3, Emma Rosenow 12, Aubrey Thumm 2. Totals: 26 (4) 12-22—68.