Norwalk cruises in season opener

NORWALK — Hard to complain. Coaching in his first game for the Norwalk girls, head coach Kyle Brubaker didn't find much to nitpick following Friday's season-opening game against visiting Ashland. The Truckers were 11-of-16 shooting in the first quarter and didn't allow the Arrows to score a point in the third quarter until the final seconds. That allowed Norwalk to cruise to a 59-23 win at NHS. "Our effort defensively and the attention to detail of our game plan really jumps out," Brubaker said. "We were pretty consistent for four quarters. And that's not always the case when you have a game flow like this. "I was really happy that the girls stayed the course and did the things that made us successful in the first place." Norwalk led 10-2 less than three minutes into the game, and the lead never dipped below five points over the rest of the contest. Sophomore Emmie Leber scored eight of the first 10 points for Norwalk on her way to 14 points and six rebounds on 7-of-10 shooting. "When Emmie's motor is running like that, it's exactly what we see all the time in practice," Brubaker said. "The challenge of a young player is being consistent, but tonight was a great first step for Emmie. She was a spark plug for us, and she was consistent. "Yes, we have a great backcourt, but we also have a front court that can create some problems." The Truckers led 23-11 after one quarter. After the Arrows scored two straight baskets, the Truckers answered with an 11-2 run to close out the half. Leber scored again, while Abby Koenig scored three times, including a three-point play with 1:30 left in the half. Delaney Illuzzi then capped the scoring with a putback score just before the halftime buzzer. In the third quarter, it was all Norwalk. The defensive pressure of the Truckers got to the Arrows, then sophomore Alyssa Gruhlke took over the scoring. She made a pair of 3-pointers and scored all 12 of her points on 5-of-6 shooting in the quarter alone. Meanwhile, Norwalk outscored the Arrows by an 18-1 margin over the eight minutes to blow the game open. "I really think it started at the defensive end for us, but I loved the decisions we made in transition," Brubkaer said. "Whether that was jump stop finishes or going up strong with the basketball, just the way we shared the ball was fun to watch." Koenig finished with 18 points, followed by Leber's 14 and Gruhlke's 12. Trinity Lazzara added eight points. "We think we can be a team that is more balanced, and we can make it more difficult on opponents," Brubaker said. "If you want to focus on one or two players, Alyssa can go off very easily. "That's why we want to keep everyone engaged and believing in themselves and their talents. That way when they have the opportunity to shine, they do." Norwalk has a big non-league road challenge up next when it visits Gibsonburg on Tuesday. The Golden Bears — in the SBC River Division — were a regional team a year ago, and edged the Truckers in overtime in Norwalk. ASHLAND (0-1) Madison Hoffman 1-0—3; Kennedy Lacey 3-3—9; Lauren Green 2-0—4; Cici Steury 2-2—6; Grace Tobias 0-1—1; Brylyn Mottoyaw 1-0—2. TOTALS 9-6—23. NORWALK (1-0) Abby Koenig 8-2—18; Kenzie Smith 1-0—3; Alyssa Gruhlke 5-0—12; Emmie Leber 7-0—14; Trinity Lazzara 4-0—8; Delaney Illuzzi 2-0—4. TOTALS 27-2—59. Ashland 11 6 1 8 — 23 Norwalk 23 11 18 7 — 59 3-point FGs: (A) Hoffman; (N) Gruhlke 2, Smith JV: Norwalk won