The first team to find out was the defending Section VI Class C2 champion Frewsburg Bears at the United Way Invitational on Thursday at McElrath Gymnasium. The Bears were able to keep up at the start — and they even led after the first quarter — but they could not keep up as a 31-point second quarter by Jamestown propelled the Red Raiders to a 81-56 victory.

“We went to the press quite a while ago in my first stint here,” Ricker stated. “This was the best way to get kids to play when we first did this, but now we don’t have any subs. The point is to wear them down, but when you’re running just five girls, you’re worried now, too.”

Frewsburg set itself up with a rigorous nonleague schedule, starting off with Class AA Jamestown. The Class C Bears proved they could hang early with the Red Raiders as five different players scored a basket in the first quarter to take a 19-17 lead.

However, after the opening quarter, the fatigue started to set in on the Bears and their press began to crumble against the speedy Red Raiders.

Frewsburg’s Gracie Conlan looks to pass while being defended by Jamestown’s Abbee Brandow, front, and Anna Engquist, back. P-J photo by Christian Storms

“We scheduled a tough nonleague schedule,” Frewsburg head coach Sierra Beaver stated. “We knew coming in that it was going to be a tough game, but we’re hoping that we can work and improve on the good things that we did tonight. I think we did a really nice job in the first quarter. … I think fatigue set in pretty early. We weren’t in as good of shape as we’d hoped and got too tired.”

Once the Red Raiders wore down the Frewsburg press, the buckets started to rain in, especially on transition and the biggest beneficiary was Marley Drake. After knocking down two 3-pointers in the first quarter, Drake spent most of the time in the second quarter driving to the basket as she made five two-pointers and scored 13 of her game-high 33 points in the frame.

“In the system that we run, the right-side girl is normally a catch and shoot,” Ricker stated. “You’re either going to shoot it or you don’t, and if you don’t you just throw it back to the point guard who was hustling in. I told her last year that she was different because she can get to the rim and finish. She’s probably the best finisher we’ve got.”

It wasn’t just Drake hitting baskets for the Red Raiders as Alyson Canfield hit 20, Mickia Freeney scored 14 while collecting 11 assists and Kylie O’Brien added 11 points.

“We had four girls who played a lot of minutes last year,” Ricker added. “All four of them hit double-figures today and that’s what we hope for.”

Jamestown’s Mickia Freeney drives for a layup during Thursday’s game against Frewsburg at McElrath Gymnasium. P-J photo by Christian Storms

When the shots weren’t falling for the Red Raiders, O’Brien made sure it wasn’t a big deal as she dominated the glass. O’Brien hauled in 23 rebounds with seven coming on the offensive glass, Freeney grabbed eight boards and Anna Engquist pulled in seven.

“I told her the first week she should lead the state in rebounding,” Ricker said about O’Brien. “She’s such a great rebounder. Last year we had her on the front of the press, so defensively she didn’t always get in the lane in a rebounding position, and with the changes this year we have young Anna up on the front and that puts Kylie in her natural position.”

Frewsburg’s most consistent player over the course of the contest was Teghan Trocki who hit three 3-pointers and scored 19 points.

“She is a rock star this year,” Beaver said about Trocki. “She is playing a position she has never played before, she’s had to pick up a lot of new stuff. She has had to pick up things she’s not used to and she done it with strides and she’s done a great job being a leader.”

The United Way Invitational continues tonight with Mount Mercy Academy playing Frewsburg at McElrath Gymnasium.

FREWSBURG (56)

J.Trocki 3 0 8, T.Trocki 8 0 19, Bush 1 0 3, Conlan 4 2 10, Jimerson 3 0 6, Cappa 3 0 6, Collver 0 0 0, Whippo 1 2 4. Totals 23 4 56.

JAMESTOWN (81)

Brandow 0 0 0, Freeney 6 1 14, Leeper 0 0 0, Drake 14 0 33, Canfield 7 2 20, Engquist 1 1 3, O’Brien 4 3 11. Totals 32 7 81.

3-point goals–Drake 5, Canfield 4, T.Trocki 3, J.Trocki 2, Bush, Freeney, Engquist.

Frewsburg 19 10 10 17 — 56

Jamestown 17 31 18 15 — 81