NEW BLOOMFIELD - Sophomore guard Madi Craighead connected for a game-high 24 points, marked by four 3-pointers, to spark the New Bloomfield Lady Wildcats' 58-23, season-opening blitz of the Calvary Lutheran Lady Lions on Tuesday night.
Junior guard Baylee Garrett also delivered 13 points for New Bloomfield, which rolled into halftime with a 31-16 edge and pulled away by outscoring Calvary Lutheran 18-4 in the third quarter. Freshman center Samantha Haas also had eight points for the Lady Wildcats, while junior forward Madison Love scored seven points and pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds.
"I didn't really know what to expect, but we moved the ball well, attacked and knocked down some shots," New Bloomfield head coach Brett Craighead said.
Haley Braun topped Calvary Lutheran with nine points. New Bloomfield limited Rebecca Thompson - the Lady Lions' leading scorer last season - to only four points.
"We ran a little box-and-one (defense) on her," Craighead said. "Once she gave up the ball, we didn't let her catch it back. Their offense runs through her and we disrupted that."
The Lady Wildcats - paced by freshman guard Haley Berhorst's eight points - won the junior varsity game 21-14 in two quarters.
New Bloomfield, receiving the third seed, clashes with No. 6 Bunceton at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the first round of the 77th-annual Tipton Tournament.