Kayla Wilson hit three second-half 3-pointers to spur the Cards' 29-6 run that put the game out of reach of a late Ogemaw Heights comeback attempt.
W-P's Kaylon Leslie and Ogemaw's Alicia Brown tie up a loose ball during Thursday's contest.
Brent Baker
Whittemore-Prescott shows off its North East Michigan Conference championship t-shirts after Thursday's victory wrapped up sole possession of the league title.

OGEMAW HEIGHTS - Nov. 9, 2006 - The top dog usually gets everyone's best shot, and Whittemore-Prescott's girls basketball team has had to get used to having that target on their backs. The Cardinals used a big third-quarter run to survive a solid performance by an improving Ogemaw Heights squad and take a 66-48 victory Thursday that wrapped up sole possession of the North East Michigan Conference championship, the first league title for W-P since winning the Great Northern Lower Peninsula Huron Division in 1994.

"It's a huge accomplishment for the girls," said W-P coach Barb Janish. "We're the smallest school in the league by far, so for us to take this by ourselves, that's pretty special.

"These girls have worked really hard for a lot of years, since they were in elementary school, for this. But now the season starts over (in the district tournament) so we can't assume anything. Every game is critical, and every team would love to beat us. We'll have to take it one game at a time if we want to keep on playing."

The Falcons certainly weren't about to concede anything, taking a quick 6-2 lead on a basket by Renee Wangler, a steal and hoop by Ashley Thompson and a bucket from Jamie Lucas. The Cards' pressure defense and the inside presence of Catherine Daniels eventually took over as W-P ran off a 19-6 streak to end the first quarter, taking the lead for good on an offensive rebound bucket by Daniels.

W-P led by as much as 33-16 late in the second quarter, but Lucas sparked a 10-2 run to close out the half and kept the Falcons within 35-26.

"I think the girls are trying to age me a bit," Janish said. "It's working, too. Ogemaw played well. They were aggressive and shot well at the start. It took us awhile to get into our rhythm."

Once the did, W-P went off on a 29-6 run that lasted until midway through the fourth quarter. a trio of 3-pointers from Kayla Wilson gave the Cards an offensive boost that offset Daniels picking up her third foul early in the second half.

"We had a bit of a lapse, and they flexed," said Ogemaw coach Tim Hansen. "They're very good. You're only going to be as good as your guards are, and theirs are mighty fine. They dribble the ball like its on a string

"Daniels does a nice job inside for them too. Once their guards break you down, the defense rotates, they find a way to get it into her and she makes you pay."

Even after falling behind 64-34, though, the Falcons kept at it, finishing out with a 14-2 run that was too little, too late.

Daniels paced the Cards (17-3, 11-1 NEMC) with 16 points, with Wilson adding 15, Sharesse King 14 and Julie Janish 10. Daniels added nine rebounds, Janish had six rebounds and five assists, and Kaylon Leslie added nine points, five rebounds and four steals.

Ogemaw (10-10, 6-6) had Lucas with 14 points and Wangler with 11.

W-P opens district play at home against Lincoln-Alcona on Tuesday, Nov. 14, while Ogemaw plays on Thursday against either host Standish-Sterling or Houghton Lake.