Lemorande and Williams combine for 52 as Bay Port storms past Ashwaubenon

The Bay Port Pirates came out firing on Thursday night, controlling the game from start to finish in a 65-31 win over the Ashwaubenon Jaguars.

For the Pirates, Melia Lemorande and Olivia Williams led the charge, combining for 52 points and knocking down shot after shot as Bay Port cruised to victory.

Lemorande opened the scoring with a three pointer, and the Pirates immediately set the tone on both ends of the floor. 

Bay Port jumped out to a 5-0 lead with fifteen minutes left in the first half, and from there, the momentum only grew. 

The Pirates went on a 16-0 run before Ashwaubenon finally scored its first basket with just over twelve minutes to play.

The Jaguars tried to settle into their zone defense, but Bay Port took full advantage of the open looks it created, especially from beyond the arc. 

Williams found her rhythm early, hitting multiple threes as the Pirates continued to stretch the lead. 

Meanwhile, Ashwaubenon struggled to convert its chances, often coming up empty on possessions while Bay Port capitalized on nearly everything it got.

The Pirates continued their dominance into halftime, going up 42-16 behind 19 points each from Lemorande and Williams. 

Ashwaubenon’s Lauren Seeling chipped in 8 points to keep the Jaguars within reach at half, but Bay Port’s efficiency proved too much to handle. 

Ashwaubenon opened the second half with a small run, cutting the deficit to 47-21, but Bay Port quickly responded and reestablished control. 

The Pirates continued to score in transition, shared the ball well and maintained defensive pressure that kept the Jaguars from gaining momentum.

Lemorande finished with 25 points, while Williams tallied 27, as Bay Port closed out a decisive 65-31 victory.

After the win, Lemorande said she was proud of how her team executed after a focused week of preparation. “We were really excited to come out here and compete,” she said. “We were working on a lot of stuff in practice… and I think we all did a phenomenal job on that so I’m really proud of us.”

She highlighted how every player contributed. “Everyone got out onto the court, had some quality minutes, had some quality defensive stops,” Lemorande added. “Obviously me and Olivia were pretty high up there in points, but everyone forgets about the ball handlers, the rebounders, so everyone on the court contributed.”

Assistant coach Tom Simcik praised the team’s fast start– something they’d been working to correct. “The last few games we started out very slow, and tonight we came out very hot,” he said. “For the first time this year, we came out storming.”

Simcik credited a simplified approach in practice for the improvement. “We broke it down this week… step by step,” he said. “Especially on defense, where to be and what to do. I think that really helped.”

For Bay Port, the message after the win was simple– keep building. “It’s a great feeling,” Simcik said. “One game at a time.”