It took Polk County’s girls basketball team one night to match its win total from a season ago.

It likely will not be the last victory this season for the Wolverines, either.

Polk County opened its 2018-19 season Tuesday with a relatively easy 53-34 defeat of Highland Tech in a nonconference clash at Polk.

A lineup often dominated by freshmen and sophomores helped push Polk to its highest point total since a 55-49 win over Highland Tech on Dec. 5, 2017.

Eighteen straight losses followed that triumph. The Wolverines made certain Tuesday that streak would be snapped, building a 30-12 lead by halftime.

“They played hard. They battled every single possession,” said Polk County head coach Brandy Alm. “We did a lot of little things well. I’m very proud of their effort.”

Senior Mariah Overholt had a team-high 17 points as well as three steals, with two freshmen also making their presence felt as Olivia Overholt and Tori Thompson each added nine points.

Thompson marked her varsity debut with a four-point play on her first shot, nailing a 3-pointer from the top of the key while being fouled and sinking the free throw.

“We’ve got seven games this year with no JV game, so I’ve got some floaters who will move up and play with the varsity,” Alm said. “Tori stepped in and did a fantastic job.

“The girls played good defense, they were scrappy and they never gave up on the defensive end. That created offensive opportunities for us.”

Marissa Twitty added six points and nine rebounds, with Emmie McDowell adding four points and three steals. Ansley Lynch, Sara Muse, Rachael Davis and Julia Griffin each finished with two points.

Polk County will return to action on Monday, traveling to A.C. Reynolds.

– Submitted by PolkSports.com