Alpena established its rhythm early, finishing the first quarter with a 20-10 lead. The Wildcats continued to apply defensive pressure, forcing turnovers and converting them into fast-break points. By halftime, Alpena extended its lead to 45-20, capitalizing on rebounding opportunities and transition baskets.

Head coach Evan Neff credited the team’s defensive energy for their first-half success.

“Energy and effort and enthusiasm and wanting to defend,” Neff said. “That’s pretty much it.”

The second half saw Alpena continue to push the pace while also benefiting from multiple trips to the free-throw line as Tawas committed a high number of fouls. Although Neff noted that the team could have capitalized more on free-throw opportunities, he emphasized the importance of winning key battles.

News Photos by Leslianne Johns Carson Najmowicz shoots the ball from the free-throw line on Tuesday in a game against Tawas in Alpena. The Wildcats came out on top, 89-54.

“You wanna go to the free-throw line — you wanna win,” Neff said. “The three areas that we look at are the free throw battle, the rebounding battle, and the turnover differential. Anytime you can win the free-throw battle or get to the line a lot, you’re in good sitting. I wish we would have knocked a few more of them down, but it was good to get there.”

Despite the lopsided score, Neff stressed the importance of maintaining focus, particularly when facing a smaller school.

“We didn’t show up flat,” he said. “It’s easy to — when you’re playing a smaller school — think you’re gonna show up and automatically win. I really challenged these guys and said, ‘This Tawas team is really not that bad. We gotta show up and we gotta play really good basketball in order to be successful.’ And I though,t for the most part, they did a good job.”

Looking ahead, Neff identified areas where the team can improve as the season progresses.

“Offensive patience and continuity,” he said. “We have a bunch of guys that are in different roles than they’ve played their whole lives. And it’s taken a while, but we’re starting to get there where people are comfortable in their roles. And then defensively, our effort’s always there. It’s just a matter of putting that effort with the actual X’s and O’s of where we’re supposed to be in our zones and then finishing it with a rebound.”

News Photo by Leslianne Johns Jamarcus Ballard looks to pass the ball to another teammate during Tuesday’s game in Alpena. The Wildcats beat Tawas.

With a dominant performance against Tawas, the Wildcats look to carry their momentum forward when they face the Petoskey Northmen on Monday at 7 p.m.