Back on Track

Strong defensive effort lifts
Rocks to first win of 2009-10

 Dec. 8, 2009, 11:59 p.m.

  Salem's girls basketball team pushed a giant gorilla off its back Tuesday night when it notched its first win of the season, a well-deserved 39-35 triumph over visiting Farmington Hills Mercy.

  Howerver, there is another large nemesis waiting in the wings: No. 1-ranked Detroit Community, which the Rocks will host Friday.

  "It was a good win for the team; it will give us some positive feelings with Detroit Community coming up Friday and Plymouth the following Friday," said Salem coach Fred Thomann.

  Salem is now 1-2 while the Marlins slipped to 1-1.

  Two of the Rocks' senior captains stepped up big time. Sara Stone tossed in 18 points for the second straight game while Brett deBear had a season-high 10.

  Junior Heidi Schmidt also made some major contributions, netting five points -- three coming on a huge beyond-the-arc bomb with two-and-a-half-minutes left that extended Salem's lead to four.

  Senior Rachel Norman added four points for Salem.

  Salem led 12-10 after one quarter and 20-19 at the half. Mercy deadlocked the game at 24-all at the half, but the Rocks persevered by outscoring their visitors 15-11 down the stretch.

  "I was a good, back-and-forth game," Said Thomann. "Sara Stone and Brett deBear really stepped it up and Heidi Schmidt hit a big three in the fourth quarter."

  Salem connected on 12 of 26 free throws while Mercy hit 9 of 12.