Fenstermaker, Inland Lakes boys get back on track with double-digit triumph over Snowbirds

INDIAN RIVER – Aidan Fenstermaker and his teammates knew one thing going into this week.

The losing had to stop.

On Tuesday, the Inland Lakes junior guard and the Bulldogs certainly looked like a different team, as they used a solid all-around display to capture a 52-38 victory over Gaylord St. Mary at home.

“We’re a good basketball team, we came out to show it, and we will continue to show it the rest of the season," Fesntermaker said after the win.

It’s been a frustrating campaign so far for the Bulldogs, but Tuesday showed what kind of team they can be if everything is clicking. Here’s some takeaways following the Inland Lakes triumph.

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QB 1 makes big plays in basketball, too  

Speaking of Fenstermaker, a first-team all-state quarterback on the football team this past fall, he was making huge plays on the court as well. Fenstermaker, who drilled five 3-pointers in the contest, finished with a game-high 19 points to fuel the Bulldogs (5-5, 4-3 Ski Valley Conference), who were in dire need of a signature win over a conference rival.

“That was incredible – we just had pristine teamwork the entire game,” Fenstermaker said. “We had some errors, but we seemed to get over them quick. That was our best game of the season by far. We’re just going to keep on going from here on out. Football’s always been my sport, but basketball, I love basketball. I’ve just never been able to click, but I clicked tonight.”

In addition to his scoring, Fenstermaker’s defense also helped ignite the Bulldogs, who surrendered just 14 first-half points to the Snowbirds (6-4, 4-3). Fenstermaker was able to bottle up St. Mary’s top guards and played a major role in a positive outcome for Inland Lakes.

“(Fenstermaker) made some defensive stands in the second and third quarters, and we got some fast-break looks out of it, and all of a sudden, everybody else was a little more confident on defense,” Inland Lakes coach Lee Nash said. “We love the threes when they fall in, but that defense tonight – holding St. Mary’s to 38 points – I’m super proud of that.”

Starting well, finishing well  

A problem for the Bulldogs has been their lack of consistency, but that wasn’t much of an issue against the Snowbirds. Holding a narrow halftime lead, Inland Lakes used a dominant third quarter to take a double-digit lead and build confidence the rest of the way. While the Snowbirds closed the gap to six points late in the fourth, the Bulldogs stayed composed and finished strong.

“I think sometimes we’re young in regards to knowing situational basketball because we’re such instinct players, but it’s nice to see composure to space the floor out, get some extra fouls on them and take some high-percentage looks,” Nash said.

Other Bulldogs reaching double figures included Sam Schoonmaker, who scored 12 points, and Connor Wallace, who tallied 10. Payton Teuthorn finished with six. Jake Willey and Cash DePauw each had two.

Rylan Matelski’s 16 points paced the Snowbirds, who saw Daniel Jacobson score 12 points.

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Turning a corner?  

With the Bulldogs delivering an impressive display against a quality opponent, Tuesday might have just marked a turning point for a group that’s eager to hit its stride.

Does Nash believe it’s a turning point?

“It’s got to be,” Nash said. “We’ve talked about putting a complete game together against a good team, and we did tonight. The first half, we were a little sluggish. I think we could have executed a little better spacing, but when you hold them to 14 points in the first half, we talked about creating an identity with man-to-man and half-court defense, and I thought we took a big step tonight.”

Inland Lakes will look to maintain its momentum when it travels to Central Lake on Thursday.

Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT

This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Fenstermaker, Inland Lakes boys basketball top Gaylord St. Mary at home