Starting fast: Inland Lakes boys build big lead, don't look back in home win over Hornets.

INDIAN RIVER – There’s no secret about it – the Inland Lakes boys basketball team loves to get up and down the court fast.

Friday was almost the perfect night for the Bulldogs, who used their quick pace and athleticism to overwhelm the Pellston Hornets in an 83-49 home victory on Snowcoming in Indian River.

For the Bulldogs (10-6, 8-4 Ski Valley Conference), it was a third straight win, while the struggles continued for the Hornets (2-14, 1-11), who are still looking to find their footing.

Here’s some takeaways following a dominating performance by Inland Lakes.

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A fantastic first quarter

Right off the opening tip, the Bulldogs weren’t messing around. Keyed by unselfishness and defense, they blitzed the Hornets in the first quarter, building a 24-9 lead. Inland Lakes’ defense forced Pellston into several turnovers, which resulted in easy baskets on the offensive end.

Lifting the Bulldogs early were seniors Connor Wallace, who had a game-high 25 points, and Sam Schoonmaker, who tallied 20. Aidan Fenstermaker netted 15.

“I think (that fast start) was just us being mentally prepared,” Schoonmaker said. “I think we’ve just been getting better as a team. We’ve been working cohesively, we’re definitely getting better, and it’s showing. We’re all friends and I think that makes it easier to trust each other."

The Bulldogs built off their strong first quarter and increased their advantage to 46-19 by halftime.

I-L's balanced scoring attack also featured eight points from Noah Shugar and seven apiece from Payton Teuthorn and Jake Willey.

“That was the best first quarter we’ve had all year, maybe the best quarter we’ve had all year long,” Inland Lakes coach Lee Nash said. “Balance, out there flying around, making extra passes, and then running sets when we needed them. The defense was great. I was super happy.”

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A tough night, but some positives

While the Hornets struggled to keep up with the Bulldogs, they played a much better third quarter by scoring 19 points. Leading the Hornets was senior Jack Schmalzried, who knocked down four 3-pointers and finished with 16 points. Connor Keller and Joshua Grondin scored 11 points apiece and Laith Griffith added 10.

Pellston's main problems were turnovers and lack of rebounding. Because of those, the Hornets were never able to get within striking distance of an Inland Lakes team that was clicking on all cylinders.

Hitting their stride?

For much of the season, the Bulldogs struggled to find consistency in many of their matchups. But with team chemistry and overall play improving, they now look they could do some damage once the postseason arrives in about a month.

“We still have big goals,” Nash said. “We know we have a lot of work to get there by the end of February, but they’re pretty driven. They went to Forest Area (on Wednesday), and shot very poorly and didn’t perform very well, and we hit the gym hard. We didn’t take it easy (Thursday) in practice, and they responded.”

Since a recent loss to Bellaire, the Bulldogs have turned things around. Now, they hope to maintain their momentum.

“Bellaire gave us a little humble pie that we might not have expected,” Nash said. “I liked that we got some guys like Noah Shugar and Cash DePauw making contributions, and they’re healthy. I like the dynamic duo with Aidan (Fenstermaker) and Connor (Wallace). Each one of them is a very special player, each does things well, and everybody’s finding their role after that.”

Inland Lakes continues conference play when it travels to Mancelona on Wednesday, Feb. 7, while Pellston hosts Bellaire on Wednesday, Feb. 7.

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: Fast start sparks Inland Lakes boys basketball in home victory over Pellston