Basketball season finally seemed to arrive last Tuesday as the Lady Raiders hosted their region foes, the Mt. Vernon Plankinton Titans.

Wagner opened the game on an 11–1 run in the first quarter and never looked back. The Raiders continued to clamp down defensively, holding the Titans to just four points in the first half and taking a commanding 33–4 lead into the halftime break.

A running clock began early in the third quarter and continued the rest of the game as the Lady Raiders cruised to a 47–18 victory.

Wagner shot 19-of-38 from the field for 50 percent, while holding Mt. Vernon Plankinton to just 6-of-46 shooting (13 percent). Both teams finished 5-of-8 from the free-throw line. The Raiders dominated the glass with a 32–20 rebounding advantage and committed 17 turnovers compared to 18 by the Titans.

Ashlyn Koupal led all scorers with an outstanding performance, finishing with 22 points, 18 rebounds, four steals, and three blocks. Mateya Bruguier added nine points, five rebounds, and a team-high five assists. Hayden Knudsen chipped in six points, while Ravyn Medricky and Hannah Holzbauer each scored four. Medricky pulled down three rebounds, and Holzbauer added two steals. TyShay Medicine Bear rounded out the scoring with two points. Braxton Nedved contributed three rebounds, three steals, and two assists.

“Finally we got to play someone in a different colored uniform,” said the coach. “It was great to see the girls getting work done on both ends of the floor. Defensively, we did a great job of forcing rushed shots and limiting them to one opportunity. We do need to improve our transition play and ball security. We had too many turnovers that limited our offensive possessions. It’s the first game, and we don’t want to be playing our best yet. There are definitely areas we can improve.”

In junior varsity action, the Lady Raiders fell 36–25. TyShay Medicine Bear led the way with nine points, while Clarah Soukup added seven. Peytyn Wiechmann scored four points, and Olivia Podzimek and Raeyon Fool Bull finished with three and two points, respectively.

The C team was defeated 45–12. Aryonni Picotte paced the Raiders with four points. Valencia Big Bear added three, while Raeyon Fool Bull and Shailiah Zephier each scored two. Teagan Langdeaux rounded out the scoring with one point.