Todd Rose | Daily Press Rapid River’s Monica Thibault (left) drives past Mid Peninsula’s Landry Koski (right) Monday at Mid Peninsula.

ROCK– A second-half surge from the Rapid River Rockets (1-2) earned the team their first win of the season 47-42 Monday night against the Mid Peninsula Wolverines (1-2) in Rock.

Heading into the game, Rockets coach Scott Goodacre told his team that their season had to start with this game.

“That’s what we told the girls,” Goodacre said. “They rose up. They played hard. (I’m) not taking anything away from the Mid Pen girls. They played a strong game. Just a good win for us.”

Down by six at the start of the second half, the Rockets outscored the Wolverines 11-4 in the third to take the lead heading into the fourth. Natalie Belanger scored seven points in the first half of the third, six from shots down low and one free-throw, Cecilia Pilon had a pair of free throws and Megan Dausey earned two.

“They got going a lot better (in the second half),” said coach Goodacre “I thought we were moving the ball a lot better. Even in the first and second quarters, we stayed pretty close, but we weren’t moving the ball well.”

In the fourth quarter, the Rockets kept their momentum going, scoring 22 points to Mid Pen’s 18. Despite a late flurry of shots from the Wolverines, Rapid River notched their first win of the year 47-42.

“We got Natalie Belanger going,” said coach Goodacre. “Our guards did a great job with the trap with the press. Shania was on tonight … she was very key on bringing that inside-outside game to it.

“They played better as a team is what it was.”

The first quarter was a bit slow for both teams, with Mid Pen leading 6-4 at the end of it.

It was in the second quarter the Wolverines hit their stride, opening up with eight unanswered points — split by Landy Koski (two two-pointers) and Allyson Lancour (two-pointer and two free throws) — to stretch things to 14-4.

Koski would head to the line again, making both shots, after being fouled. Daisy Englund also scored four before the end of the quarter.

On the Rockets side of things, Shania Poore made a three and two within the final minute and a half to build momentum for her team heading into the locker room as they trailed Mid Pen 14-20.

Wolverines coach Phil Croasdell accounts his team’s loss to a mix of things.

“We just missed a few assignments,” said Croasdell. “We had a few new kids in there, a few mental mistakes. They got some easy buckets on us, they were getting second-chance shots, and usually, their second chance shots fall 100-percent.

“It’s our typical Rapid-Mid Pen battle. That’s how she goes.”

Croasdell also gave a nod to Daisy Englund, who scored 14 points for the Wolverines despite playing with a bum ankle.

“That kid is like 110 percent,” he said. “She rolled her ankle real bad there in the third. She’s playing through tears.

“That kid’s got more guts than anyone I know.”

Landry Koski led Mid Pen in scoring with 15.

The Rockets had three players break the 10-point mark, Belanger (16), Poore (13) and Pilon (10).

Rapid River will hit the road to play Forest Park today while Mid Pen hosts Big Bay de Noc, also today.

Rapid River 4 10 11 22 — 47

Mid Pen 6 14 4 18 — 42

Rapid River: Belanger 16, Poore 13, Pilon 10, Dausey 4, Emily Goodacre 3, Thibault 1; F: 17; FT: 7-10; Fouled out: Belanger; 3-point field goals: Poore 3, Emily Goodacre

Mid Pen: Koski 15, Englund 14, Lancour 6, Johnson 4, Lampinen 3; F: 11; FT: 14-25; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goals: Englund