Basketball Recap: Meri Hollembeak Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat Olathe

After having lost a blowout in their previous game against Cedaredge, North Fork was happy to have turned things around on Saturday. They strolled past the Olathe Pirates with points to spare, taking the game 35-21. That's the second time they've managed to beat them this season, as they also won 42-17 two weeks ago.

Meri Hollembeak

Steals

12/03/24 vs Basalt	10
01/24/25 vs Olathe	9
01/31/25 @ Meeker	6
01/25/25 vs Gunnison	6
12/06/24 @ Telluride	6
+ 9 more games

North Fork's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Meri Hollembeak, who posted five points in addition to seven assists and five steals. Hollembeak is becoming a predictor of North Fork's success: when she posts at least five steals the team is 5-2 (and 3-7 when she doesn't). Another player making a difference was Alyssa Lovelace, who had seven points along with six rebounds and six steals.

North Fork smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in six consecutive matchups.

North Fork's win bumped their record up to 8-9. As for Olathe, they are on a 12-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 3-15.

North Fork wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next game, a 58-21 victory against Aspen on the 13th. Olathe has also already played their next contest (against Ouray), but no score has been uploaded at the time of writing.