GARDEN CORNERS — Junior Carrigan Thill and senior Lila Morris provided the Big Bay de Noc girls with a potent 1-2 scoring punch in an 89-37 basketball rout of Mackinac Island here Saturday morning.

The Big Bay boys used a fast start to defeat the Lakers 60-27.

Thill scored a career-high 33 points and Morris sank a single-game, school-record seven 3-point shots while adding a career-best 25 points in the Northern Lights League contest.

“It was no different from any other game,” Thill said. “I feel confident going into any game. We just wanted to take care of business. Our quickness made a big difference.

The Mackinac Island girls were within 20-18 after senior Madison Gamble drained a 20-foot jump shot from the left wing late in the first quarter.

Big Bay led 21-18 after the opening frame, then extended its lead to 39-18 on a lay-in by Thill with 2:35 remaining in the second.

Gamble picked up her fourth foul early in the second and Big Bay’s full-court pressure defense began to take its toll.

“We work real good as a team,” Morris said. “I wasn’t really expecting to get the school record, but when I got close, Coach (Bob Pederson) gave me the green light. Saturday morning games are all about waking up and getting adjusted, especially when you’re on the road because you don’t always get the best night’s sleep. It feels good to get a career-high.”

The Lakers scored the last four points of the second stanza, shaving their deficit to 39-22 on Gamble’s set shot from inside the free throw circle.

Big Bay’s lead continued to grow in the third quarter, gaining an insurmountable 67-31 advantage on a layup by freshman Destiny Bleau with 56 seconds left in that frame.

“We have real good depth,” Pederson said. “This is probably the best depth we’ve had since I’ve been here (in sixth year as girls’ coach). Because of that we’ve been able to play more man-to-man defense. Caragan is our scoring leader (25 points a game) and Lila was on fire. Maddie (Gamble) played her heart out. She hit some tough shots and (Lakelyn) Bunker was a big loss for them. I thought Dixie Morris and Tatum Harvey played good defense.”

Bunker, who twisted her ankle early in Friday’s 66-31 loss, didn’t play Saturday which left the Lakers with just seven available players.

“Foul trouble really hurt us,” Lakers’ coach Mary Patay said. “It’s kind of a numbers game right now. I was pleased with the effort early in the game, but not in the second half. We were winded and out of shape. I keep the gym open all summer and nobody shows up.”

Gamble finished with 22 points and junior Kaylee Cowell added 11 for the Lakers (7-3), who committed 36 turnovers. The Black Bears (7-1) had 25 miscues.

The Big Bay boys came out pressing right away while scoring the first 14 points and gaining a 21-2 advantage by the end of the first quarter.

Big Bay (4-4) led by as much as 58-22 on a putback by senior Nick DesJarden with 3:06 left in the contest.

DesJarden scored 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to go with three steals with two blocked shots. Freshman Mason Gembel added eight boards and sophomore Parker Pederson collected five rebounds, four steals and three assists.

“Nick’s a good kid,” Big Bay coach Gunner Mickelson said. “He had 17 points last night (in Friday’s 69-38 triumph) which I think was a disappointment for him. That’s kind of where he wants to be at and the younger kids are taking that in.

“Overall, we’re a small team. Mason Gembel is going to get rebounds which as a freshman is tough. Much starts and ends with Parker Pederson. He did everything I asked and played great defense in the first half. It’s good to be back at .500. That’s huge for us. We’re still going through growing pains, but our freshmen are doing fine. We’re building.”

Pederson led the Black Bears with 26 points and Brady Hardy had 15 for the Lakers Friday.

On Saturday, eighth-grader Olsztyn Hancock paced Mackinac Island (2-5) with 13 points. Both teams had 25 turnovers.

The Big Bay boys host Grand Marais today at 4:30 and both of its teams visit Superior Central Tuesday. Mackinac Island visits Kinross Maplewood Baptist Tuesday.

Boys

Mackinac Island 2 5 8 12 — 27

Big Bay de Noc 21 20 8 12 — 60

Mackinac Island — Anderson 3, Morse 5, Hardy 6, Hancock 13. FT: 5-12; F: 13; Fouled out: None.

Big Bay de Noc — DesJarden 24, Max Pomeroy 7, Lotz 5, Cooper 2, Wood 8, Pederson 2, Matt Pomeroy 3, Gembel 7. F: 16; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goal: Gembel.

Girls

Mackinac Island 18 4 11 4 — 37

Big Bay de Noc 21 18 28 22 — 89

Mackinac Island — Cowell 11, Morse 4, Gamble 22. FT: 5-16; F: 12; Fouled out: Cowell; 3-point field goals: Gamble 3, Cowell.

Big Bay de Noc — Paupore 2, Bleau 10, Pederson 20, D. Morris 5, Durrance 4, Thill 33, L. Morris 23. FT: 11-19; F: 16; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goals: L. Morris 7.