The Northland Pines girls’ basketball team hasn’t slowed down this summer, participating in the impactful Ultimate Team Camp in Stevens Point from June 21-23, on top of partnering with other area schools for a summer basketball league that runs for a few weeks in June and July at Northland Pines High School. The three-day camp is something the team looks forward to after attending for the first time last year.

Head Coach Jaclyn Halsey said after seeing how the camp is run, she will never miss another year of it with her team.

“It was a huge turning point for our program last year, and I will never miss a year of taking my program there. The team bond always comes out of this camp tighter than before, and it quickly pays off on the court,” Halsey stated.

What was cool for this year was that Halsey and the coaching staff were able to bring the whole program together this summer due to previous fundraising. Thirty-four (34) other programs came to Stevens Point for the first of two sessions.

Between the two teams, the Eagles played 15 games over two and a half days.

The varsity team went 4-4 over that span, gaining valuable court time against teams from around the state. Northland Pines opened the camp with a 27-20 win over Amherst, before losing tight contests to Ellsworth (31-32), D.C. Everest (29-37), Chippewa Falls (29-34) and Osceola (24-26) between the first two days.

“Every loss that we did have was only by single digits. So overall, a successful and competitive play throughout,” explained Halsey.

The team bounced back later on day two and for day three, where they rattled off three consecutive wins against Spring Valley (44-38), Laona-Wabeno (30-13) and Ellsworth (25-17).

Other camp activities

Outside the in-game experience for all attending teams, the camp also mixes things up and pairs athletes from other teams for a big three-on-three tournament on night one. Halsey said that it is always a fun time, with how competitive it gets. On day two, the camp puts teams into a bracket, and they play in a situational tournament, where they act as if the game is tied with 30 seconds left and play from there.

The team will continue to work throughout the summer, as it hosts a summer league during select weeks in July. The next two sessions will be on Thursday, July 9, and Thursday, July 23. Games are at 6, 7 and 8 p.m.