LAKE LINDEN — Dollar Bay-Tamarack City came into 2021 with high expectations for boys’ basketball.

The Blue Bolts (3-0), lost a chance at a third-straight Division 4 state final four berth last March when the MHSAA playoffs were suspended due to COVID-19. So for this year’s senior-laden roster — with eight boys playing their final campaign — this regular season is a precursor to lofty postseason ambitions.

The Bolts took another step down that path with a 61-47 victory over Lake Linden-Hubbell (0-2) in the Lakes gym on Saturday afternoon.

DB led wire-to-wire in the contest, but the Lakes made them earn it many times throughout the game, especially in the first half.

Both teams pushed a frenetic pace out of the gate, running the floor, pressing, and attacking the basket on every possession to find inside shots or kick-outs to open jump shooters.

First-year Bolts’ coach Jake Stevens, taking over for longtime coach Jesse Kentala, was happy with the win but tempered his praise.

“I wouldn’t say it was our best game,” Stevens said. “We just struggled a little bit shooting the ball which usually makes the rest of the game come easier to us.”

Senior Will Lyons paced the Lakes with 16 points, earning praise from his coach Jack Kumpula.

“Will’s our leader and he makes us go and the young kids are coming and that’s where we are,” he said. “I thought Mason Holzberger, a freshman, played really well today (also).”

The Bolts were more successful at first with a 9-0 run to get going. The score was 16-8 after the first eight minutes of play.

In the second quarter, DB senior leader Connor LeClaire got into some foul trouble with about 5 minutes left in the half and had to sit. LL-H took the opening to climb out of the hole they were in to get within two points. Play was spirited and chippy — very physical — but still sportsmanlike, with LL-H very close at the half, trailing 24-23.

The Bolts came roaring out of the locker room though, scoring seven straight points in the first minute of the second half, en route to a 10-0 run. The Lakes ran into some foul trouble as well and that continued to fuel the DB attack. The Bolts finished the third quarter with 20 points, forging a 44-35 lead.

In the fourth, the Bolts maintained their grip on the game with senior point guard Davin Hill orchestrating the offense as he did throughout the afternoon. DB junior AJ Datto led all scorers with 20 points, evenly distributed with 10 in each half.

Dollar Bay hosts Ontonagon at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday while LL-H hosts Bessemer at 6:20 p.m. that same evening.

DB-TC 16 8 20 17 — 61

LL-H 8 15 12 12 — 47

DOLLAR BAY-TAMARACK CITY (61): Datto 20, LeClaire 16, Benson 10, Hill 8, Myllyoja 3, Norland 2, Randell 2. FT: 7-12. 3-point FG: Datto 1, Hill 1.

LAKE LINDEN-HUBBELL (47): Lyons 16, Ongie 9, Codere 8, Holzberger 8, Shank 4, Sutherland 2. FT: 4-9. 3-point FG: Ongie 1.