Over the last three days, high school basketball teams across the area delivered a packed stretch of action filled with fast starts, defensive pressure, and clutch finishes as conference play continued to heat up. Several squads built big leads early and cruised, while others battled through tight second halves and late-game runs to earn key wins. From triple-double performances and dominant work on the glass to dramatic free throws in the final second, the past few nights showcased the intensity and momentum building in the heart of the season.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Hart 51, Newaygo 26
Hart used its depth and defense to win on the road without injured leading scorer Jagger Lenon, building a 13-3 first-quarter lead and stretching it to 31-8 at halftime. Miguel Escamilla filled the stat sheet and the Pirates held Newaygo in check the rest of the way.
Hart:
Luke VanderWilk 10 pts;
Caleb Ackley 8 reb;
Miguel Escamilla 5 ast, 7 reb, 3 stl
Newaygo:(top scorers not provided)
North Muskegon 68, Hart 54
In a first-place league battle, North Muskegon overcame Hart’s push in the second half and closed strong late to stay unbeaten. Adam Dugener led the way, with several Norsemen making key contributions on both ends.
North Muskegon:
Adam Dugener 24 pts;
David Markiewicz 10 pts;
Bronson Hurst 10 pts
Hart:
Caleb Ackley 19 pts;
Kolton Rockwell 18 pts;
Luke VanderWilk 9 pts
Shelby 59, Hesperia 45
Shelby exploded out of the gates with a 16-1 start and led 21-7 after one quarter, then held off a second-half charge as Hesperia cut the margin to seven in the fourth. Isaac “Dayday” Garcia and Leighton Belasco powered the Tigers’ win.
Shelby:
Isaac Garcia 21 pts (11 reb);
Leighton Belasco 19 pts
Hesperia:
Malakai Sellers 16 pts;
Keegan Roberson 12 pts
Oakridge 40, Orchard View 30
Oakridge secured the win with balanced scoring and strong rebounding, led by Logan Hutson and Dallas Meyers. The Eagles limited Orchard View’s offense and pulled away down the stretch.
Oakridge:
Logan Hutson 15 pts (8 reb);
Dallas Meyers 11 pts (4 ast);
Chase Dutton 6 pts (10 reb)
Orchard View:
La’Brent Wilkerson 10 pts;
Price 6 pts
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Shelby 53, Hesperia 10
Shelby dominated from start to finish, jumping out to an 18-2 first-quarter lead and never looking back. The Tigers’ defense smothered Hesperia, allowing just five points in the first half. Top Scorers:
Shelby:
Jayna Burmeister 14 pts,
Annabelle Stark 12 pts,
Ava Lamberg 8 pts
Hesperia:
Team struggled offensively (10 total points)
Fremont 78, Western Michigan Christian 45
Fremont pulled away with a huge first half, leading 19-13 after one quarter and 44-23 at halftime before adding 21 points in the third to cruise to the home win. Taylor DeKuiper posted her second triple-double of the season as the Packers improved to 6-2 overall and 4-0 in the league.
Fremont:
Taylor DeKuiper 17 pts, 13 reb, 10 ast;
Breven Powell 13 pts;
Anna Norris 12 pts (5 reb)
Western Michigan Christian:
Madie Folkema 22 pts (15 reb);
Kasey Folkema 7 pts
Ludington 48, Whitehall 31
Ludington’s pressure defense sparked a 23-4 first quarter and the Orioles maintained control the rest of the night, even as Whitehall settled in and played them more evenly over the final three quarters. Eloise Kwietniewski led the way as Ludington improved to 5-4.
Ludington:
Eloise Kwietniewski 17 pts;
Jaelyn Laird 10 pts;
Raevyn Thomas 7 pts
Whitehall:
Clare Westerlund 10 pts (5 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl); P
eyton Schultz 9 pts
Hart 41, North Muskegon 39
Hart earned a dramatic conference win when Rilynn Porter was fouled with 0.7 seconds left and calmly knocked down all three free throws to secure the victory. Porter’s scoring and Hart’s resilience helped the Pirates survive a tight finish.
Hart:
Rilynn Porter 15 pts;
Aurora Virtanen 9 pts;
Natalie Rosema 7 pts
North Muskegon:
Maddie Friesner 12 pts;
Delaney Young 10 pts;
Grace Miller 8 pts (13 reb)
Orchard View 40, Oakridge 33
Orchard View controlled the glass and built steady quarter-by-quarter leads (13-8, 22-14, 32-25) on the way to the win. Elixis Scott posted another big double-double while Oakridge struggled to score consistently.
Orchard View:
Elixis Scott 15 pts (18 reb, 4 blk);
Kadence Day 10 pts
Oakridge:
Cambria Guenthardt 16 pts (6 reb);
Adrianna Raap 5 pts (10 reb)
Ravenna 58, Mason County Central 27
Ravenna’s aggressive trapping defense set the tone early and the Bulldogs opened a 31-8 halftime lead, rolling to their ninth straight win. Natalie Rosel and Emily Postema each scored 21 as Ravenna stayed perfect in conference play.
