Area Basketball Recap (Feb. 14–18): Fremont Boys and Girls Pull Out Tight Wins

It was a packed week across the West Michigan Conference and surrounding leagues, with conference titles clinched, milestone performances delivered, and several games decided in the closing minutes. From dominant first-quarter bursts to back-and-forth thrillers featuring double-digit lead changes, area boys and girls teams battled through high-stakes matchups as the regular season winds toward its finish. Here’s a complete recap of the week’s action.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Fremont 57, Western Michigan Christian 53

Fremont handled a tough road environment and withstood a furious late rally to escape with a 57-53 win over Western Michigan Christian on Tuesday night. The Packers set the tone early with strong defensive pressure and steady execution, edging ahead 17-14 after the first quarter before taking control in the second. Fremont’s defense tightened, they won key possessions, and they carried a 29-20 advantage into halftime.

Western Michigan Christian came out with renewed energy after the break and made things interesting in the third quarter, chipping away at the deficit and trimming Fremont’s lead to just four points at one stretch. Fremont responded with a timely counterpunch—getting stops, valuing the ball, and producing enough offense to reestablish momentum. By the end of the third, the Packers had rebuilt breathing room and went to the fourth up 40-32.

The final quarter turned into a grind. WMC kept coming, knocking down three late three-pointers to make it a one- to two-possession game in the closing minutes. Fremont didn’t flinch. The Packers stayed composed, continued to compete on the defensive end, and—most importantly—made the free throws they needed to close the door, going 10-for-14 from the line to seal the win.

Mossen Green led Fremont with 18 points and added six rebounds in a strong two-way performance. Javon Basso posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, giving Fremont a steady interior presence and second-chance opportunities. Gabe Hulst played a key role directing the offense, finishing with nine points and eight assists, while Brayden Crosley contributed seven points and seven rebounds.

For Western Michigan Christian, Zach Weare paced the scoring with 15 points, while Tyson Annema added 11 and Brody Haveman scored eight as the Warriors’ late shooting surge nearly completed the comeback.

Top Scorers:

• Fremont: Mossen Green 18, Javon Basso 10, Gabe Hulst 9
• WMC: Zach Weare 15, Tyson Annema 11, Brody Haveman 8

Fremont 67, Montague 43

Fremont rolled to its ninth WMC-Lakes win with a 67-43 victory over Montague. The Packers exploded to a 22-7 first quarter and led 42-18 at halftime. Montague found a bit of rhythm after the break, but Fremont shut the door in the fourth.

Top Scorers:

• Fremont: Gabe Hulst 18, Javon Basso 11, Breckin Kooistra 8
• Montague: Kyle Earnest 10

Ravenna 76, Shelby 42

Ravenna’s fast start decided this one early as the Bulldogs beat Shelby 76-42. Ravenna led 31-11 after one and 45-27 at halftime, then extended it to 61-34 after three before finishing strong.

Top Scorers (Shelby):

• Shelby:
  • Eli Kelley 14
  • Isaac Garcia 10
  • Leighton Belasco 8

Ravenna 59, Mason County Central 35

Ravenna jumped out early and never looked back in a 59-35 win over MCC. The Bulldogs led 18-10 after one and 36-17 at halftime. MCC won the third quarter 13-7 to make it 43-30, but Ravenna closed with a 16-5 fourth to pull away.

Top Scorers:

• Ravenna: Dylan May 22 (three 3s), Zeke Eller 14
• MCC: Trent Hawke 7, Kyle Peters 6, Gannon Hansen 6

Hart 62, Oakridge 39

Hart pulled away after a slow start to beat Oakridge 62-39. The Pirates used their depth and defensive intensity to control the final three quarters. Caleb Ackley led a balanced effort, while Kolton Rockwell filled up the stat sheet on both ends.

Top Scorers:

• Hart:
  • Caleb Ackley 14
  • Kolton Rockwell 13
  • Jagger Lenon 11

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Fremont 58, Shelby 55

Fremont and Shelby delivered a playoff-level battle Tuesday night, and Fremont came away with a hard-earned 58-55 win in a cross-division showdown that lived up to every bit of its hype. The game featured 12 lead changes and 11 ties, and neither team ever led by more than five points—every possession felt like it mattered.

Shelby controlled the pace early and did a nice job matching Fremont’s physicality, taking a 28-24 lead into halftime. The Tigers were balanced and aggressive, getting scoring from multiple spots and making Fremont work for clean looks. But Fremont stayed composed, leaning on its defense and rebounding to keep things within reach and set up a strong second half.

The third quarter was a swing point. Fremont began to find better rhythm offensively and started to win the “effort” areas—extra rebounds, loose balls, and stops that turned into transition chances. By the time the horn sounded, Fremont had flipped the game and carried a 41-40 lead into the fourth, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

In the final quarter, Fremont’s role players made the difference. Junior Ella Shriver drilled a huge three-pointer from the right wing to put Fremont up 51-48 with 3:25 remaining, sparking a burst of momentum. Later, with the Tigers still within striking distance, Esther Vissia buried another clutch triple—this time from the left wing—to give the Packers a 54-53 lead with 1:38 left. Then freshman Railee Durham stepped to the line in a pressure moment and calmly knocked down two late free throws to help Fremont close the game out.

While those plays sealed it, Fremont’s engine all night was junior Taylor DeKuiper, who put together another monster stat line: 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists. Shelby threw plenty at her defensively, but DeKuiper consistently found ways to score, rebound, and make the right reads when help arrived.

Shelby matched Fremont punch-for-punch and got strong performances from its sophomore core. Michelle Peterson and Annabelle Stark led the Tigers with 15 points apiece, and Jayna Burmeister filled up the stat sheet with 12 points while impacting the game in multiple areas. Shelby had opportunities late, but Fremont’s timely stops and late-game execution proved to be the difference in a game where the margins were razor thin.

Top Scorers:

• Fremont: Taylor DeKuiper 26, Esther Vissia 9, Ella Shriver 7
• Shelby: Michelle Peterson 15, Annabelle Stark 15, Jayna Burmeister 12

Spring Lake 50, Hart 38

Alex Botbyl poured in 24 points to lead Spring Lake past Hart, 50-38. The Lakers led 16-9 after one quarter, but Hart answered in the second (10-7) to cut it to 23-19 at halftime. Spring Lake nudged the lead to 40-33 after three, then closed it out with a 10-5 fourth-quarter run.

Top Scorers:

• Spring Lake: Alex Botbyl 24, Lexi Baker 9, Kloe George 8
• Hart: Rilynn Porter 9, Reese Smith 9, Ava Johnson 6

Manistee 64, Oakridge 28

Manistee blew past Oakridge 64-28 behind a fast start and balanced scoring. The Mariners jumped out 10-0, held Oakridge scoreless for long stretches, and led 21-2 after one, 36-12 at half, and 55-22 entering the fourth. Manistee’s pressure defense and rebounding controlled the game from start to finish.

Top Scorers:

• Manistee: Alayna Edmondson 17, Maya Goodspeed 15, Lindsey Gardner 14
• Oakridge: Adelin Goven 7, Cambria Guenthardt 7, Johonna Lundquist 7

Shelby 53, Ravenna 26

Shelby claimed the outright WMC-Rivers title with a dominant 53-26 win over Ravenna. The Tigers set the tone immediately, blanking Ravenna 17-0 in the first quarter and taking a 26-7 halftime lead. Ravenna made a push in the third (12-9), but Shelby responded with an 18-7 fourth quarter to finish it.

Top Scorers:

• Shelby: Jayna Burmeister 30 (13 rebounds), Ava Lamberg 7, Annabelle Stark 6.

Western Michigan Christian 62, Hart 56

Western Michigan Christian held off a late Hart push to earn a 62-56 win. Hart led 13-11 after one, but WMC took control in the second quarter and led 29-24 at half. Hart trailed 42-36 entering the fourth, made a run, but WMC’s poise and depth sealed it.

Top Scorers:

• WMC: Madi Folkema 28, Eveline Derdowski 16, Abigail Derdowski 10
• Hart: Rilynn Porter 14, Reese Smith 14, Macy Riley 12

Oakridge 61, Holton 48

Cambria Guenthardt posted a big double-double to lead Oakridge past Holton 61-48. Oakridge led 17-10 after one and 31-19 at halftime, then maintained separation at 42-30 after three. Holton had more energy offensively in the fourth, but Oakridge finished it out at the line.

Top Scorers:

• Oakridge: Cambria Guenthardt 22, Amila Carrillo 10, Reyonna Morris 8
• Holton: Kaylee McMillan 31

Fremont 57, Montague 24

Fremont broke open a close game with a huge second quarter to beat Montague 57-24. Fremont led 15-12 after one, then exploded with an 18-4 second quarter to take a 30-16 halftime lead, and cruised the rest of the way. Taylor DeKuiper dominated with a monster stat line.

Top Scorers:

• Fremont: Taylor DeKuiper 26, Taylor Johnson 9, (Shriver/Vissia 5 each)
• Montague: Annelyse Schneider 9, Gentry Knop 7, Marguerite O’Connell 5

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