It was a big stretch of local hoops with dominant wins, rivalry results, and an overtime classic. Shelby and North Muskegon’s girls picked up convincing victories, Whitehall took the cross-river showdown over Montague, and Muskegon pulled away from Mona Shores with strong second-half defense. Ludington highlighted the night with a big win over Oakridge and a 49–48 double-overtime thriller against Fremont.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Whitehall 72, Montague 56
Whitehall took control early in the cross-river rivalry and continued to build the lead each quarter, pulling away with strong offensive execution and steady defensive pressure.
North Muskegon 67, Hesperia 26
North Muskegon jumped out to a 17–7 lead and blew the game open in the second quarter using a tenacious half-court trap that forced turnovers and led to easy baskets. The Norse continued to extend the lead after halftime with transition offense and defensive pressure. Top scorers:
North Muskegon: Adam Dugener (22 points)
Hesperia: Nate Ruhstofer (9 points)
Mason County Central 48, Holton 34
After a sluggish first half, MCC cleaned up execution in the second half and played closer to its standard, pulling away with improved ball movement and defensive focus. Senior leadership helped the Spartans control the final two quarters. Top scorers:
Mason County Central: Cole VanderHaag (24 points, 7 rebounds)
Holton: Keon McMillan (18 points)
Ludington 80, Oakridge 46
Ludington jumped out early behind Taj Williams’ hot first quarter and never slowed, getting scoring contributions from nearly the entire lineup. The Orioles’ balanced attack and early shooting surge set the tone for the blowout win. Top scorers:
Ludington: Taj Williams (19 points)
Oakridge: Jacob Randall (15 points)
Ravenna 61, Shelby 28
Ravenna set the pace early with a strong first quarter and continued to build the lead behind consistent offensive production, keeping Shelby from finding a rhythm throughout the night. Top scorers:
Ravenna: Dylan May (17 points)
Shelby: Eli Kelley (10 points)
Muskegon 62, Mona Shores 30
Muskegon raced out to a commanding first-half lead behind hot perimeter shooting and balanced scoring, with 10 different players finding the scoreboard in the OK-Green win. Top scorers:
Muskegon: James Martin (18 points)
Mona Shores: Owen Terpstra (8 points)
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Shelby 64, Montague 17
Shelby set the tone immediately with a 22–8 first quarter and never let up, using aggressive defense and balanced scoring to control all four quarters. The Tigers led 33–13 at halftime and allowed just four points in the second half, including a scoreless fourth quarter for Montague. Top scorers:
Shelby: Jayna Burmeister (28 points, 17 rebounds)
Montague: Gentry Knop (6 points) (tied with Marguerite O’Connell)
North Muskegon 41, Hesperia 18
North Muskegon used strong effort and depth to pull away, spreading minutes and working on new looks while maintaining control. The Norse relied on defensive pressure and unselfish play in what coach Jill Young called a “very well-rounded effort,” while also crediting Hesperia’s improvement. Top scorers:
North Muskegon: Delaney Young (17 points, 11 rebounds, 8 steals)
Hesperia: Sarissa Conkle (5 points) (tied with Dannylin Miller)
Ludington 57, Oakridge 22
After a modest first-quarter lead, Ludington exploded with a dominant 30–4 second quarter, turning defense into offense and breaking the game open before halftime. Multiple players contributed as the Orioles overwhelmed Oakridge with pressure and pace. Top scorers:
Ludington: Hestyn Stowe (13 points)
Oakridge: Cambria Guenthardt (8 points)
Whitehall 43, Montague 27
Whitehall controlled the cross-river rivalry with a strong second quarter, outscoring Montague 18–8 to build a 28–14 halftime lead. The Vikings stayed steady after the break and leaned on strong interior play and rebounding to close out the win. Top scorers:
Muskegon turned up the defensive intensity after halftime, holding Mona Shores to just four second-half points. What was a competitive first half turned into a runaway as the Lady Reds used pressure defense to pull away. Top scorers:
Muskegon: Mariah Sain (31 points)
Mona Shores: Gabi Koziak (8 points)
Ludington 49, Fremont 48 (2OT)
In a thrilling double-overtime battle, Ludington snapped Fremont’s 29-game conference winning streak in a game defined by toughness and resilience. After falling behind early in the fourth quarter, Ludington fought back, sending the game to overtime on clutch free throws before sealing the win in double OT. Top scorers:
Ludington: Taylor DeKuiper (27 points, 23 rebounds)
Fremont: Breven Powell (8 points)
Shelby 40, Ravenna 39
Shelby rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to earn a hard-fought road win, staying composed defensively and executing down the stretch. Key late free throws and a steal-and-layup in the final seconds sealed the victory in a battle between two evenly matched teams. Top scorers:
