Basketball Recap Area girls and boys: 12/18-12/20

It was a busy and competitive night across the area as girls’ and boys’ basketball teams battled through conference and nonconference matchups. On the girls’ side, defense set the tone, with Whitehall grinding out a low-scoring rivalry win over Montague, Mason County Central and Ludington pulling away with strong second halves, and Manistee responding to adversity with a dominant home victory. The boys’ games showcased balanced scoring and momentum-shifting runs, as Whitehall continued its rivalry dominance, Ludington and North Muskegon remained unbeaten, Fremont handed Hart its first loss of the season, and Manistee secured an important conference win heading into the break.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Whitehall 27, Montague 19

Friday’s West Michigan Conference Lakes Division matchup was a grind from the start, but Whitehall used a decisive third quarter to pull away for a 27-19 win over Montague in the Wildcats’ new gym.

After trailing 9-7 at halftime, the Vikings outscored the Wildcats 12-4 in the third quarter to take control and earn their second straight win.

Top Scorers — Whitehall

• Clare Westerlund: 11 points, 7 rebounds (9 points in second half)
• Peyton Schultz: 7 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
• Janie Fagan: 4 points, 3 rebounds
• Kayden Johnson: 3 points, 2 rebounds
• Kate Beda: 2 points, 2 rebounds

Top Scorers — Montague

• Annelyse Schneider: 7 points
• Gentry Knop: 5 points
• Molly Mulder: 4 points

Mason County Central 47, Holton 39

HOLTON — Mason County Central earned its second straight win with a 47-39 road victory over Holton, pulling away with a late run in the fourth quarter.

Holton led 13-12 after one, and the teams were tied 23-23 at halftime before MCC created separation in the third quarter and held on down the stretch.

Top Scorers — Mason County Central

• Aarilyn O’Brien: 12
• Jessica Petersen: 10
• Jaycee Myer: 8
• Sophia Quick: 8
• Aubrey Chye: 7

Ludington 64, Oakridge 22

Ludington earned its first win after a three-game skid, using defensive pressure and transition offense to cruise past Oakridge 64-22.

The Orioles led 17-5 after one and 35-13 at halftime before finishing strong with a 19-3 fourth-quarter surge.

Top Scorers — Ludington

• Eloise Kwietniewski: 10
• Madelyn Kenyon: 10
• Jaelyn Laird: 7
• Raevyn Thomas: 6
• Leeahna Veeneman: 6
• Claire Keith: 6
• Grace Forfinski: 6
• Hestyn Stowe: 6
• Jacee Cole: 5

Top Scorers — Oakridge

• Cambria Guenthardt: 11 points, 6 steals, 5 rebounds
• Johonna Lundquist: 5

Manistee 77, Orchard View 23

Manistee responded after a loss with a dominant performance, jumping ahead early and never looking back.

Top Scorers — Manistee

• Lindsey Gardner: 16
• Harmon: 14
• Alayna Edmondson: 12
• Avamae Fett: led Manistee; 8-of-11 shooting (points not listed in notes)

Top Scorers — Orchard View

• Kadence Day: 9
• Scott: 7
• Jurnee Johnson: 5

Shelby 52, Manistee 33

The Shelby girls turned in a dominant performance Saturday, leading from start to finish against Manistee. Shelby jumped out to a 12-2 advantage in the first quarter and never looked back. The Tigers carried a 26-9 lead into halftime, extended the margin to 38-20 by the end of the third quarter, and closed out a convincing 52-33 victory.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Whitehall 64, Montague 38

Whitehall continued its dominance in the rivalry Friday night, earning a 64-38 West Michigan Conference Lakes Division win over Montague for its 13th straight victory in the series.

Top Scorers — Whitehall

• Evan Thomas: 16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists, 2 blocks
• Corde Anderson: 13 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks
• Hunter Osborne: 9 points, 6 steals, 4 assists
• Alex Winczewski: 8 points
• Elijah Smith: 7 points

Top Scorers — Montague

• Cole Herremans: 10 points
• Cooper Bradley: 7 points
• Karter Johnson: 7 points

Ludington 66, Oakridge 30

Ludington stayed unbeaten with a 66-30 win over Oakridge, pulling away after a tight first quarter.

Top Scorers — Ludington

• Cam Gunsell: 19 (16 in first half)
• Steele Stowe: 10
• Taj Williams: 10

Top Scorers — Oakridge

• Logan Huston: 8
• Chase Dutton: 8

Fremont 64, Hart 61

Fremont rallied from an early deficit and finished strong late to hand Hart its first loss of the season.

Top Scorers — Fremont

• Gabe Hulst: 15
• Brayden Crosley: 13
• Javon Basso: 9
• Logan McLain: 9

Top Scorers — Hart

• Jagger Lenon: 15
• Caleb Ackley: 14
• Kolten Rockwell: 14
• Luke Vanderwilk: 10

Manistee 51, Orchard View 40

Manistee leaned on defense and free throws to secure a key conference win heading into break.

Top Scorers — Manistee

• Landin Sowa: 18
• Braylen Zimmerman: 13
• Adam Olson: 8

Top Scorers — Orchard View

• Tyshawn Smith: 16
• Terrie Cosse: 8
• Damari Wright: 7

Mason County Central vs. Holton

MCC pulled away after halftime with a big third quarter, fueled by balanced scoring and strong defense.

Top Scorers — Mason County Central

• Cole VanderHaag: 23
• Trent Hawke: 15
• Grayden Etchison: 13

Top Scorers — Holton

• Not listed in notes

North Muskegon 74, Hesperia 28

North Muskegon jumped out early, hit 11 threes, and cruised behind strong ball movement and multiple double-digit scorers.

Top Scorers — North Muskegon

• Adam Dugener: 22
• Braylen Burrell: 18
• Ameere Layton: 11

Top Scorers — Hesperia

• Nate Ruhstofer: 8
• Weston Hasted: 6
• Tyler Ramsey: 6

Manistee 45, Shelby 31

The boys game that followed saw Manistee use a strong first half to earn a 45-31 non-conference win over Shelby. Manistee held a narrow 11-8 edge after one quarter, then outscored Shelby 16-7 in the second to take a 27-15 halftime lead. Shelby regrouped after the break and cut the deficit to seven following a 14-9 third quarter, but Manistee’s defense clamped down in the fourth, allowing just two points while scoring nine to seal the win.

Manistee Top Scorers

• Landin Sowa: 14 points, 11 rebounds (double-double)
• Adam Olson: 9 points, 6 rebounds
• Chaos Davis: 8 points, 4 assists, 2 steals
• Braylen Zimmerman: 7 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
• Dayvion Neal-Berry: 6 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists

Shelby Top Scorers

• Leighton Belasco: 6 points
• Andrew Arquette: 4 points, 5 rebounds
• Trevor Weiss: 4 points
• Isaac Garcia: 4 points
• Eli Kelley: 6 rebounds

Ludington 64, Mason County Central 43

In Scottville, Ludington remained unbeaten with a 64-43 crossover victory over county rival Mason County Central before a packed gym. MCC briefly led early in the first quarter, but Ludington responded with a decisive 17-0 run to close the period and took a commanding 22-6 lead. The Orioles continued to build momentum, leading 36-13 at halftime and 58-26 after three quarters before MCC outscored Ludington in the final frame.

Ludington Top Scorers

• Cameron Gunsell: 13 points
• Taj Williams: 12 points
• Messiah Himes: 9 points

Mason County Central Top Scorers

• Cole VanderHaag: 22 points
• Michael Chye: 8 points
• Gannon Hansen: 7 points

Additional Scores

• Boys: Western Michigan Christian 59, Belding 51
• Boys: Western Michigan Christian 75, Comstock Park 39
• Boys: Mona Shores 64, Grand Haven 50
• Boys: Grand Haven 64, Spring Lake 54
• Girls: Belding 44, Western Michigan Christian 42
• Girls: Western Michigan Christian 60, Comstock Park 33
• Girls: Mona Shores 41, Forest Hills Northern 29
• Girls: Grand Haven 35, Spring Lake 28
• Girls: Reeths Puffer 37, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 32
• Girls: Hesperia 44, Wyoming Lee 21

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