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Mona Shores loses a heartbreaker at home against Byron Center

Back-to-back narrow losses for the Sailors.

NORTON SHORES – Mona Shores senior guard Jordan Bledsoe missed two free throws to end the game against Byron Center. Bledsoe was fouled with 0.6 seconds remaining and trailed by just one point. The Sailors lost an absolute thriller, 54-53.

“We’re going to keep going, get back to the drawing board. There are a lot of lessons to be learned tonight, and my kids will be ready to go Tuesday,” said Mona Shores coach Louis Murray after the game.

Ryan Opsommer led Mona Shores with 18 points, a game-high as well. Opsommer nailed five crucial free throws with under five minutes to play.

“He’s always ready to go, he’s consistent. We just need to keep him on the floor as he’s been in foul trouble to start the year,” Murray said about the junior, Opsommer.

The Sailors allowed 83 points in Tuesday night’s double-overtime loss to Whitehall. Fast forward to Friday night, Shores held an explosive Byron Center team to just 54 points. However, a 15-point quarter for the Bulldogs sealed the deal late.

“Our effort, I told them tonight, it was going to come down to effort. Our communication has to be better; we gave up some open threes at the end of the game,” Murray said.

The first quarter was full of fireworks. Junior Easton Wuchers landed an and-one late in the first, which amounted to a huge momentum booster for Byron Center. Jonathan Pittman ended the hype from the Bulldog side with a blocked three-point attempt in the final seconds of the period to keep the deficit to just six points.

The Sailors started the second quarter on a quick 5-0 run led by Opsommer, who scored all five. Both teams went bucket-for-bucket the rest of the quarter. It was Pittman who knocked down two free throws to put Mona Shores ahead 29-28 at the end of the first half.

Byron Center’s Keane Hinkle caught fire late in the third with two threes from the corner. Hinkle’s second beyond-the-arc shot tied it at 39 with 2:49 remaining in the quarter, a score that would stay the same heading into the final eight minutes.

The must-see fourth quarter started with a Byron Center and-one that quieted the Sailor faithful for a minute. With 5:41 left in the game, Opsommer drove into the paint and was fouled, which eventually led to a technical foul on Byron Center’s Cassius Bont. Opsommer went 3-for-4 from the line and cut the lead to just one.

Pittman drained a slick mid-range jumper just inside the arc that gave Mona Shores the lead with five minutes left. With the game tied at 51 at the 1:38 mark, Bont chiseled his way inside the paint and scored a nifty layup to give Byron Center the lead. Mona Shores eventually took the lead with under a minute left, but soon after, Hinkle hit yet another three to give the Bulldogs a one-point advantage 54-53.

Mona Shores had possession with 15 seconds left and trailed by only one point. Bledsoe made a move to his left and found himself with a good enough look to try and win it. The shot was no good; however, he was fouled on his way up. However, both shots bottled out, and Byron Center was able to escape with a win on the road.

Pittman finished with 12 points, followed by Bledsoe with 10 points.

Jaden Bowman led Byron Center with 15 points. Hinkle added 14 points as well.

Mona Shores will be back in action next Tuesday when they host Grand Haven.

Byron Center will see Hudsonville at home next Tuesday.

Myles Welch joined CatchMark in February 2024 as a CatchMark SportsNet Intern. He would like to become a sports broadcaster or analyst. He currently attends Whitehall High School and will graduate in 2025.

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