Photos by Brent Raeth | CatchMark
You never know what will happen when Montague and Whitehall faceoff, especially when both teams are sitting at 2-0 in the West Michigan Conference standings. The cross-river rival schools went head to head Tuesday evening for an edge-up on the league leaderboard.
A defensive driven Montague team came out on top, defeating Whitehall 45-27 in their first of several potential matchups of the season. Similar to the three wins against the Vikings last season, it was a late game push that earned the Wildcat’s the victory.
“It was a great game for our girls. Again, our defense was the story,” said Montague coach Nick Thaler.
Thaler’s team held Whitehall to only five made shots from the field through the entirety of the game. The remainder of the Vikings’ points were earned at the foul line. Despite a 20-16 halftime score, the top-tier Wildcat’s defense ensured their rival opponent wouldn’t gain any additional ground.
After the break, the Vikings were held to just two points in the third quarter and nine in the fourth. The stoppage allowed for Montague to increase the deficit and walk away with their third conference victory of the season.
Sophomore Kendall Osborne led the Wildcats with 15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. Senior post player, Claire Meacham added 12 points and four boards. Off the bench, Junior Lauren Smith notched 5 points and 7 rebounds.
Whitehall Senior, Charley Klint headed up the Vikings’ offense with 22 points and 16 rebounds.
Montague improves to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in the WMC. The ‘Cats will travel to North Muskegon on Friday and play their final game before Christmas break. Whitehall falls to 2-3 and 2-1 and will host a league leading Hart team on Friday.
