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Undeterred by Injuries, Muskegon Secures Victory Over Mona Shores in Rivalry Clash

Possibly a season changing injury for the Big Reds…

Muskegon, one of the top ranked teams in the state, was coming into this one on the curtails of a loss to another state ranked opponent, Brother Rice (66-50). A key part of the Big Reds success is Mr. James Martin. Muskegon’s combo guard has been having himself a phenomenal season. Leading his team to an 8-1 record prior to this game.

Mona Shores opened the game strong, racing to a 4-0 lead with baskets from Milo Barangan and Ryan Opsommer. However, the game took a sudden turn when Muskegon’s star junior guard, James Martin, collided with a teammate while contesting a shot, falling hard. The game was paused for several minutes, and Martin left with an apparent wrist injury.

Despite the setback, Mona Shores maintained their intensity, taking an 11-7 lead after the first quarter. The Sailors’ most recent 1,000-point scorer, Jordan Bledsoe, drained a three-pointer to give them their largest lead of the night at five points.

Muskegon found their rhythm in the second quarter by ramping up defensive pressure and excelling in transition. Back-to-back three-pointers from David Cross Jr. helped the Big Reds secure their first lead of the game at 20-16, and they carried a slim 22-19 advantage into halftime.

In the third quarter, James Young provided a spark for Muskegon with five points as the Big Reds extended their lead to double digits. However, Mona Shores refused to back down. Opsommer’s three-point play and a putback by Jonathan Pittman cut the deficit to 36-30 heading into the fourth.

Muskegon’s Darryl Thompkins Jr. took over in the final period, scoring nine of his game-high 20 points. The skilled guard made clutch shots and got to the free-throw line to stifle Mona Shores’ comeback attempt.

Thompkins Jr. was the only Muskegon player to score in double figures. Cross Jr. and Danelle Lawrence added nine and eight points, respectively. Mona Shores was led by Pittman with 13 points, while Bledsoe chipped in with nine.

As for Martin, he underwent successful surgery on his wrist (via Muskegon Big Red Radio Network | X). While his return timeline is uncertain, the entire CatchMark SportsNet team sends their best wishes for a speedy recovery. Get well soon, James! We hope to see the young man back on the floor soon!

Looking ahead, Muskegon will face Reeths-Puffer and Rockford in their upcoming games as they navigate the near future without their standout player, No. 1, James Martin.

As for Mona Shores, they will be looking to bounce back. They are 4-1 in their last five games, only losing this game to Muskegon. They will take on Caledonia this upcoming Friday.

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Conner Raeth began his journey at CatchMark as an intern in October 2020, while studying Internet, Network, and Security Technologies at the Muskegon Career Tech Center. His dedication and expertise led him to a full-time role as a Help Desk Technician in mid-2022, post-graduation. Today, he excels as the Digital Content Lead for CatchMark’s SportsNet platform, leveraging his technical knowledge to drive its success.

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