Wednesday was a very busy night for West Michigan Conference girls basketball teams competing in district semifinal contests.
Here is a roundup of the action from March 6, 2024:
DIVISION 2 AT BIG RAPIDS
LUDINGTON 42, HART 37: Ludington edged Hart in a much-anticipated matchup of two of the better teams in the West Michigan Conference.
CLICK HERE for coverage of the game.
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DIVISION 2 AT FRUITPORT
SPRING LAKE 54, WHITEHALL 22: Spring Lake’s speed and its fast start were too much for Whitehall in a district semifinal matchup at Fruitport.
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FRUITPORT 44, MONTAGUE 33: Montague got close a couple times to jumping in front of Fruitport, but the host Trojans had an answer each time in a district semifinal.
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DIVISION 2 AT NEWAYGO
FREMONT 45, SPARTA 32: After being ousted from the districts by Sparta in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2021, and despite missing one of its top players, Fremont kept its memorable season going with a district semifinal win.
Fremont (19-4) advances to Friday’s 7 p.m. district final to face Grant (15-6), which defeated Comstock Park 48-27 on Wednesday. The Packers beat the Tigers, 47-41, on Jan. 17 at Fremont.
Sparta finishes the season with a 10-14 record.
“We have not beaten them in the playoffs in recent memory, so It was nice to send them home,” Fremont coach Peter Zerfas said. “We greatly struggled taking care of the ball throughout the game, especially early where we turned the ball over on our first five possessions without getting a shot. Sparta got off to a 8-0 lead and 10-2 before we hit a few shots.”
Riley Chase ignited Fremont by scoring all eight of her team’s first-quarter points, including hitting a couple of 3-pointers, to pull the Packers within 10-8 after one frame.
Fremont outscored Sparta 13-8 in the second quarter for a 21-18 halftime lead. Despite some sloppy play in the third, the Packers extended their lead to 35-28 entering the fourth.
“We did a better job in the fourth taking care of the ball and we made 8-of-10 free throws to put the game away,” Zerfas said.
“It was a huge adjustment for us in practice (Tuesday) and the game as one of our best and most important players, Mia Clemence, is out with a bad ankle sprain and we had another not play early because of illness. But our girls are resilient and made adjustments throughout the game to win and move on.”
Chase finished with a game-high 17 points and eight steals. Jessica Bennett made some big shots in the second and third quarters en route to 14 points, seven rebounds, and seven blocks. Khaila Noordyk provided a lift off the bench with six points and nine rebounds, while Taylor DeKuiper had seven steals and seven rebounds.
Fremont junior Riley Chase (Courtney Jimison)
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DIVISION 3 AT SHELBY
SHELBY 33, NORTH MUSKEGON 28: Host Shelby (8-16) trailed 14-6 after one quarter and 21-14 at halftime before rallying to defeat North Muskegon and earn a berth in Friday’s 7 p.m. district final vs. Holton (14-9).
Shelby lost to both North Muskegon and Holton twice in the regular season.
Molli Schultz scored 20 points with three 3-pointers to go with two rebounds in leading Shelby. Kendall Zaverl had 12 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals for the Tigers. Kylie Brown grabbed seven rebounds for Shelby, while Lydia Soelberg and Brylee Friedman had six rebounds each.
No stats or details were submitted for North Muskegon, which finishes with a 12-11 overall record.
Shelby senior Molli Schultz (Courtney Jimison | CatchMark)
HOLTON 49, HESPERIA 24: Holton (14-9) beat rival Hesperia to earn a berth in Friday’s 7 p.m. district final against host Shelby.
Ryann Robins finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds to power the Red Devils. Aubrey Goyings nearly had a double-double as well with eight points and 10 rebounds, while Layla Cannady added eight points.
No stats or details were submitted for Hesperia, which finishes the season with a 3-20 record.
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DIVISION 3 AT KENT CITY
KENT CITY 57, RAVENNA 22: Host Kent City raced out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead and extended the margin to 28-6 at halftime en route to punching its ticket to Friday’s 7 p.m. district final against Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian.
Kent City and NorthPointe Christian both bring 19-4 records into the final. NorthPointe defeated Western Michigan Christian, 61-51, in the other district semifinal.
Mattisen Crowley and Addison Gillard scored eight points apiece for Ravenna, which closes the season with a 9-15 record.
Kent City’s Madelyn Geers led all scorers with 15 points, while Kenzy Freeland had nine and Laynee Hoffman eight. The Eagles hit 10 3-pointers in the contest.
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DIVISION 3 AT MANTON
MASON COUNTY CENTRAL 50, BENZIE CENTRAL 30: MCC cruised into Friday’s 7 p.m. district title game against Manton behind a career game by Riley Mast along with both balanced scoring and solid perimeter defense in the second half.
MCC (19-4) faces Manton (18-5) in Friday’s 7 p.m. district final. Manton defeated Manistee, 60-51, in the other semifinal.
“Had some kids step up and play in roles they haven’t all year — they accepted the challenge and it was good to see it happen,” MCC coach Brian Beebe said. “Riley Mast played a great game for us tonight. (She had a) career-high 14 points, six rebounds, and a 6-for-6 (performance) from the free-throw line.”
“We have put ourselves in a position to win a championship, which is all you can ask for as a coach. Manton is a great team and plays in a great league. Combined, the two teams have 37 wins on the season. It will be a battle.”
Wren Nelson tallied another triple-double for MCC with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks. Jessica Petersen hit three 3-pointers en route to nine points. Mallory Miller scored six points and Grace Weinert had five.
The Spartans shook off the rust of eight days since their last game and outscored the Huskies 28-14 in the second half.
No stats or details were submitted for Benzie Central, which finishes the season with an 11-11 record.
Mason County Central’s girls basketball team poses for a group photo during its media-day session with CatchMark in December 2024. (Courtney Jimison | CatchMark)
MANTON 60, MANISTEE 51: District host Manton defeated Manistee in a district semifinal game, ending the Mariners’ season with an 11-13 record.
No stats or details were submitted for either team.
