Friday night brought a little bit of everything across the West Michigan Conference—suffocating full-court pressure, a physical rebound-and-defense battle, and a road win powered by a decisive second quarter.
Hart overwhelms Hesperia, 73-19
Hart’s pressure defense set the tone immediately at Hesperia, forcing turnover after turnover that turned into easy points in transition. The Pirates jumped out to a 28-12 lead after the first quarter and never looked back.
Hart’s intensity only ramped up in the second quarter, stretching the margin to 51-16 at halftime. The third quarter mirrored the first half, as Hart’s defense continued to smother the Panthers, and the Pirates carried a 63-16 advantage into the fourth on the way to a 73-19 victory.
Hart leaders
Caleb Ackley: 22 points
Jagger Lemon: 14 points
Hesperia leaders
Nate Ruhstorfer: 5 points
Marshall Norris: 5 points
Final: Hart 73, Hesperia 19
Mason County Central outlasts Shelby in a defensive battle, 54-47
This one was a grinder, and it came down to toughness on the glass and consistent defensive effort. Mason County Central built a lead early and held steady down the stretch to earn a hard-fought win over Shelby.
Score by quarters
Mason County Central: 17, 8, 14, 15 — 54
Shelby: 16, 7, 16, 8 — 47
MCC credited the win to rebounding and defense, noting improvement at the free-throw line (22 attempts) and cutting turnovers by more than half compared to earlier in the week. Early foul trouble for Cole VanderHaag tested the rotation, but younger players stepped up in key minutes.
MCC leaders
Cole VanderHaag: 14 points
Tyler Norton: 7 points, 7 rebounds
Gannon Hansen: 7 points
Trent Hawke:10 points, 10 rebounds
Michael Chye: 8 points
Final: Mason County Central 54, Shelby 47
Ludington takes control in the second quarter, beats Orchard View 70-43
Ludington turned a close first quarter into a comfortable road win by exploding in the second. After leading 14-12 at the end of one, the Orioles seized control by outscoring Orchard View 19-8 in the second quarter to take a 33-20 halftime lead.
Ludington kept its foot on the gas after the break, winning the third quarter 21-12, and cruised home with a 70-43 victory. The Orioles got balanced scoring—nearly five players in double figures—and improved to 3-0 heading into a big matchup at Manistee on Tuesday.
Ludington scoring
Taj Williams: 16
Steele Stowe: 12
Cam Gunsell: 10
Kyle Himes Jr.: 10
Messiah Himes: 8
Orchard View scoring
Jayden Ross: 11
Tyshawn Smith: 9
Score by quarters
Ludington: 14, 19, 21, 16 — 70
Orchard View: 12, 8, 12, 11 — 43
Final: Ludington 70, Orchard View 43
Manistee outlasts Montague in overtime, 49-45
Montague’s home game with Manistee delivered the night’s drama.
Manistee led 9-6 after the first quarter and carried a 27-22 advantage into halftime. The Mariners were still up 32-27 after three, but the Wildcats clawed their way back and hit a late 3-pointer with six seconds left to force overtime tied at 39-39.
Montague kept riding the momentum and even surged ahead 45-41 in the extra period, but Manistee responded with eight straight points to steal the win.
Manistee had three players in double figures:
Landin Sowa: 17 points
Adam Olson: 13 points
Braylen Zimmerman: 12 points
Montague was led by Herremans, who poured in a game-high 23 points.
Manistee coach Zach Bialik noted his team left points on the line at the stripe, hitting 10-of-30 free throws, but the Mariners’ late overtime push still sealed it.
Final (OT): Manistee 49, Montague 45
Fremont slips past Whitehall in a tight finish, 68-66
Whitehall and Fremont traded punches throughout, and it stayed close to the very end.
Fremont held an early edge after the first quarter (20-8), but Whitehall responded with a strong second quarter to take a 29-27 halftime lead. The game tightened again late, with Fremont narrowly in front after three, 48-47.
The teams battled through the final minutes, and Fremont did just enough down the stretch to escape with a 68-66 win.
