Photos by Scott DeCamp | CatchMark
A Montague boys basketball team with West Michigan Conference title hopes was a bit staggered with two-straight losses coming out of Christmas break.
Things didn’t look good at the start of Thursday night’s league showdown with visiting Shelby, but the Wildcats found their footing thanks to their suffocating defense.
Montague defeated Shelby, 57-45, after falling into a 9-0 hole to start the game and handed the Tigers their first league defeat. Now, it’s game on again in the West Michigan Conference race.
Montague improves to 4-2 overall and 3-2 in the WMC. Shelby slips to 4-2 and 2-1, respectively.
Ravenna and Whitehall, both 5-3 overall and 4-1 in the WMC, after winning close games Thursday, are tied atop the conference standings with Montague and North Muskegon both one game back.
Here are stats leaders from the hard-fought, physical game between the Tigers and balanced Wildcats:
Montague leaders:
Tate Stine 13 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Tugg Nichols 10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Rodney Brassfield 10 points, 8 rebounds
Isaiah Atchison 8 points, 8 rebounds, 6 blocks, 2 assists, 3 steals
Owen Raeth 7 points
Shelby leaders:
Joseph Hayes 16 points
Carson Claeys 12 points
Bishop Lee 8 points
Mason Garcia 7 points
Next games:
Montague at Hart, 7 p.m. Tuesday
Ravenna at Shelby, 7 p.m. Tuesday
Watch the game replay on the CatchMark SportsNet YouTube page:
WHITEHALL 62, OAKRIDGE 59: At Oakridge, Whitehall used double-doubles from Brodie Fogus and Camden Thompson to pull out a tight victory over Oakridge and remain tied atop the conference standings with Ravenna.
Whitehall leaders:
Brodie Fogus 17 points, 13 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block
Camden Thompson 14 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists
Red Watson 7 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals
Jack Houtteman 7 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals
Nate Bolley 6 points, 2 rebounds
Isaac DeHart 6 points
Oakridge leaders:
Ethan Jozsa 17 points
Hunter DeLora 17 points
Garrett Wever 11 points, 4 assists
Peyton Ruel 7 points, 5 assists, 3 steals
Records:
Whitehall 5-3 (4-1 WMC)
Oakridge 4-5 (1-4 WMC)
Next games:
Whitehall at Shelby, 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18
Oakridge at North Muskegon, 7 p.m. Tuesday
RAVENNA 56, MASON COUNTY CENTRAL 54: At Ravenna, Mason County Central had a chance to win the game on a late 3-pointer, but the shot would not fall. With the win, the Bulldogs stay tied atop the league standings with Whitehall.
Ravenna leaders:
Grant Becklin 20 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals
Kyle Beebe 12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks
Clay Schullo 10 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks
Travis May 10 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals
Mason County Central leaders:
Kolden Myer 12 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists
Zach Draper 11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals
Will Chye 11 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals
Jack VanderHaag 9 points, 2 rebounds
Jayden Perrone 8 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
Records:
Ravenna 5-3 (4-1 WMC)
Mason County Central 2-5 (0-4 WMC)
Next games:
Ravenna at Shelby, 7 p.m. Tuesday
Mason County Central at Hesperia, 7 p.m. Tuesday
NORTH MUSKEGON 51, HART 24: At North Muskegon, the Norsemen used stingy defense to turn away Hart and win their third-straight conference game.
North Muskegon leaders:
Troy McManus 11 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists
Champ Young 7 points, 5 rebounds
James Young 7 points
Quinn Kersman 6 points
Sam Gallo 6 points
Brandon Rypstra 6 points
Hart leader:
Parker Hovey 14 points
Records:
North Muskegon 5-3 (3-2 WMC)
Hart 3-3 (1-3 WMC)
Next games:
Oakridge at North Muskegon, 7 p.m. Tuesday
Montague at Hart, 7 p.m. Tuesday
