MANISTEE - Brethren topped Manistee Catholic Central 41-40 in a thrilling race to the top of the West Michigan D League.
The Bobcats entered Saturday afternoon’s matchup one game ahead of the Sabers. Their victory is Brethren’s first conference title since 2017 and they end their regular season 15-1 in conference play.
Brethren kept a steady lead until the third quarter when the Sabers made a comeback and lead by a point heading into the fourth quarter. As time narrowed down, a free throw from the Bobcats’ Alice Amstutz put the team at a tie and another free throw from Natalie Myers sealed the lead.
Manistee Catholic Central gets a bye in the district opener and will play either Mason County Eastern or Baldwin in the Div. 4 district semifinals on Wednesday, March 1 at 5:30 p.m. Brethren will also get a bye in the district opener and either take on Buckley or Bear Lake in the district semifinals on Wednesday, March 1 at 7 p.m.