Sports Overtime was all over the map on Friday night, catching action in boys and girls basketball. Here’s a rundown of what we saw:
GIRLS BASKETBALL:
Traverse City Central at Cadillac
The TCC Trojans came into the night’s game with a perfect Big North record, and they’d keep it that way. They topped Cadillac for the second time on the season, 46-32 to move their BNC record to 5-0. Cadillac will have a chance to bounce back on Monday against Ludington on the road. As for TCC, they’ll have a tough match up Saturday against Dearborn.
Gaylord at Sault Ste. Marie
In the battle of the Blue Devils, Sault Ste. Marie finished off a 2-0 week by cruising to a 65-42 triumph over Gaylord on Friday evening. Sault Ste. Marie opened the game strong, out-scoring Gaylord 16-0 in the first quarter, part of a 19-0 run to start the game. Karlee Pretzlaff poured in 17 points in defeat for Gaylord. Sault Ste. Marie (7-3) hosts Traverse City Central on Tuesday, Jan. 30. Gaylord (6-7) plays host to Alpena on Thursday, Feb. 1.
Dearborn at Traverse City West
The Traverse City West Titans jumped out to an early lead on visiting Dearborn and held on for a 41-34 non-conference win. The Titans led 9-2 after one quarter of play, and 22-12 at the half. For the Titans, it was their third win in their last four contests. Traverse City West (5-8) is back in action on Thursday, Feb. 1 at home against Cadillac.
Morley Stanwood at Reed City
The Morley Stanwood girls basketball team kept their unblemished CSAA record intact, recording a 44-36 win on the road at Reed City. It wasn’t easy for the Mohawks, as the Coyotes took a 21-18 lead at the half. Lila Hoisington led the charge for Morley Stanwood, scoring ten of her team-high 15 points in the second half. Molly Bowman led Reed City’s attack with 13 points on the night. Morley Stanwood (11-1, 6-0 CSAA) hits the road to take on Fremont on Tuesday, Jan. 30. Reed City (5-6, 4-2 CSAA) hosts Mason County Central on the same night.
Grant at Big Rapids
The visiting Grant Tigers stifled Big Rapids early and held off a late Cardinal rally to notch a 46-40 Central State Activities Association victory on Friday night. Grant held Big Rapids to just eight first half points, as they took a 26-8 lead into the locker room at halftime. Julie Ashbaugh led the Tigers with 19 points. Cailin Knoop was the Cardinals’ high scorer with a 14-point night. Grant (6-3, 5-0 CSAA) travels to Coopersville on Tuesday, Jan. 30. Big Rapids (5-5, 2-3 CSAA) will pay a visit to conference-leading Morley Stanwood on Friday, Feb. 2.
BOYS BASKETBALL:
Dearborn at Traverse City West
The Traverse City West Titans fell behind 7th-ranked Dearborn early, and could not close the gap, as they fell at home to the Pioneers 70-53 on Friday. The Pioneers raced out to a 22-6 lead through the first eight minutes of play. The Titans entered the game as an honorable mention team in the latest AP Division 1 state rankings, hoping to knock off the unbeaten Pioneers, but instead saw their 6-game winning streak snapped. Traverse City West (11-3) is back in action on Saturday, taking on Sparta at 4 p.m. in the Jeff McDonald Memorial Showcase in Cadillac.
Elk Rapids at Traverse City St. Francis
The Elk Rapids Elks used a balanced scoring attack to earn a hard-fought 57-51 victory over Traverse City St. Francis on Friday. The win vaults the Elks into first place in the crowded Lake Michigan Conference standings. Keagen Cotterman, Noah Hilley and Christian Kerfoot each scored 11 points for the Elks. Max Ogden led the Gladiators with a 20-point effort. Elk Rapids (8-7, 7-2 LMC) hosts Harbor Springs on Tuesday, Jan. 30. Traverse City St. Francis (7-5, 6-2 LMC) travels to Charlevoix on the same night.
Grant at Big Rapids
The Big Rapids Cardinals came from behind to force overtime, but it was the Grant Tigers that came away with a 68-63 victory on Friday. Zaiden Phillips scored 21 of his game-high 26 points in the second half and overtime to lead the Tigers to the win. Gabe Njenga led the way for Big Rapids with 19 points. Grant (8-3, 5-1 CSAA) is on the road at Belding on Monday night. Big Rapids (9-4, 4-2 CSAA) travels to Cedar Springs for a non-conference matchup on Tuesday, Jan. 30.