Local Sports Journal

Emily MacArthur’s monster 32 point, 11 rebound and five block outing Thursday night gave the Whitehall girls basketball team a lift to knock off Shelby 65-54 in a West Michigan Conference battle.

The Vikings had a 19-13 lead after the first quarter before Shelby stormed back to cut the deficit to 46-44 after the third.

The Vikings finished the game strong with a 19-10 fourth quarter run to seal the victory.

“That was a good win for (us) tonight,” said Whitehall head coach Rachel Kent. “This win gives us the momentum we need to get through the rest of the season.”

She added, “I couldn’t be prouder of this team this year as well. It is truly a team effort from the bench to the court, day in and day out.”

The Vikings also had a strong performance by senior Jenna Pesch who had 21 points, six rebounds, and four steals.  Brandi Balzer added seven points and eight rebounds.

In a losing effort, the Tigers were led by senior Tristen Moore who had 17 points.  Hannah Roberts and Jozilyn Kinstner each added 10 point,s while Chloe Sillman had eight points in the loss.