LocalSportsJournal.com

Montague’s varsity boys basketball team didn’t put together a complete four-quarter effort on Wednesday, but the Wildcats closed strong at Mason County Central on Thursday, helping the Wildcats score a key 62-53 victory.

Montague had a 35-24 lead at the half, but the Wildcats limped to a six-point third quarter as the Spartans trimmed their deficit to 41-33 after three.

But head coach David Osborne said his squad was resilient when it mattered the most.

“We had a young team on the floor at critical moments late in the game and they responded well to the pressure,” he said. “That was a good test for them heading towards the tournament.”

Wildcats’ senior Merritt Hamman scored a game-high 19 points. Kenyon Johnston added 14 points and five rebounds, while forward Josh Weesies contributed 12 points and eight rebounds.

Ty Sniegowski led MCC with nine points and four assists.

Montague travels to face West Michigan Conference leader Whitehall on Tuesday for a key battle between the two rivals.