Local Sports Journal
The Muskegon Big Reds hung on in the final minutes for a 53-49 victory over the Marquette Redmen in a Class A regional semifinal game on Monday night.
The game was played a Gaylord High School. The Big Reds move on to Wednesday’s regional final game at Cedar Springs against Hudsonville, a 64-60 overtime winner over Forest Hills Northern.
Muskegon’s Jordan Waire scored his team’s final three points in the final 12 seconds to ice the game for the Big Reds. He finished with seven points.
In a slow opening quarter, Muskegon had a 7-4 lead after eight minutes.
In the second quarter, the Big Reds received six points from Ronald Jenkins off the bench and surged to a 19-13 halftime lead.
Marquette was able to tie the game by scoring the first six points of the third quarter, but a 6-0 run, led by four points from Deshaun Thrower, built the lead to six points. The Big Reds led 31-29 after three quarters.
In the final quarter, Marquette battled back for a 38-all tie with 4:24 remaining, but the Big Reds were able to regain the lead on a three-point play by Thrower and a bucket off an offensive rebound by Waire. That gave Muskegon a five-point lead.
The Redman produced a three-point play to pull within 43-41, but Joeviar Kennedy, who came off the bench to score 10 points, scored off an offensive rebound to extend the lead to four.
Brad Brow hit another 3-pointer for Marquette to make it 45-44, but Kennedy scored again and Devontae Davis made a free throw to make it 48-44.
Thrower made two free throws with 40 seconds left and Waire scored with 12 seconds left to make it 52-46.
The Redmen were not about to go away just yet as Andy Nyquist hit a 3-pointer with 4 seconds remaining.
Waire then iced it with 2.8 seconds left.
Thrower led Muskegon with 16 points and Kennedy had 10.
Mark Pap and Brow had 10 points each for the Redmen.
