Jim Goorman
Local Sports Journal
Muskegon did not blink at a halftime deficit of three points and made the adjustments for a resounding 65-42 victory over Mona Shores in a Class A district semifinal game on Wednesday night.
The win sends Muskegon into the district finals where they will face Grand Haven at 7 p.m. on Friday night.
Trailing 25-22 at the half, Muskegon went on a rampage in the third quarter scoring 23 points to a lone single basket by Shores’ Logan Haugh.
It was a superb defensive effort by the entire Big Reds as they hustled keeping the Sailors off balance and out of sync in the third stanza.
The diamond press was devastating as Muskegon had many steals and capitalized with aggressiveness to the basket moves resulting in lay ups.
It was a case of the defense setting the table for transition baskets.
Muskegon shot much better from the outside led by DVonte Dockery scoring all six of his game points from 15 feet.
It was the heart and soul of the Big Reds, Deshaun Thrower, who led the third quarter assault with nine points.
The first half showed an inspired Mona Shores Sailor team as they rebounded well on the defensive boards and consistently contested Big Red shots.
The Shores’ offense moved the ball well as Cam Mathews played a consistent half leading the Sailors with eight points.
It was the Mona Shores defense which kept the Big Reds off balanced and they fought for every 50-50 ball and came up with many in that first half.
Holding the Big Red machine to only 22 points was a huge accomplishment but it was to no avail as Muskegon turned the tables scoring 43 points in the second half and nullifying all the hard work that Shores had done in the first half.
Thrower led the Big Reds with 15 points mostly from aggressive drives and Jordan Waire tallied 14 points for the victors.
Joevaire Kennedy chipped in with 12 and Juwon Martin tallied 10.
Shores was led by Logan Haugh and Mathews with eight points each.
