Local Sports Journal

Whitehall used outside shooting in the first half and a solid performance at the free throw line in the fourth to top cross-river rival Montague  60-49 in boys basketball.

The Vikings built a 29-22 half-time lead with five 3-pointers which opened up the middle for center Matt Russell who finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds.

The Vikings also shot 17 of 22 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter to hold the win.

“Any time you beat your rival, it feels good and they’ve been at the top for so long,” said Whitehall coach Nate Aardema. “It gives our kids another boost of confidence and is another step in the right direction.”

Montague’s Luke VanBoxel kept his team close with 10 of his game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter.

Matt Rohen put in 12 points and Dylan Medendorp added nine for Whiteahll.

“It’s huge, we struggled to put the ball in the basket our last two game,” said Aardema. “Hiting those shots outside opened up things for our inside game.”

Chayce Lohman and Merritt Hanann each scored six points for Montague.

“VanBoxel was great, and I don’t want to go without saying that. He does a lot of things really well,” said Aardema.