LocalSportsJournal.com
The Oakridge boys basketball team overcame a slow first quarter, exploded in the second and cruised to a 48-35 West Michigan Conference victory over Whitehall on Thursday.
Oakridge only led 8-4 after a very slow first quarter, but took control with a 20-8 advantage in the second.
TJ Ruel led the Eagles with 12 points. Austin Fairchild followed with 10 points while CoCo Watson added nine.
Ethan McKenzie had a team-high nine points for Whitehall while Andrew Durbin had seven.
Oakridge improved to 5-2 in the conference play. Whitehall fell to 4-7 overall and 4-3 in the league.
WEST MICHIGAN CONFERENCE
NORTH MUSKEGON 68, HART 25 – North Muskegon has a stellar first half, leading 25-7 after the first quarter and taking a 37-12 lead into halftime.
TJ McKenzie led North Muskegon with 16 points while Eric Rypstra and Jesse Cooke each finished with nine. Rypstra had a team-high seven rebounds while DeShary Warren finished with six steals.
Alec Kempker led Hart with seven points.
North Muskegon improved to 9-1 overall and 6-1 in conference play. Hart fell to 7-4 overall.
MONTAGUE 70, SHELBY 53 – Despite trailing 20-15 after the first quarter, Montague’s offense had a 23-point surge in the second quarter to take a 38-30 lead into halftime.
Leading the Montague offense was Kenyan Johnston with 20 points and four assists. Hunter Mosher added a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Sebastian Archer and Chase Peterson had nine and eight points, respectively.
Tyler Schouten led the Tigers with 25 points.
Montague improved to 5-5 overall and 3-4 in conference play. The Wildcats host Hart on Friday.
RAVENNA 60, MASON COUNTY CENTRAL 50 – Josh Cox and Calvin Schullo each put up 19 points to lead the Bulldogs to a non-conference win.
Ravenna trailed after the first quarter, but bounced back to take a 35-33 lead at halftime and a 52-43 edge after three quarters.
Jeffery Carrier had a double-double for the Spartans, finishing with a game-high 21 points and 14 rebounds. Jacob Draper added 12 points while Zach Richardson scored 10 for Catholic.
MCC falls to 5-6 on the season.
ALLIANCE LEAGUE
TRI-UNITY CHRISTIAN 76, FRUITPORT CALVARY CHRISTIAN 18 – The Eagles fell behind early, trailing 20-2 after the first quarter and 52-11 at the half, and could not recover.
Zach Zehr led Fruitport Calvary with eight points. The Eagles fall to 4-4 overall and 0-2 in conference play.
NON-CONFERENCE
FRUITPORT 70, HOLTON 51 – Gavin Fisher tossed in a career-high 28 points for the Trojans in their non-conference win.
Ethan Flores added 17 points for the Trojans while Rico Jones contributed eight.
Fruitport travels to Reeths-Puffer on Friday for an O-K Black Conference matchup.