LocalSportsJournal.com
MANISTEE –In a game in which the lead changed hands eight times, Manistee had the lead when it counted at the end, turning back Muskegon Catholic, 29-25 Friday night in a Lakes 8 Activities Conference contest in Manistee.
“It was a great defensive effort, but another tough shooting night for us,” Crusaders head coach Rob Recknagel said. “We couldn’t hit key buckets when it counted.”
Muskegon Catholic took an 11-9 lead at the end of the first quarter, but the Chippewas came back with a 7-4 advantage in the second and grabbed a 16-15 edge at the half.
Manistee again outscored the Crusaders, 7-4 in the third and went into the fourth period with a 23-21 lead.
The Crusaders trailed by five, 26-21 midway through the fourth, but closed the deficit to just one point, 26-25. Manistee sank three free throws at the end to win it.
Jaden Johnson led the Crusaders with 12 rebounds and Dane Rutz came down with nine rebounds and six steals. Chase Willer scored six points.
Catholic Central (0-2, 0-1) is at Fruitport next Tuesday.
