Richards leads Fruitport Calvary Christian over Spartans with a game high 27 points

It started out well for the Spartans (0-1), as they ended the first quarter with a 15-12 lead. But then the game turned when Fruitport outscored Central, 17-14 in the second period and went into the half tied with the Spartans, 29-29.  

But the Spartans regrouped at halftime, and outscored Calvary Christian, 16-13 in the third period and went into the fourth quarter with a 45-42 edge.  

Calvary Christian outscored the Spartans, 22-16 in the final eight minutes to pull out the win.  

The Eagles held a three-point lead with two minutes left in the fourth quarter when the Spartans started fouling. Calvary made them pay, making 10 consecutive free throws to close out the win.  

Bradley Richards went 6-for-6 at the line in the fourth period, while Jacob May and Luke Assaad each shot 2-for-2. Ethan Cammenga took a charge with the Eagles leading by two with 15 seconds left.  

Playing their second game on consecutive nights, the Eagles notched their second straight win.  

“Jacob May and Bradley Richards are two fine ball players, and we let the two of them beat us tonight. What I’m disappointed with is the empty possessions, the defensive forgetfulness … all things we can get better at.  

“I’m not disappointed with the effort, I’m not disappointed with the hustle. But, I am disappointed with those things. We had a lot of four out of five on ‘D’ tonight, and you need five out of five.  

“We definitely have a lot of areas to improve on,” said Mason County Central veteran coach Tim Genson.  

Will Chye paced the Spartans with 22 points and he also had four rebounds. Zach Draper added 12 points and Tyler Thurow scored nine points and led with five rebounds.  

Richards led Fruitport with 27 points and 10 rebounds, while May also had 27 points.  

“We knew this would be a gut check game” said Eagles coach Brad Richards, “and the big question was could our kids fight through the fatigue and find a way to win. Mason County is a very good team, and well coached, and so this was a great win for our boys. I’m very proud of them.”  

The Spartans tip off West Michigan Conference play on Friday at Hart. Calvary Christian plays neighbor Fruitport on Friday at home.