Ludington hangs on at home to beat Oakridge

By Greg Gielczyk
LocalSportsJournal.com

LUDINGTON — Ludington’s girls basketball team came up with a thrilling 42-40 victory over visiting Oakridge in a West Michigan Conference Lakes Division game Friday night.

It was a back-and-forth game in the first quarter, which set the tone for the rest of the contest. After eight lead changes, the Orioles emerged with a 17-15 edge following the first eight minutes.

Annie Kline sparked the Orioles with nine points, including a 3-point bucket and hit on two other three-point plays when she sank a free throw after being fouled making a shot.

Oakridge senior Anna Lundquist finished with eight points in the first quarter.

Photo courtesy of LSJ Photographer Joe Washington

The Eagles responded with a 7-4 edge in the second quarter, and climbed into a 22-21 lead at the half in a game whose outcome was very much in doubt.

Ludington pushed ahead, 29-25 after the third quarter when the Orioles outscored the Eagles, 8-3. Both teams had more offensive production in the fourth quarter.

With 5:17 left in regulation the Eagles tied the score, 34-34 on a bucket by Lundquist.

It was nip-and-tuck over the final 4:11, with the Orioles nuding into a 41-40 lead with 43.5 seconds left when Jordyn Anderson scored and then made a free throw.

Oakridge fouled Karli Mesyar with just one second to play in hopes of getting the ball back on a defensive rebound, but Mesyar spoiled those plans when she dropped in the front end of a two-shot free throw opportunity, and rebounded her own missed attempt to prevent the Eagles from getting off a quick shot.

Photo courtesy of LSJ Photographer Joe Washington

Ludington also won the first meeting with Oakridge, and it was equally as close, 39-36.

“It was a little bit more pressure than we have had,” said Ludington head coach Warren Stowe. “They are the second-place team in the league, and coming out here and playing a tight game is going to be good for us in the long run because we learned a lot.”

Keelyn Laird was the Orioles’ leading scorer with 15 points. Anderson contributed nine and Emma McKinley added five.

Lundquist led all scorers in the game with 18 points for the Eagles, who also had Destyni Lane score eight.

Ludington (11-3, 8-0) will host Reeths-Puffer on Tuesday.

Oakridge (10-4, 5-3) will host Shelby on Tuesday.