LocalSportsJournal.com

HOLTON– Coach Zach Bialik hopes the Manistee boys’ basketball team is finally putting it all together.
 
It couldn’t come at a better time, with the district tournament just around the corner.
 
The Chippewas handled the Holton Red Devils, 59-39, in a non-conference game at Holton Tuesday night.
 
Just a few weeks ago, Manistee seemed to be adrift as they struggled to score and make defensive stops as Bialik experimented with different combinations. It resulted in an 0-11 start. Now, the Chippewas have won five of their last eight games.
 
“It feels good to get another one under our belt,” said Bialik. “The kids played, not our best basketball, but enough to get it done. Kaden Kott shot the ball well. Carter Fredericks, I don’t know how many rebounds he had, but he was really aggressive on the glass and it was one of Ethan Edmondson’s better offensive games for sure as of late.”
 
Kott knocked down four 3-point shots and was one of three Manistee players to score 14 points on the night. Jacob Scharp and Matt Gunnert were the others.
 
Edmondson made it four Chippewas in double figures, one of the team’s best offensive showings this year, with 10 points.
 
Brodrick Fialek led Holton with 10 points and four rebounds. Carter Brant added eight points, six assists and four rebounds. Chase Albright pulled down six rebounds and Jayce McMillan had five boards.
 
But the Chippewas didn’t start out looking like they were going to be so dominant, as the Red Devils kept the score close in the first quarter. Manistee led, 14-12.
 
The Chippewas exploded for a 23-11 second quarter, which swelled their advantage to 14 points, 37-23 at the half.
 
Holton outscored Manistee, 11-10 in the third quarter. But the Chippewas still carried a 13-point lead, 47-34, into the fourth quarter and then outscored Holton, 12-6.
 
“You want to be playing your best basketball going into March, and I think the coaches and I agree that we’re playing our best basketball of the year,” Bialik said. “It’s exciting, but we’ve got to keep working hard. The kids know that and they are putting in the time. We’ve got a big one on Thursday.”
 
Manistee (5-14) is scheduled to host archrival Ludington in the West Michigan Conference-Lakes Division on Thursday.
 
Holton (1-18) hosts Shelby on Thursday in a West Michigan Conference-Rivers contest.