LocalSportsJournal.com
SCOTTVILLE — It was a successful debut for new Mason County Central boys basketball coach Chris VanderHaag, even if there were a few too many turnovers to suit him.
Opening up the West Michigan Conference season Friday night, the host Spartans managed to overcome their problems taking care of the basketball to land a 52-45 win over Hesperia.
“We were going too fast,” said VanderHaag of the turnover troubles. “We work so hard in practice and put so much pressure on in practice that the games are no different.
“I think we are fighting nerves. We are going to get there because they work so very hard.”
Hesperia twice gained the lead in the early going, but the Spartans finished the opening quarter with a 12-9 advantage. They were able to bump that lead up to 10 points, 25-15 at the halftime intermission. It was 43-32 after three.
The Panthers made it a little tighter at the end with a 13-8 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter.
“I was so proud of our effort,” said Panther’s head coach Warsaw. “We have good guys that play hard.”
Cole VanderHaag scored 20 points to lead the Spartans. Sterley finished with 12 and Braylin Thurow contributed seven.
Hesperia was led by Billings with 18 points and Ethan O’Neil had 10.
Mason County Central, which is 1-0 both overall and in the conference, travels to White Cloud for another Rivers Division contest Tuesday night.
Hesperia fell to 1-1 overall and is 0-1 in the Rivers with a home game scheduled for Tuesday against Muskegon Catholic.
