LocalSportsJournal.com
RAVENNA — Heart and determination helped Ravenna gut out a tight 44-41 West Michigan Conference Rivers Division win over visiting Mason County Central Friday night.
It was a tough, physical game that left both teams bruised and wore out at the end.
Carter Schullo was the Bulldogs’ leading scorer with 12 points, while Blake Homoly finished with 11 and Dylan May added six points.
The Spartans had the game’s leading scorer in Cole VanderHaag with 17 points. He also picked off three steals. Peyton Merz added 11 points, four rebounds and two steals. Braylin Thurow contributed nine points.
“I am proud of my guys the way they clawed back into it after a 17-7 third quarter,” Spartans coach Chris VanderHaag said. “A couple key missed free throws in the last seconds of the game didn’t help.”
Ravenna squeezed into a 11-10 lead after the first and had an 8-7 edge in the second for a 19-17 halftime edge.
The Bulldogs then hit that 17-7 burst in the third which pushed their lead out to 36-24. Mason County Central made it close with a 10-8 edge in the fourth.
Ravenna improved to 6-3 overall, 3-2 in the conference. The Bulldogs are next in action next Thursday at Hesperia for another conference game.
Mason County fell to 4-6 overall 2-2 in the conference. The Spartans visit Orchard View on Monday night.
