By Greg Gielczyk
LocalSportsJournal.com
MANISTEE — Manistee asserted its will on the Hesperia girls’ basketball team in Monday night’s game and cruised to an easy 46-11 victory in non-conference action in Manistee.
It was just the type of game the Mariners needed after battling archrival Ludington last Friday in a West Michigan Conference Lakes Division matchup in Ludington.
Hesperia doesn’t have a junior varsity team, so the Mariners let their junior varsity girls play on the varsity, and with the game out of hand in the first quarter, they were able to get on the floor to see action.
The Mariners had a 23-0 after the first two minutes, and it was clear that the Panthers were simply outmatched in this one and Manistee coach Kenn Kott started giving his starters a breather.
But there was enough time for Jayna Edmondson to score 16 points and grab 10 rebounds to finish with a rare double-double for her.
“She’s had several games where she didn’t score like she thinks she should, so it was good to see her break through,” Kott said. “Hopefully, this kind of performance has put her back on track.”
Libby McCarthy finished with seven points in limited action. Lindsey Gardner had six. McCarthy and Alayna Edmondson nabbed five rebounds each, and Gardner came away with five steals with Brooke Jankwietz picking off four.
Manistee is back on the hardwood Thursday night for a rematch with Montague in the West Michigan Conference Lakes Division. The Mariners won the first game, 44-43, on a last-second free throw by McCarthy.
Hesperia drops to 3-15 and travels to Hart on Thursday night for a West Michigan Conference Rivers Division game.
