LocalSportsJournal.com

BALDWIN — Every team faces adversity at one time or another during the season, and the Pentwater boys’ basketball team ran up against it in the last couple weeks.

Up until this point, the Falcons held down first place in the West Michigan D League. But they’ve been fortunate to have avoided sickness and injury.

Their luck ran out, however, with sickness and injury forcing them Falcons to make some adjustments, and they lost a 62-58 decision to host Baldwin. Pentwater is now in second place.

The game was originally scheduled Jan. 12, but weather forced its cancellation.

Pentwater is now one game behind the Panthers in the league with a 10-2 record to Baldwin’s 11-2 mark. The two meet again in a couple of weeks, but the Falcons can’t afford another setback in the league.

Junior varsity point guard Wyatt Roberts was brought up to give the Falcons another healthy body, but coach Ashley Lubera still only had two players on the bench.

Poor shooting got the Falcons off to a slow start as they missed several bunnies.

Will Werkema-Grondsma, Jonny Arnouts, Kaleb Brown and Mikey Carlson all made some big shots down the stretch to help the Falcons outscore the Panthers, 13-9 and trim the deficit to three, 25-22, at the half.

After making some halftime adjustments, Pentwater stormed with Werkema-Grondsma and Carson leading the charge.

That enabled the Falcons to convert on some second-chance buckets and outscore the Panthers, 19-15, in the third period and take their first lead, 41-40, heading into the fourth quarter.

Foul trouble struck the Falcons in an intense fourth period, as Werkema-Grondsma and Arnouts fouled out.

Baldwin mounted a four-point lead with only two seconds remaining and the Falcons ran out of time.

Carlson had a big game for the Falcons with a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds. Arnouts followed with 13 points and five assists, while also picking off two steals and snaring three rebounds.

Werkema-Grondsma recorded a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds. He added three steals and three assists. Brown finished with 12 points and five rebounds.

Pentwater has another makeup game scheduled Monday night at Kent City in non-conference.