LocalSportsJournal.com

HOLTON – Freshmen played a crucial role for the Holton girls basketball team to defeat Ravenna, 33-30, in a WMC-Rivers game on Tuesday evening.

Kaylee McMillan and Mia Giddings combined for 25 of the Red Devils’ 33 points.

McMillan missed their last matchup with the Bulldogs, but she let her presence be known on Tuesday.

“We didn’t have her at point guard last time and their press ate us up,” said Holton coach Robert Jordan. “She has been a one-person press break for us all year and their press wasn’t an issue, for the most part, just by giving her the ball and letting her do her thing.”

The Red Devils led 10-7 after the first quarter, but the Bulldogs managed to tie it up at 15-all at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Red Devils took the upper hand with an 11-5 scoring advantage that gave them a 26-20 lead.

The Bulldogs flipped the advantage in the last quarter, but the Red Devils held them off.

McMillan scored 18 points for the Red Devils and Giddings chipped in seven points.

“We had a decent defensive game plan to slow down their bigs, and with one of them not playing tonight, it made it a little easier to execute,” said Jordan. “These girls fought hard all night and it was a dog fight, so they definitely earned this one.”

Holton (7-8, 3-5) travels to Shelby on Friday for league play.

Ravenna (9-6, 5-4) will visit Muskegon Catholic Central on Thursday.