Photo courtesy of Lou Murray: To view pictures of the game click here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/45681226@N02/albums/72157712625405306/with/49369870072/
The holidays are over, and full slates of high school basketball are here once again. Below, you will see the performances of select teams around the area that we followed this week. Make sure to check out the standings page to see how the conference races are shaping up early on. At the bottom of this article, we look at the best games in our area this week.
Central Montcalm (4-3)
The Hornets were unable to win their only game of the week, as they fell to Fremont 51-44 in a CSAA-Gold battle. Central Montcalm had a strong first half, and they jumped out to a six point advantage. Coming out of the locker room, the Packers found their hot shooting touch and they were able to pull out the victory. London Eldridge led the Hornets with 12 points, while Bailey Vissman added 11 points. This week, CM will visit Big Rapids on Tuesday before hosting Chippewa Hills on Friday.
East Grand Rapids (7-1)
The strong start for the Pioneers continued this week, as they picked up a pair of wins. On Tuesday, EGR defeated Jenison 54-42. Friday saw the Pioneers take to the road to square off against Forest Hills Eastern, and they won once again. They doubled up FHE and then some in a 67-32 victory over the Hawks. This week, they will try and improve on their five-game winning streak against two OK Gold foes. On Tuesday, they host 3-3 South Christian, before they hit the road for an epic showdown against the 8-0 Wayland Wildcats.
Forest Hills Central (5-3)
In their lone game of the week on Friday, the Rangers dominated Greenville 58-25 to open conference play. Therryn Hallock was phenomenal in this contest, as she scored 37 points for Forest Hills Central. It was an impressive defensive effort for FHC, as they held Greenville to just one point in the first quarter. A pair of conference home games are on tap this week, as FHC hosts Cedar Springs on Tuesday and Lowell on Friday.
Middleville (4-3)
The Trojans had a strong week, going 1-1 in two games. On Tuesday, they nearly doubled up Caledonia in a 53-28 victory. Middleville shot the ball well, forced some turnovers and found themselves ahead 52-18 after the third quarter of play. Paige VanStee led the Trojans with 17 points, while Tyah Jefferson added 11. On Friday, Middleville played extremely well in a narrow defeat against undefeated Wayland, falling 55-50. This week, they will host GR Christian on Tuesday before visiting Forest Hills Eastern on Friday.
Rockford (8-0)
The Rams’ undefeated season continued with a pair of victories this week. On Tuesday, they grinded out a 38-26 victory over Wyoming. Elle Irwin was remarkable for Rockford, as she scored 20 of the team’s 38 points. On Friday, conference play started with a victory for Rockford. They defeated Grandville 55-43 to pick up their first league win of the season. Elle Irwin once again led the team with eleven points, though in this game she was joined by Alina Anderson, who also finished with eleven. This week, the Rams will host Caledonia on Tuesday before visiting Grand Haven on Friday.
Four Unbeatens Remain in the OK Conferences
Grand Rapids Christian is 7-0, with an idle week this past week. The Eagles are back in action with a trip to Middleville on Tuesday and a home game against Wyoming on Friday.
Hudsonville is 7-0 after taking down Caledonia 64-28 on Friday night. This week, the Eagles have a pair of road games as they visit Grand Haven on Tuesday and EK on Friday.
Rockford (above) sits at 8-0 after defeating Wyoming and Grandville last week. They will host Caledonia on Tuesday and visit Grand Haven on Friday.
Wayland is 8-0 after defeating Middleville 55-50 on Friday. This week, the Wildcats visit Wyoming on Tuesday before hosting East Grand Rapids on Friday.
Best Games in the Area this Week (home team listed first)
Tuesday Night
Byron Center (6-1) vs Zeeland East (4-3)
East Grand Rapids (7-1) vs South Christian (3-3)
Grand Haven (5-1) vs Hudsonville (7-0)
FHC (5-3) vs Cedar Springs (5-2)
Calvin Christian (5-3) vs Hopkins (4-3)
Middleville (4-3) vs Grand Rapids Christian (7-0)
Sparta (4-3) vs West Catholic (5-1)
Zeeland West (4-2) vs Holland Christian (4-2)
Friday Night
Allendale (4-3) vs Sparta (4-3)
Byron Center (6-1) vs Holland Christian (4-2)
East Kentwood (5-2) vs Hudsonville (7-0)
Grand Haven (5-1) vs Rockford (8-0)
Unity Christian (3-4) vs South Christian (3-3)
Hamilton (3-5) vs Zeeland East (4-3)
Reeths-Puffer (7-1) vs Muskegon (4-4)
Wayland (8-0) vs East Grand Rapids (7-1)
Saturday
Traverse City West (1-8) vs West Catholic (5-1) at 2:30
West Michigan Christian (3-4) vs Spring Lake (2-4) at 4:30
Cedar Springs (5-2) vs Kent City (7-0) at 6:00
