Hoops Roundup: Lady Comets suffer first loss this season
ALMA – The Mackinaw City girls basketball team finally lost a game this season.
And it came at the hands of a high-caliber foe.
Facing off against Ovid-Else, an Associated Press Division 3 state rankings honorable mention, the Division 4, No. 4-ranked Lady Comets’ late comeback attempt fell short in a 59-55 loss at Alma College on Saturday.
“The game was at Alma College and we are very appreciative of Alma hosting this game,” said Mackinaw City coach Jake Huffman. “Ovid-Elsie has a very nice team that has only two losses, one of them by eight points to No. 2, Division 3-ranked Dansville."
The first half saw both teams trade leads, but the Marauders took a narrow 23-19 edge into halftime.
Fueled by 3-point shooting, the Marauders (15-2) opened the second half on a 14-2 run and built a 37-21 lead over the Comets (14-1). The Comets countered with a run of their own to cut the deficit to five, but the Marauders scored the last five points of the quarter to take a 51-41 lead into the fourth.
The Comets then surged with a 14-4 run in the fourth to tie the game at 55 with 48 seconds left. However, the Marauders made four free throws down the stretch to seal a hard-fought win.
Senior Larissa Huffman recorded a double-double performance, finishing with 18 points, 10 rebounds and two assists to lead the Comets, while fellow senior Madison Smith also recorded a double-double with 16 points, 13 boards, five blocks and two assists. Marlie Postula tallied nine points, three rebounds, two steals and one assist, Gracie Beauchamp added six points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals, and Julia Sullivan chipped in with six points, three steals, two rebounds and two assists to round out Mackinaw City.
“Today's game was a great district prep game for our team,” Huffman said. “I am very proud of the grit and toughness Madison, Marlie, Julia, Larissa, and Gracie showed throughout this game, especially when we got down 16 and clawed our way back to give ourselves a chance to win in the final minute.
“Ovid-Elsie has a strong team with a lot of length, and I was very pleased with how we controlled the boards and outrebounded them.
“We have a few things to work on that will help us prepare for what's ahead in our district.”
Cheboygan boys struggle against Ingalls, Saints on road
ST. IGNACE – The Cheboygan boys basketball team was within striking distance of St. Ignace after one quarter on Friday.
Then the Saints exploded in the second quarter and all hope was gone for the Chiefs.
Sparked by 22-point scorer Jonny Ingalls, the Saints unleashed a 30-point second period, took a 44-15 lead into halftime, and never looked back in a 68-28 home victory over the Chiefs in a Straits Area Conference clash.
“St. Ignace is a great team,” said Cheboygan coach Jason Friday. “They pressure you nonstop and force you into poor decisions. On a positive note, we did get Daniel Hudson back on the court for the first time in a couple of weeks.”
The Chiefs (6-9, 2-4 SAC) were led by junior Caden Gardner’s 11 points and fellow junior Kaleb Goodrich’s seven points. Jordan Johnson finished with four points, while Brennen Thater and Robert Godfrey each tallied three.
Kevin Frazier finished with 18 points and Ethan McLean netted 14 for the Saints (13-2, 5-1), who are currently in second place in the conference. Sault Ste. Marie (8-5, 4-0) currently leads the SAC with no conference defeats.
In the junior varsity contest, Jack Ekdahl scored a go-ahead bucket with three seconds left to give the Chiefs a 47-45 victory over the Saints.
Ekdahl finished with nine points, while Carson Kiefer scored a game-high 10 points for the Chiefs. Ethan Goulet scored nine, Luke Munger had eight, Andrew Kiefer added seven, Luke Hoskins tallied three, and Sam Brown chipped in with two.
Cheboygan travels to Pickford for a non-conference contest on Wednesday.
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Hoops Roundup: Lady Comets suffer first loss this season
