Janae Tyler, late 3-pointer lift Holt girls basketball in CAAC Blue win over DeWitt
DEWITT – It was a battle for outright second place in the CAAC Blue in DeWitt on Tuesday night, where the Panthers hosted Holt in a big matchup.
And in an up-and-down game with multiple lead changes throughout the second half, it came down to the final possession.
After DeWitt took a two-point lead late, Holt senior guard Claire Groenewoud seized the moment, knocking down a 3-pointer from the top of the key to put the Rams up one with 20 seconds remaining.
Holt forced a jump ball late, and DeWitt's shot at the buzzer fell short, making Groenewoud the hero in a thrilling 49-48 Holt win.
"It's great for her confidence, she had been struggling a little bit and we talked about it at halftime," Holt coach Tori Brooks said. "I told her that she's got this and that she's a leader on this team and to just keep shooting and it paid off."
Junior forward Janae Tyler led the Rams (7-1, 3-1 CAAC Blue) with 28 points and 18 rebounds – 15 of them coming in the third quarter which saw Holt erase a seven-point halftime deficit to take a three-point lead heading into the final eight minutes.
"(Tyler) never complains and always gives what I ask from her," Brooks said. "She gives it her all for her team and the coaching staff. DeWitt played strong defense on her, but she was able to stay composed and do what she needed to do to help us out."
Groenewoud finished with eight points and five assists, and senior forward Taylor Titus added nine points for Holt.
Senior forward Taryn Gustafson led Division 1 honorable mention DeWitt (8-2, 2-2) with 17 points, knocking down four 3-pointers.
Holt now takes possession of second place in the CAAC Blue behind East Lansing. The Rams will be on the road against Waverly on Friday, while DeWitt will play at Grand Ledge.
"DeWitt's a great team, but I'm super proud of my girls tonight," Brooks said. "We were down, we fought, and just kept working on what we needed to do. Mental toughness, rebounding, it came down to the wire and I couldn't be more proud of them.
"We needed this for the program and needed it for momentum going into the second part of the year," Brooks added. "It's definitely big for us."
More: Fruits of labor paying dividends as Lansing Waverly boys basketball puts itself in strong position
Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on Twitter @Nathaniel_Bott
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Janae Tyler, late 3-pointer lift Holt girls basketball past DeWitt
