NORTH MUSKEGON – The record may not show it, but the Oakridge girls basketball team is definitely on the rise.
That was obvious from start to finish in the Eagles’ impressive 47-34 victory over North Muskegon on Tuesday in a West Michigan Conference contest.
The victory was only the second of the season in seven games for the Eagles, and the first in four conference games.
But Oakridge has been on the wrong side of several very close outcomes, including a three-point loss to Shelby, an eight-point loss to Mason County Central and a one-point loss to Coopersville.
[1]Oakridge Coach Morgan Wahr has been waiting for a performance like Tuesday’s, and she believes there will be a lot more down the road.
“The games have all been pretty close, and we’re getting better at executing,” said Wahr, who was an All-Stater going by her maiden name of Giddings when she played at Oakridge. “The girls have shown so much heart in practice, and it wasn’t translating into games, but it finally showed tonight. I’m excited. We’re going to keep getting better, day to day.”
The Eagles’ improvement will probably continue beyond this season, because two of their best players are underclassmen who already display a lot of skill and have time to continue to improve.
One is sophomore Anna Lundquist, a tall player who can do a lot of damage in the paint, and can hit from the outside, as well.
She finished with a game-high 18 points, which included a pair of three-pointers. She also had 10 rebounds.
[2]“She has definitely made some strides,” Wahr said about Lundquist. “One of her biggest focuses has been improving her jump shot, and now she can go down in the post, and if they’re playing tough defense down there, she can slide out and hit the three.”
Also impressive for Oakridge was junior guard Destyni Lane, who drove the lane effectively all night and finished with 13 points.
“She has definitely improved in her strength,” Wahr said. “She’s still a little wild sometimes, but she has definitely calmed down, and she finished strong tonight.”
Oakridge took control of the game early. Lundquist scored seven points in the first quarter while Lane and Jasmine Pastor each scored two points, and the Eagles led 12-5 at the first buzzer.
Lane got hot on the second quarter with six points. Lundquist added five while Lily Blackburn and Kaelinn Josza each added a bucket, helping Oakridge take a 27-11 lead into halftime.
[3]The third quarter was more of a contest, with each team scoring 11 points. North Muskegon’s Josee Cooke got hot in the third, tossing in nine points, including a triple and four free throws.
Cooke finished with 18 points. Jena Francis added eight points for North Muskegon.
The Norse continued to play better in the fourth, outscoring Oakridge 12-9. Five different North Muskegon players had points in the quarter.
North Muskegon was playing at a disadvantage, with head coach Ryan Hankinson missing the game due to illness.
The Norse were also hurt by 11 turnovers and 3 of 13 shooting in the first half, allowing Oakridge to jump out to the big lead.
But junior varsity coach Sarah Knuth, who filled in for Hankinson, was pleased with the way the team pulled together in the second half and made the final score respectable.
“I was proud of them for sticking in with it,” said Knuth. “I think it was a confidence-builder.”
North Muskegon fell to 1-5 overall and 0-5 in conference play.
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