MUSKEGON – With a starting lineup that features just one senior and three freshmen, the Muskegon girls basketball team, talented as it is, is bound to experience some rough growing pains.
That was front and center on Tuesday night as the Big Reds fell 49-35 at home to Grand Rapids West Catholic in a non-conference game.
“We’re a very young team,” said Muskegon head coach Bernard Loudermill about the inexperience that showed in the game. “We also played a very good West Catholic team. We didn’t capitalize on some of their mistakes, and we made some turnovers not taking care of the basketball.”
[1]Part of what limited the Muskegon offense to just 35 points was a zone defense by West Catholic that appeared to have the Big Reds puzzled at times.
“We didn’t really get to our spots,” Loudermill said about the offensive effort. “They picked their spots in the zone. We had things designed for it, but we’re young. We still have to have a basketball IQ at the same time, though.”
Muskegon held its own in the first quarter, trailing just 13-9 after the first eight minutes with senior Ty’Veonna Davis totaling five points and freshman Mariah Sain adding four.
The Big Reds had their best quarter in the second when they outscored West Catholic 9-8 and trailed just 21-18 at halftime. West Catholic got that lead when a three-point shot went in with just two seconds remaining on the clock.
[2]Muskegon was outscored 12-10 in the third quarter and trailed 33-28 headed into the fourth.
With the score 42-33 with under five minutes remaining, the Falcons were able to possess the ball for more than two minutes and drain the clock, which ultimately all but ended any hopes for a Big Red comeback.
West Catholic outscored Muskegon 16-7 in the final quarter and sent Muskegonoff the court with a 2-1 record.
Sain led the Big Reds with 13 points while Davis finished with 12 on the night. West Catholic was paced by senior Cadence Dykstra with 17 points and sophomore Elisha Dykstra with 14 points.
“We’re a few games in,” Loudermill said. “It’s a process. We have to trust each other and keep working hard in practice. It will come together.”
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