While fighting through an incredibly difficult O-K Blue conference schedule, the Fruitport girls basketball team is measuring progress in increments.

While the Trojans are still looking for their first conference win, they believe they see progress.

After losing to rival Spring Lake 58-13 earlier this season, Fruitport played better on Friday, falling to the Lakers by a closer margin of 45-28.

“I am seeing improvements every game,” said Fruitport Coach Brian Packard. “We seem to have one quarter that gets us behind and then we have to work to fight back. The one thing I will always keep saying is that they do that. They battle back. These girls are not an easy out. They compete and claw and fight.

Fruitport’s Izzy Hanson-Wilbur, who scored 13 points on Friday.

“I don’t think we are the school that people love to play against anymore. The other team knows they are in for a fight when they play us.”

The Trojans fell behind 16-8 after one quarter. They started finding the bucket more often in the second quarter, scoring 12 points, and trailed 31-20 at halftime.

Fruitport only managed one point in the third quarter, however, and Spring Lake led 38-21.

Izzy Hanson-Wilbur led the Trojans with 13 points while Lainey Bol and Riley Kettel each scored four points.

Fruitport is now 5-9 overall and 0-8 in conference competitition.eddie