MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP – Muskegon Catholic’s Braden Gustin has been on fire lately, scoring a total of 61 points in his last three games.

So when he got off to a cold start on Tuesday at Orchard View – five points through the first three quarters – it looked like it might be a tough night for the Crusaders.

It sure started out that way, with Orchard View grabbing an early 9-0 lead and keeping the advantage most of the game.

But MCC kept battling back and chipping away at its deficit, and Gustin finally came alive in the fourth quarter, scoring eight points, including the basket that gave the Crusaders their very first lead with 37 seconds left, and two free throws moments later.

MCC’s Bryan Convertini (1) weaves through OV defenders and into the lane. Photo/Jeremy Clark

In the end MCC escaped with a thrilling 43-41 victory in the battle between old Lakes 8 conference foes, and Crusader coach Rob Recknagel couldn’t have been more happy with Gustin and all of his players.

Gustin finished with a team-high 13 points for MCC while Bryan Convertini had nine and Chase Willer added eight.

“He wasn’t shooting well and he was frustrated,” Recknagel said about Gustin. “He’s usually a 32-minute player, but at the start of the fourth quarter he was on the bench with me giving him an earful, and he responded well to that. Some kids might shut down in that situation, but he stayed ready and I was proud of him.”

Muskegon Catholic improved to 3-2 with the victory and did not look at all like the team that fell 52-11 to North Muskegon in its season opener just a few weeks ago.

Since then the Crusaders have pulled it together and collected victories against Hesperia (61-19) and Muskegon Heights (70-53) before Tuesday’s close win.

Orchard View’s Delaney Oakes (24) tries to get past a defender on his way to the basket. Photo/Jeremy Clark

“I feel like learning lessons from that first game was really important,” Recknagel said. “That game was tough for all of the kids, but they had to realize that we are a better basketball team than that.

“We played the best game I’ve ever seen my group play on Friday at Muskegon Heights. The shots were just falling. I think today maybe we just expected to step on the court and have it happen again. But I let them play through it in the first quarter, and they finally figured it out and found a way to get some stops and a way to make just enough shots to win.”

Orchard View made it look easy in the first part of the first quarter, getting four points from Stephon Oakes, a triple from Keith McCallister and a bucket from Delaney Oakes to take a 9-0 lead. Stephon Oakes finished with eight points in the first eight minutes.

MCC finally found a little offense, including a three-pointer by Gustin, and trailed 15-8 headed into the second quarter.

The game got a lot closer in the second and OV went to halftime with a 25-22 lead. Delaney Oakes had six points in the second for the Cardinals while Convertini had eight for the Crusaders.

MCC’s Jacob Lyonnais (5) tries to get a shot off over OV’s Cari Flowers. Photo/Jeremy Clark

Orchard View continued to cling to its lead through most of the third quarter and had a 33-30 edge headed into the fourth. McAllister opened the third with a triple for the Cardinals while Delaney Oakes closed out the quarter with a three-pointer at the buzzer.

The same was true for most of the fourth, with MCC battling bucket-for-bucket but never quite managing to get the lead until the clock ran down and the situation got desperate.

Convertini knocked the ball away from an OV player in the Cardinals’ end with about 40 seconds remaining, Chase Willer secured it and got it to Gustin, who calmly put in a layup to give the Crusaders their first lead, 40-39, with 37 seconds left.

The Cardinals missed a shot with 24 seconds left, Gustin ended up with the ball and was fouled, then downed two free throws with 21 seconds remaining to put MCC up 42-39. Overall Gustin made six of eight free throw attempts in the final quarter.

Orchard View’s Stephon Oakes (3) tries to find a shot while facing stiff defense. Photo/Jeremy Clark

“Bryan got the steal and I just drove in and floated it over them,” Gustin said about his big layup. “They’re a good defensive team, I wasn’t shooting well, so I just tried to drive and get fouls or make layups.”

BJ Sewell hit a layup for OV with 15 seconds left, making it a one-point game, then Willer nailed one of two free throws with 12 seconds left to give the Crusaders their final margin of victory.

Orchard View missed a shot that could have tied the game as the clock ran out.

Stephon Oakes finished with 14 points while Delaney Oakes totaled 11 for the Cardinals, who are now 2-3 on the season.