GRANDVILLE – The Fruitport boys basketball team has won the O-K Silver conference championship for the second season in a row.
The Trojans did that by going on the road and defeating Calvin Christian 65-42 on Friday night in the final game of the regular season.
Fruitport finished with a 13-1 record in the conference, one game ahead of second-place NorthPointe Christian. They also closed out with a 19-3 overall mark, further extending the program’s record for victories in a single season.
The win did more than seal up the O-K Silver title. It also provided a measure of revenge against Calvin Christian, the team that beat the Trojans on Monday night, ending their 15-game winning streak and putting a blot on their otherwise perfect conference record.
Fruitport clinched at least a share of the title by winning on Tuesday, but nobody felt like celebrating until Monday’s loss was avenged and the conference trophy was in the Trojans’ sole possession.
“Nobody wanted to pose and put up the number ones because we had business to attend to tonight,” said Fruitport head coach Steve Erny. “This was a little extra motivation tonight, not just to win the conference outright, but also because I thought we played one of our worst games, really, against these guys on Monday.”
The Trojans got off to a slow start, and for a few minutes it looked like the game might be a scary rerun of Monday’s upset loss.
Calvin Christian had three triples in the first quarter and led 16-9 heading into the second. Dexter Lillmars led the Trojans with five points.
The Trojans got rolling in the second quarter, outscoring the Squires 18-7 to grab a thin 27-25 halftime lead.
Lillmars led the second-quarter surge with seven points. Brady Hansen added five points, including a triple.
The Trojans took control in the third quarter with a 20-5 advantage and led 47-30 headed into the fourth.
Lillmars and Garrett Olson both contributed seven points in the third quarter while DayDay Williams had six.
Fruitport closed out the win with an 18-12 advantage in the fourth quarter. Lillmars had six points in the fourth, Williams had five and Gavin Wilson tossed in a three-pointer.
“I’m so proud of this group and the resolve they showed, even from the beginning of this week until today,” Coach Erny said. “The guys responded and gave the championship-level performance we needed.”
Lillmars finished with 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Williams added 15 points and nine rebounds while Olson chipped in 11 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
Hanson also had a good night with five assists.
“Dexter Lillmars wasn’t feeling the best tonight, so for him to play the way he did, it was a gutsy performance,” Erny said. “I believe this game was won on the boards tonight, and we showed our toughness on both ends with rebounding.
“David Johnson-Jimenez, one of our seniors, played a great game defensively and on the boards. He’s always doing the dirty work and deserves a shout-out tonight.”
The Trojans will now turn their attention to the Division 2 district tournament, hosted by Montague. They will play in the semifinals on Wednesday against the winner of Monday’s Whitehall-Orchard View matchup.
“Right now we’re at 19 wins, and one of the things I know about this group is that pretty soon, after we celebrate here, we’re gonna focus on the district tournament,” Erny said. “That’s why this group is special, because they have really high expectations for themselves.”
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