Game Analysis: #59 Grand Haven earns season-opening win over #62 Traverse City West

GRAND HAVEN - A thrilling opening-season clash between #59 Grand Haven and #62 Traverse City West featured many runs as the Bucs claimed the 68-62 home victory.

Grand Haven held on to the win after jumping out to a big first-quarter advantage. Traverse City West came roaring back in the second quarter, promising a great second half.

The Bucs returned to form in the third quarter, re-extending their lead. TC West almost came all the way back in the fourth, but Grand Haven hit key free throws to seal the win.

Grand Haven MVP: Kaden Strong (6-0, Sr.)

The Grace Christian commit displayed toughness and touch getting to the basket, bullying the Titans’ guards on both ends of the court. Strong looks like a fullback out on the court, but he’s also extremely graceful and skilled when finishing through traffic around the basket.

Traverse City West MVP: Caden Stoops (6-3, Sr.)

The prolific outside shooter drained six 3-pointers while helping the Titans rally in both the second and fourth quarters. He scored a game-high 21 points while also making some key defensive plays.

Here’s an analytical breakdown of both teams:

Grand Haven

Strong scored 14 points for the Bucs, really setting the tone in the first half. He suffered an apparent injury in the final minutes, so hopefully he will be back on the court very soon. Will Korenstra (6-1) led the Bucs with 17 points. He made a couple 3-pointers and bullied his defenders when attacking the basket. Grand Haven has one of the best backcourts in west Michigan, and Koresntra is a big reason why. Will Plummer (6-1), an elite outside shooter, added 10 points. His presence on the outside, coupled with Koresntra and Strong’s driving ability make Grand Haven very tough to defend.

In the post, Grand Haven has two intriguing 6-5 players. Junior Nolan Portenga scored nine points while showing toughness on the glass. He has some upside and was a nice surprise as a physical and skilled power forward. Alex Dixon started and scored seven points while also displaying toughness and physicality on the glass. Sophomore sharpshooter Harper Huntington added six points off back-to-back 3-pointers in the third quarter. Overall, this is a very talented group that should produce some exciting moments this season.

TC West

Trine University signee Lincoln Lockhart (6-0) was largely held in check most of the game, while also battling foul trouble in the third quarter, but he helped lead the fourth-quarter rally while ultimately scoring 12 points. He’s a long, athletic lead guard with tons of upside. Forward Carter Grubb (6-6) also got off to a slow start, but displayed agility, creativity and even hit a 3-pointer late in the game to finish with 10 points. He struggled a bit with Grand Haven’s physicality, but he’s a highly-skilled post player who can definitely play on the wing at the next level.

Senior guard Mason Zimmerman scored 12 points, fearlessly attacking the basket to keep the Titans within shouting distance during their “bad” stretches. Stoops, as mentioned above, was the main reason TC West always stayed in the game, shooting lights out to help the team spark a couple rallies.