West Michigan Roundup, Tuesday 12/27/22

West Michigan Roundup, Tuesday 12/27/22

Results

CU Holiday Tourn. (Green)

Sparta 51, Allendale 44

• Sparta handed Allendale their fourth straight loss to start the season as the Falcons fall to (0-4). The Spartans are now back to .500 on the season at (2-2) and will face Pewamo-Westphalia in the Green division championship game.

Pewamo-Westphalia 63, Coldwater 54

• Coldwater continues to struggle this season dropping their fourth straight contest. The Cardinals lost a lot of talent from last year including Ethan Crabtree, Brandon Downs, and Evan Sloan. It’s safe to say that this season will be a rebuilding year for Coldwater.

CU Holiday Tourn. (Red)

Mona Shores 56, Tri-Unity Christian 44

• Tri-Unity Christian entered the holiday break with a (3-0) record and an average margin of victory of 29 points. Mona Shores got off to an early 11-2 lead, but Tri-Unity answered to trail 11-8 after one quarter. The Sailors of Mona Shores began the second quarter on fire, knocking down their first four shots to extend the lead to 22-12. Once again, Tri-Unity Christian would answer by reducing the deficit to five points (30-25) at halftime. It seemed as though the entire night Tri-Unity Christian would get within two possessions and then give up a couple baskets to fall behind further. The dagger came from the Sailors’ Mason Hallett who drained a three-pointer to give his team a 46-37 lead midway through the fourth quarter. The Sailors would win the contest 56-44 led by sophomore Jordan Bledsoe’s 21 points and soph. Jonathan Pittman added 11 points. Mona Shores is one of the youngest teams in the area as they start a freshman and two sophomores, so I would keep an eye on the Sailors in the coming years. Tri-Unity Christian was led by an impressive game from Roy Fogg, scoring 22 points for the Defenders.

East Kentwood 70, Parchment 37

• East Kentwood entered the game with a (1-0) record and a pleasant surprise for high school basketball fans around the area. Junior forward, Christian Humphrey-Rembert was back in the lineup for the Falcons after spending last season at La Lumiere in Indiana. The 6’9” forward Humphrey-Rembert wasted no time, as he went a perfect 4-4 from the field in the first quarter including a three-pointer. The Falcons as a whole started the game a perfect 10-10 from the field as they led 25-9 following the first quarter. The quickness and athleticism of East Kentwood was far too much for Parchment which led to plenty of steals and easy baskets in transition. The lead was up to 47-22 at halftime with East Kentwood shooting above 70% from the floor. We had reached running clock status late in the third quarter, which led to a quick fourth quarter with Parchment outscoring East Kentwood’s reserves 13-4. East Kentwood led from start to finish coming away with a 70-37 victory. Soph. Jah Hatchett and junior Christian Humphrey-Rembert both scored 22 points to lead the Falcons. East Kentwood under the new direction of Coach Thomas will continue to improve this season and potentially be a top five team in the area by the end of the season. The future is bright for the Falcons with four of five starters returning next season, Marshaun Flakes being the only exception. The excitement is back within the East Kentwood program and rightfully so with one of the best backcourts in the state in Hatchett and Darryl Thompkins Jr, who are both sophomores. East Kentwood will face Mona Shores in the championship game on Thursday.

Earl McKee Holiday Tourn. (Benton Harbor HS)

Ottawa Hills 65, Ypsi Lincoln 43

• Ottawa Hills picked up their second win of the season in the Earl McKee Holiday Tournament. Leading the way for the Bengals was Isaiah Bradford with 14 points while Wyoming transfer Quadir Hatchett added 13 points. Ottawa Hills will face Benton Harbor on Wednesday for their second game of the tournament.

Benton Harbor 74, Loy Norrix 65

• Benton Harbor needed a late rally to get past Loy Norrix and earn their third win of the season (3-1). The Tigers trailed Loy Norrix 48-45 entering the final quarter of play, but a high-scoring fourth quarter went in Benton Harbor’s favor. Leading the way was senior guard Grant Gondrezick with 30 points while Loy Norrix junior guard Cedric Huntley also scored 30 points.