Cards Survive Tigers

Comeback win keeps BR atop the Division

Photos and story by Ken DeLaat
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Big Rapids 44 Grant 36
A tough loss for the Tigers who played head to head with the Red Division leading Cardinals throughout the contest. This was a very physical game that resulted in a lot of trips to the free throw line. An early  foul sent Payton Bouwkamp to the line where she split a pair. Soon after, Alexa Obenauf canned one from distance and following a Cardinal 1 for 2 at the stripe, Emma Thompson scored to make it 6-1. A triple by Cardinal Kayleigh Knopf cut the lead to 2 but another foul followed by a technical put Obenauf once again at the line where she knocked down 3 of 4 The Cards came back with a basket plus one and  Lily Gee responded with a basket plus and the quarter ended with Grant holding a 15-11 lead. 
The second began with a Thompson bucket and a missile from behind the line by Gee and the Tiger lead was 9. BR fought back with a 10-2 run to intermission and the teams went to the locker rooms with the Tigers clinging to a 24-23 lead.
The second half began with the Fricke sisters scoring the first 6 and Grant was down for the first time in the game. They responded with Thompson hitting a 2 and Gee adding a bucket and a triple to put the Tigers back in front but with time expiring in the 3rd, BR’s  Ava Pedigo ripped a three and the teams headed to the final frame with the Cards up by 1.
The 4th began with a Nuray Fricke bucket and Gee once again hit from outside to tie the game at 34. The Cards went on another run going 7-0 before Bouwkamp found net. The visitors took the air out of the ball, hitting their shots when Grant was forced to foul and securing a hard fought win.
I had not seen Grant  play since a lopsided loss to Newaygo in Mid December and this is a different squad than the one that took the floor back then. There is a strong core of varsity experience and Gee gives them a consistent outside threat. On Friday they tossed everything they had at the Red Div. leaders, banging the boards and playing some nasty defense. In the end it was too much Nuray Fricke the Cardinal freshman phenom who fired in 19 points including critical shots down the stretch, but this brand of Tiger basketball should be primed for the second half of the season. 
And Newaygo comes to town the 31st for a rematch.
Gee led the Tigers with 17 points, Obenauf hit for 9 while Thompson finished with 6 and Bouwkamp, 5.
Grant (2-2, 4-6) will host a winless Sparta team on Monday.