Eagles Sink Their Talons Into Tigers

Story and photos by Mike Gesler

Grant 29   Kent City 68
Our neighbors from the south came onto the Tiger’s court tonight with hopes of keeping their young season perfect. Kent City had already beaten Muskegon and Big Rapids, and now had their sites on the Tigers. The Tigers, for their part, had been battle tested in a narrow defeat against Cedar Springs out of the OK Conference on Friday evening, and were hoping to add Kent City to the same column that they relegated White Cloud to a week ago.
Out of the gate, Grant jumped to a four point advantage with two points from Ashbaugh and Chase each before Coach Holcomb called a time out to focus her Lady Eagles. That time out would prove to be pivotal. Kent City found their focus, and would keep the Tigers scoreless for the remainder of the quarter while Preston, Bowers, and Madelyn Geers would go to work putting up thirteen for Kent City.

The Preston, Bowers, Geers trio would continue the damage they started into the second quarter. The Eagles pressed hard against the Tigers shutting down lanes and creating multiple turnovers. The best the Tigers could muster from the dominance of the Eagles was two points from Pleune, and two from Ashbaugh at the line. It was all Kent City with five three point field goals and ten points from Madelyn Geers to help give the Eagles a commanding half time lead of 44 to 8.
​The Tigers came out of the locker room with their heads up and smiles on their faces ready to attempt a second half rally. Kent City backed off their press which would open up some lanes and looks. This was what Grant would need to have their best quarter putting up fifteen while holding Kent City to eight. In the end though, Kent City was just too good of a team for the Tigers to overcome as the Eagles went home with their thus far perfect season intact.

“It’s Kent City, and it’s one of those programs that have that mystique. You come into the game and the girls are already, you know, the expectations for them in their heads are already down. And then you have a couple things go the wrong way, and then their heads go down again. That’s just the battle,” shared Grant’s Coach, Josh Delamater. “When you play good teams like that, you gotta bring it but you have to bring it for the whole game. You got to do all the little things right. It’s something that we are trying to learn; get through. I’m glad we’re playing teams like Cedar, Kent City, because when we get into the heart of our conference, those are some good teams. So these battles are going to helps us, I think, there.”
Leading for the Tigers tonight was Julie Ashbaugh with fourteen. “I thought Julie Ashbaugh played a heck of a game tonight,” shared Coach Delamater. “Stayed out of foul trouble which is something she is really working hard on trying to do. Scored a bunch for us. Definitely got some things going for us. Got some boards so that was very good.” Also scoring tonight for the Tigers was Jocee Pleune with five, and Sara Arends, Jayci Hance, Chloee Chase, Jaycee Rider, and Jocelyn Kruitoff each with two.

​Next up the Tigers will face the Reed City Coyotes in Reed City on Friday night before returning home to face Comstock Park on December fourteenth.