![]() By Ken DeLaat, N3 Sports Girls Grant (3-1, 5-3) at Newaygo (4-0, 8-1) Whaddya got Tigers? We had this one penciled in after watching the Tigers opener and seeing the arsenal of weapons they had on offense. Outside of a loss to Tri County in an odd, foul plagued, marathon contest last week Grant has been impressive on the floor peeling off wins in 4 of their last 5. But there’s that loss to TC, a team Newaygo dismantled earlier this week. And they haven’t beaten anyone with a winning record yet and the Lions at 8-1 certainly have a winning record. The Tigers will need Rider to repeat the pinpoint accuracy she put on display Tuesday and a few 3 pointers from Chase and Pleune wouldn’t hurt. It will be interesting to see how Ashbaugh does with Goodin, Painter and Swinehart in the frontcourt. She also had a big game earlier this week but Fremont isn’t Newaygo. Then of course there is Long, the consummate shooter who can take the heart out of opposing defenses and Fisk who is the absolute centerpiece of the vaunted Lion press. If the Tigers get hot they might be able to stay with the Lions but only one team has bested Newaygo and only one other team has even been within 15 points at the final buzzer. Fremont (1-3, 1-7) at Tri County (2-2, 4-4) The Packers have had a less than stellar start with a really tough schedule combined with missing one of their starters early on and struggling on the offensive end of the court. Noordyk has been a good addition adding points and a presence underneath but Zerlaut, one of their best shooters, has been attracting lots of attention from opponents and will continue to do so until someone else steps up and starts filling the stat sheet. VandenBerg, Bennett and Witte can score and need to get on the board early. Siple will be a lot to handle for the Pack and the Vikings are always tough at home, but they haven’t lit up the scoreboard either so if Fremont can hang with them through 4 quarters… Morley Stanwood (2-1, 6-1) at Hesperia (0-3, 0-4) The Panthers are looking for win #1 while the Hawks have cruised past everyone not named Kent City so far. The Panthers will give it all they’ve got but they’re up against too many horses to have a decent shot at an upset. Lakeview (1-2, 1-6) at White Cloud (1-3, 3-5) The Cloud has a shot at ending their 4 game skid but it won’t come easy. Despite their record the Wildcats have been in the game for most of their losses. White Cloud hasn’t scored more than 40 since 2 weeks before Christmas and haven’t tallied more than 20 in their 2 games since the break. Winnable game for the hosts but they’ll have to score more than 20. Boys Grant (2-2, 3-4) at Newaygo (1-3, 3-4) Rivalry game between two teams that have had an up and down season so far. The Lions have looked a bit out of sync since the break and while Osabawine and Schillman have provided some good minutes there have been times when the offense seems to evaporate. Whitney and Swanson will likely get their points and Decker and Schuitema should provide an interesting matchup if the Tigers keep their versatile #23 in the frontcourt. If the Lions stumble at the start as they have in their last 2 and Grant catches fire it could be a long night for Lion fans. Fremont (3-1, 4-4) at Tri County (2-2, 4-4) DeLong, Nelson, Miller and Richards have all been landing their shots and adding those scoring threats to having McDonald on the court has enabled the Pack to fashion a modest but impressive 2 game win streak. The Vikings will be tough especially since they;re at home but if the same Fremont team that took down Newaygo and Grant shows up in Howard City the Packers will remain just a game behind the conference leaders. Morley Stanwood (1-2, 4-2) at Hesperia (0-3, 1-4) The Panthers have averaged 25 points a game their last 4 outings. It won’t be enough to take down the Hawks who have scored just enough in their last 3 wins but a lot more than 25. Lakeview (1-2, 1-5)) at White Cloud (1-2, 2-5) Finishing has been a problem for Coach Jones’ team. And free throws. And scoring of any kind. Fortunately Friday’s opponents have also struggled in those areas. This one will likely go to the team who finds enough offense in the second half. Like I said neither squad has exactly lit it up recently but Watson, Bode, and Strait are among a few WC players who can get a hot hand now and then.
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