Tigers Survive Lion Scare

Tigers Survive Lion Scare
Story by Mike Gesler
Photos by Alexis Mercer



Grant 52  Newaygo 42


For Newaygo, this was their first game back out of the break. While they would be coming into tonight’s game with rested and fresh legs, something Grant did not have, not having played since they faced Zeeland East on December twenty-first would mean they would also come in with some rust. For Grant, this would be their third game in four days, and, on paper at least, the easier of their three game run. Besides the possibility of being worn down both physically and mentally, the Tigers also had to enter tonight’s game without their head coach Josh Delamater. Delamater was ejected at the end of Wednesday’s game against Montague which left the Tiger coaching duties to assistant coach Kirk Rider.


Right from the start you could see that the toll of this three game week was indeed going to affect the Tiger’s play. On the flip side, so was the rust Newaygo was trying to loosen up from going to affect their play. For the first three minutes neither team could find the net. Both teams had equally good looks, but neither could zero in on the basket. In fact the only thing these two teams managed to run up in three minutes was a combined five fouls. I was starting to have flash backs to almost exactly one year ago when Grant played Tri-County in the great Foul-A-Thon of 2022. Jayci Hance eventually did get the Tigers on the board and Addison Goodin the Lions, but as the quarter ended, the foul count was almost equal to the score.


The second quarter wasn’t anymore impressive. Grant was not themselves. Having not seen Newaygo play this year, my only thought was if they could actually make a shot, they would be a dangerous team. They certainly frustrated Grant inside and out rebounded the Tigers on the boards, but as I wrote in my game notes, the Lions “can’t buy a shot” which was probably Grant’s saving grace in this game. So as the half ended, it was the Tigers who headed into the locker room with an eleven point lead over the Lions.

Coach Thomasma must have broken out the oil cans during the half because the Lions came out a completely different team. They slowed their pace and moved the ball well around the parameter trying to draw Grant’s inside defender out. As soon as that defender stepped out of the lane, there was a Lion moving in giving Newaygo an easy two points. It was an impressive eight minutes for the Lions while the Tigers continued to look disjointed. Newaygo opened up with an exciting eight point run to start the third, and then put together a couple of nice scoring drives to overcome their eleven point deficit and take the lead. However, foul trouble continued to haunt Newaygo. So while they enjoyed a three point margin over Grant to end the third, they also racked up nine fouls in those eight minutes.


Grant was now faced for the third time this week with having to play from behind, and this definitely was not where they expected or wanted to find themselves. But something happened in that short span of time between quarters. Like a light being switched on, the Tigers woke up…or should I say Julie Ashbaugh decided she was taking charge. Over the next four and a half minutes Grant would hold the Newaygo scoreless while going on a thirteen point run, the first eight of those points from Ashbaugh. The Lions would see three of their starters foul out. It was too much for Newaygo as Grant came back for a tough win at home.


“Good game,” shared Newaygo’s Coach, Nate Thomasma. “I thought it was kind of a game of runs. Grant had a good run in the second quarter. I thought we had a good run in the third quarter. Grant had a good run in the fourth quarter. It’s kind of like they had the last one, right. They had two good runs. We had one good run. Credit to them. They made some shots and I thought that was the difference in the game.”

I would say that we came out a little bit tired with Sparta and Montague. We really didn’t get things clicking until the second half,” stated the Tiger’s Assistant Coach, Kirk Rider. “We did have nine points, I think, going into halftime, maybe eleven. Newaygo is ready for us all the time, and I know Nate wants to beat us. They gave us a good run for our money tonight. I know Jayce Hance stepped up huge tonight. I think she had sixteen or seventeen points. Hit a clutch three for us in the third quarter when they were making the run. Julie Ashbaugh, I looked at her numbers, and she had a quite eighteen. I really don’t think she got rolling until the fourth quarter. It was a tough game.”


Barbara Toth lead in Newaygo’s efforts tonight with eleven points. Three Lions put up seven points, Maria Riddering, Kija Westbrook, and Grace Painter. Addison Goodin hit for five. Amaya Lathrop hit a timely three to end the first half. And Sydnee Kirk added two. The Lions get a three game week and a five game home stretch starting with Crossroads Charter Academy on Monday evening at 7:00. The Lions move to 1-6 for the season.


It was Julie Ashbaugh who lead in tonight’s Tiger victory with eighteen. Jayci Hance trailed right behind with seventeen of her own. Jocee Pleune also had double digits with ten. Both Alexa Obenauf and Madison Thompson added three, and Makayla Zerlaut put up one. The Tigers get a much-needed rest next week and will only play one away at White Cloud on January 13 at 6:00. Grant moves to 6-3 for the season.