By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
The Saugatuck girls basketball team nearly pulled off a big comeback against Allegan on Monday, Jan. 16.
Down by 14 through three quarters, the Trailblazers cut the deficit to four with less than three minutes to play. And they appeared poised to draw even closer to the Tigers.
But a layup attempt wouldn’t fall, and Allegan scored on the ensuing possession to push its lead back to six points en route to handing Saugatuck the 53-49 loss.
The Trailblazers held a 19-9 scoring edge in the fourth quarter after being outscored 19-6 in the third stanza. Allegan led 25-24 at halftime.
“I give our girls a lot of credit,” Saugatuck coach Kevin Tringali said. “We had a tough third quarter and could have hung our heads and given up, but they kept fighting and had a chance to win this game.”
Kennedy Gustafson scored 20 points to lead Saugatuck, while Haley Rivera had nine and Penny Grob added eight.
The loss dropped Saugatuck to 5-5, while Allegan improved to 2-6.
“I knew Allegan was a better team than their record indicated,” Tringali said. “They’ve had a lot of girls out with injuries, and their coach told me this was one of the first times they’ve really been healthy all season.
“They have some big, physical ball handlers and I think they’re going to surprise some other teams the rest of the way.”
Three days earlier, the Trailblazers traveled to Delton and jumped out to a 24-3 lead after one quarter. They never looked back in claiming the 52-26 victory.
A smothering defensive press by Saugatuck resulted in several turnovers by Delton that the Trailblazers converted into points.
“Our kids are really starting to buy in on the defensive end of the court,” Tringali said. “It’s something we continue to emphasize in practice and we’re starting to see it pay off.”
Saugatuck’s lead stood at 35-10 at halftime.
Offensively, Rivera poured in 16 points to lead all scorers. Gustafson joined her in double figures with 11 points.
All 12 players on the Saugatuck roster received playing time, with six of them scoring.
On Tuesday, Jan. 10, the Trailblazers suffered a tough 48-37 lead to Wyoming Potter’s House.
The fourth quarter proved to be the turning point.
Down 19-16 at halftime, Saugatuck used a 14-10 scoring edge in the third quarter to take a 30-29 lead entering the final frame.
But Potter’s House outscored the Trailblazers 19-7 in the fourth quarter to pull away.
“Our kids played their best game of the season tonight,” Tringali said. “They worked hard in practice and in the film room. We were prepared and it showed.”
Potter House’s fourth-quarter comeback came about largely due to a two-minute span during which Saugatuck struggled.
“Potter’s House is extremely athletic and although we contained them throughout, they took advantage of a small window of poor decisions and missed shots midway through the fourth,” Tringali said.
“We had a great defensive effort tonight, took away their drive and forced them to play outside.”
Gustafson had a solid all-around game with 14 points, 15 rebounds and several blocks. Ada Roth finished with 10 points.
lines (12 inches)
By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
DELTON—The Saugatuck girls basketball team nearly pulled off a big comeback against Allegan on Monday, Jan. 16.
Down by 14 through three quarters, the Trailblazers cut the deficit to four with less than three minutes to play. And they appeared poised to draw even closer to the Tigers.
But a layup attempt wouldn’t fall, and Allegan scored on the ensuing possession to push its lead back to six points en route to handing Saugatuck the 53-49 loss.
The Trailblazers held a 19-9 scoring edge in the fourth quarter after being outscored 19-6 in the third stanza. Allegan led 25-24 at halftime.
“I give our girls a lot of credit,” Saugatuck coach Kevin Tringali said. “We had a tough third quarter and could have hung our heads and given up, but they kept fighting and had a chance to win this game.”
Kennedy Gustafson scored 20 points to lead Saugatuck, while Haley Rivera had nine and Penny Grob added eight.
The loss dropped Saugatuck to 5-5, while Allegan improved to 2-6.
“I knew Allegan was a better team than their record indicated,” Tringali said. “They’ve had a lot of girls out with injuries, and their coach told me this was one of the first times they’ve really been healthy all season.
“They have some big, physical ball handlers and I think they’re going to surprise some other teams the rest of the way.”
Three days earlier, the Trailblazers traveled to Delton and jumped out to a 24-3 lead after one quarter. They never looked back in claiming the 52-26 victory.
A smothering defensive press by Saugatuck resulted in several turnovers by Delton that the Trailblazers converted into points.
“Our kids are really starting to buy in on the defensive end of the court,” Tringali said. “It’s something we continue to emphasize in practice and we’re starting to see it pay off.”
Saugatuck’s lead stood at 35-10 at halftime.
Offensively, Rivera poured in 16 points to lead all scorers. Gustafson joined her in double figures with 11 points.
All 12 players on the Saugatuck roster received playing time, with six of them scoring.
On Tuesday, Jan. 10, the Trailblazers suffered a tough 48-37 lead to Wyoming Potter’s House.
The fourth quarter proved to be the turning point of the game.
Down 19-16 at halftime, Saugatuck used a 14-10 scoring edge in the third quarter to take a 30-29 lead to the intermission.
But Potter’s House outscored the Trailblazers 19-7 in the final frame to pull away.
Despite the loss, Tringali had nothing but praise for his team’s effort and execution.
“Our kids played their best game of the season tonight,” he said. “They worked hard in practice and in the film room. We were prepared and it showed.”
Potter House’s fourth-quarter comeback came about largely from a two-minute span.
“Potter’s House is extremely athletic and although we contained them throughout, they took advantage of a small window of poor decisions and missed shots midway through the fourth,” Tringali said.
“We had a great defensive effort tonight, took away their drive and forced them to play outside.”
Gustafson had a solid all-around game with 14 points, 15 rebounds and several blocks. Ada Roth finished with 10 points.