By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
FENNVILLE—The season has come to a close for Saugatuck boys basketball team.
Taking on Wyoming Potter’s House in the opening round of the Division 3 district hosted by Fennville, the Trailblazers fell behind 49-18 at halftime and ultimately lost by a 78-39 final score.
Saugatuck finished the season at 14-9. That marked its first winning campaign since going 15-6 during the 2016-17 season.
“We played in the first quarter,” said Saugatuck coach Brian Ward, whose team trailed 20-12 at the end of the opening stanza. “We limited turnovers and rebounded well, which allowed us to keep things within striking distance.”
But the second quarter was a different story, as Potter’s House held a 29-6 scoring advantage.
“Turnovers and run-outs by the Pumas made for easy baskets and they took advantage of every opportunity they had,” Ward said. “They were able to coast the rest of the game.”
Will Ayers—the lone senior on the Saugatuck roster—led the Trailblazers with 12 points. Junior Russell VandePoel added seven points.
Also in the Fennville district, the host Blackhawks outscored Black River 10-5 in overtime to earn the 65-60 victory.
Ben Peterson led a balanced Fennville scoring attack, going for 20 points. Quinn Rosema and Aidan Swingle joined him in double figures with 13 and 11 points, respectively.
Nate Griffin added nine points for Fennville, while led 44-40 through three quarters. Black River outscored the Blackhawks 15-11 in the fourth frame to knot the score at 55-55 to force the extra session.