Jackson boys look to do what no other team has done against East Lansing
By Mike Moore Staff Writer Jackson — A little bit of recall offers a bit of perspective. Looking back offers a chance to learn, formulate an approach, and maybe most of all, build some confidence. The East Lansing boys basketball team is undefeated this year. But as Dan Crowley and his Jackson boys squad prepare for tonight’s 6 p.m. home game, they know the Trojans aren’t unbeatable. “We have a very tall task at hand,” Crowley said Thursday night. “That’s a team ranked third in the state. It’s a team coming off a very impressive win. It’s going to be a great challenge for us.” Not an impossible one, though. Crowley garners that from the aforementioned looking back. When Jackson traveled to play at East Lansing Dec. 9, the Vikings held a 21-19 advantage after the first quarter. East Lansing outscored the Vikings by just one, 19-18, in the third, and the teams played to a 17-17 draw in the fourth. The difference, as it would be, was a 27-9 run for East Lansing in the second quarter. “If you can keep them from runs, you have a chance,” Crowley…
Napoleon alum Brittany Leutz scores 10 for Albion in upset win over Hope
Napoleon alum Brittany Leutz, a first-year student at Albion College, scored 10 points Wednesday night to help the Britons stun sixth-ranked Hope College, 83-77, in overtime. Leutz hit a pair of 3-point baskets in the game, including one that forged a tie at 66 with two minutes left in regulation. Leutz has scored in double figures in the last three games to raise her scoring average to 5.3 through 18 games. (photo courtesy of Bobby Lee, Albion College)
Napoleon has chance at statement win, welcomes in Michigan Center Wednesday night
By Mike Moore Staff Writer Napoleon — After going 15-6 three seasons ago, the Napoleon boys basketball program hit a two-year speed bump. In 2014-15, the Pirates were 7-14. Last winter followed with an 8-13 mark. Jeremy File then stepped in hoping to smooth things out, and as he and his guys regrouped this year, they did so with a certain optimism surrounding the team. Then, in the season opener, the Pirates were left scratching their heads after 68-62 loss at Onsted. For whatever reason, that loss gave way to a mission. “We wanted to take things one game at a time, and by the time we faced Michigan Center, we wanted to equal last year’s win total,” File, the first-year coach, recalled of his bold goal setting in early December. Well, more than a month and a half later, File and the Pirates have played eight games since that loss. File and the Pirates have won eight games since that loss. “To accomplish that mission and equal the win total was a pretty big deal to these guys,” File said. Now comes the chance to eclipse it in…
Outside shots and late free throws secure ‘big win’ for Grass Lake boys basketball
By Mike Moore Staff Writer Grass Lake — Some time had come and gone since the last time the Grass Lake boys basketball team played a home game. The calendar switched over. A new president was sworn in. Days and nights had passed. “Thirty-five days,” coach Joel Cook said with a smile, not as if he was counting, or anything. Needless to say, the Warriors were glad to be back on the home court Tuesday night, and made the most of the home rims, heating up from outside for a 60-57 victory over East Jackson. “This is a big win,” Cook said. “We were shorthanded, playing with only nine guys, but they all stepped up. Every single guy played a part in this win.” While the gym was quiet, and relatively empty most of the night, it was East Jackson that came out strong. The Trojans scored early and often, building a 14-10 advantage after the first quarter. But Grass Lake adjusted, and went on a 19-11 run in the second to take a 29-25 lead into halftime. The third quarter, and the entire second half, for that matter,…
