Portager Boys Lose
to Cougars in Overtime
Manistee News Advocate staff repor
Loss drops Onekama into
three-way tie atop West Michigan D League
BIG RAPIDS — For the
second time this season, it took overtime to decide a winner between
Onekama and Big Rapids Crossroads Charter Academy.
Unlike their first match-up, it was CCA that came out
on top Friday night, by edging the Portagers, 73-71, off of a Gavin
Erbes game-winning shot at the buzzer.
The Portagers (9-3, 9-2) came into the game alone atop
the West Michigan D League standings. The loss not only snaps Onekama’s
five-game winning streak against conference opponents, but now puts the
Portagers in a three-way first place tie with MCE and Baldwin.
“Big Rapids has been playing really good,” said
Onekama coach Roger Smith. “We lost our composure and blew a six-point
lead in overtime.”
Onekama was unable to stop Cougar sophomore Jalen Carter,
who finished with a game-high 38 points. |
Isaiah Simmons added 12 for CCA.
Scoring for the Portagers were Ryan Miller with 20 points, Levi Capper
with 16, Skyler Kimpel and Hunter Slade had 15 apiece, while Adrian
Norman added four.
Onekama had a double digit lead at the end of the
first quarter, leading the Cougars, 16-6.
CCA answered back in the second quarter however,
outscoring the Portagers 22-7, which gave the Cougars a 28-23 halftime
lead. “We had way too many turnovers in the second quarter,” Smith said.
“Their four 3s (in the second quarter) hurt us too.”
The two teams battled in the second half and
eventually were knotted at 59 when regulation came to a close.
Each team scored 12 points in the extra four minutes
until Erbes was able to add two more for the Cougars with his last
second shot.
“It was a hard fought game,” Smith said. “We just made
way too many mistakes.”
With the win, the Cougars knot up the season series
with Onekama at a game apiece. Onekama beat the Cougars at home in a
66-61 overtime win on Jan. 6. |