Sabers 2-0 against Portagers this season

By DYLAN SAVELA, Manistee News Advocate Sports Writer

MANISTEE — Onekama hoped to even the score from an earlier season loss to Manistee Catholic Central, but was unable to stop the Sabers’ 58-34 victory Thursday night.

“We came out flat and they jumped on us,” Portagers coach Nathan Bradford said, “they are a pretty good team”.

MCC narrowly beat Onekama by one point on Dec. 8, but the Sabers never trailed in Thursday night’s second-time-around.

Ashley Bauman led MCC with 16 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks. Also scoring in double digits for the Sabers were Alexandria Barnett with 15 points and Brooke Etheridge with 13. Jennifer Alway had four points, Michalina Hanson, Danielle Edmondson and Molly Howard each dropped in three, and Emelia Modjeski added one.

Onekama was led by Taylor Hagen who had 10 points. Also scoring for the Portagers were Chelsea Miller with nine, Jennica Mathieu had six, Katie Prielipp scored five and Sherece Revolt and Paige Rutowski scored three and one respectively.

The Sabers jumped out of the gates and put up 20 first quarter points to Onekama’s four, and never looked back.

Etheridge had eight first quarter points to provide the first scoring spark to the Sabers. Barnett helped the Sabers close the game out by netting seven in the fourth.

Manistee Catholic Central’s Brooke Etheridge (left) and Ashley Bauman put pressure on Onekama’s Chelsea Miller Thursday night in Manistee. The Sabers won, 58-34. Dylan Savela/News Advocate

Bauman, MCC’s leading scorer, had a “quiet 16 points,” coach Todd Erickson said. “She’s been sick. She missed school yesterday for the first time since like kindergarten,” Erickson said, “so we knew we had to step up as a team no matter if she could play today or not.” Bauman still felt a little under the weather while she was on the court, but said “all the girls stepped up really well tonight.”

Erickson agreed by saying “Brooke (Etheridge) and Alex (Barnett) really showed why they are on varsity tonight.”