Sabers defeat Portagers at Onekama

Manistee Catholic Central’s Alysha Heck (34) shoots over Onekama’s Kayla Kosiboski (30) and Kaylan Fitch on Saturday. (Matt Wenzel/News Advocate)

ONEKAMA — The best way to follow a tough loss is, obviously, with a win.

The quicker, the better.

It took Manistee Catholic Central all of 24 hours to do so.

One day after the Sabers’ 13-game winning streak was snapped in a two-point loss to Bear Lake, MCC jumped out to a big lead early and cruised late for a 69-46 West Michigan D League victory Saturday night against Onekama.

“I said last night’s game is over with, it’s gone, don’t worry about it, we can’t dwell on it,” MCC coach Todd Erickson said of a pre-game talk with his team. “We need to dwell on the future.”

Alysha Heck scored 10 points in the first quarter to stake the Sabers (14-2, 11-1 WMD) to a 12-point lead and the Portagers (11-4, 8-4 WMD) never got closer than eight the rest of the game.

“It seemed like we could never get over the hump,” said Onekama coach Nathan Bradford.

The Sabers posted their second-highest point total of the season and had six players score seven or more.

“You’ve got to have balance,” Erickson said. “If you have one kid scoring 30 and nobody helping out, you can shut down a kid with 30. But if you have balanced scoring from other kids, that helps.”

Heck scored a game-high 18 points to go with nine rebounds, six steals and five assists, Haley Doyle finished with 13 points and nine rebounds and Meghan Miller scored 10. Freshman Mia Hogan chipped in nine points, Amber Robke eight with six rebounds and five assists and Katie Pachesny scored seven.

While MCC’s starters combined for 55 points, Onekama’s first five tallied just 19. Kayla Kosiboski had 14 points and five rebounds off the bench to lead the Portagers, Martina Karlsdotter scored 12 and Hanah Gilbert 10.

MCC held Onekama scoreless for the first half of the opening quarter and Heck drained a triple at the buzzer from just inside half court to give the Sabers a 20-8 lead.

“I think we just looked to execute, work good on defense and look for the open shots,” Heck said.

MCC led Bear Lake by 11 after the first quarter Friday night, then scored just two in the second as the Lakers got back into the game. The Sabers didn’t make the same mistake Saturday and were able to maintain a comfortable lead against the Portagers.

“I thought the intensity was good tonight,” Erickson said. “I thought as a team tonight they played well.”

While MCC was playing for the second time in two nights, Onekama didn’t have school Friday, and thus, didn’t practice.

“I think we were a little rusty,” Bradford said.

Doyle picked up her second foul with 2:36 left in the first quarter and sat the rest of the half.

“We’re getting better at playing without Haley,” Erickson said, noting the team played well in the second half with both Doyle and Heck on the bench. “That’s what you have to have because you never know when you’re going to need that.”

MCC led 32-22 at the half and got to the free throw line early and often in the third. The Sabers were 9-for-11 from stripe in the quarter and 21-for-35 for the game. Onekema’s Tawny Kott and Alexis Tribfelner both picked up their fourth foul in the third quarter.

“We got in foul trouble early,” Bradford said. “I told the girls you’ve got to try to adjust to the officiating.”

MCC led 53-36 heading into the fourth and closed out the win to remain tied with Crossroads Charter Academy for first place in the league, one night after its first loss since the season opener.

“I think we just tried to forget about last night and just come here to play our game,” Heck said. “It was nice to bounce back and come out with a win.”

The MCC JV team beat Onekama 40-33. Jodi Janowiak led the Sabers (11-4) with 13 and Paige Picardat scored 12. Kaylor DeWitt paced Onekama (10-3) with 11 points.

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Pages & Photos by Barb Eldridge
Also photos from Sherry Revolt

Jersey   Varsity Player
3   Kelly Koon
5   Kaylan Fitch
10   Nisha Collins
11   Alexis Tribfelner
14   Caitlin Zielinski
15   Myranda Curtice
22   Martina Karlsdotter
23   Kaitlin Kubiskey
30   Kayla Kosiboski
32   Sierra Warner
34   Hanah Gilbert
42   Hailey Kott
43   Tawny Kott

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