ELK RAPIDS — Things started badly right from the first whistle, and never got any better for the Grayling boys basketball team in a 56-38 loss in the Lake Michigan Conference at Elk Rapids on Tuesday, Jan. 16.
Grayling saw a two-game winning streak snapped with the loss, as they tumbled to a 3-2 mark in the conference and fell to 6-3 overall. Elk Rapids went to 6-3 in all games, and remained in a two-way tie for second place in the conference with Kalkaska with a 4-1 record.
“We were outplayed,” Grayling coach Rich Moffit said. “We turned the ball over and struggled to hit shots. Give Elk Rapids credit, the Elks came to play and we did not respond as a team.”
Grayling trailed by eight, 18-10 at the end of the first quarter, and then was outscored, 21-8 in the second period to find themselves in a 31-18 hole at the halftime break. Although each team scored six points in the third quarter, the Vikings had a 37-24 going into the fourth quarter.
Justin Nicolas led the Vikings with 19 points and seven rebounds. But the next highest scorer with four. Christian Artress, Ryan Anderson and Trey Moffit each had three points, Louis Cotton and Nick Hunter two and Sam Davis and Conner Brill added one each. Anderson also had three assists and Davis made two steals.
Grayling 61, Harbor Springs 47
GRAYLING — Harbor Springs came into the game noted for its 3-point shooting, but the Vikings did a good job defending the long bomb and finished giving up only two made three balls in a 61-47 win in the LMC on Friday, Jan. 12.
Nicholas and Moffit each scored 21 points for the Vikings, while Artress finished with nine, Anderson contributed six and Hunter added two. Nicholas also led the team with 12 rebounds and four assists. Artress and Nicholas each had three assists.
“Our defensive pressure in the third quarter was outstanding,” coach Moffit said. “We created some scoring opportunities by creating turnovers. Our man-to-man was pretty good this game. We were able to disrupt the flow of the Harbor Springs offense.”
After the Vikings finished the first quarter with an 18-11 lead, the Vikings fell off offensively in the second and were outscored, 15-7 to trail, 26-24 at the half.
But the Vikings defense buckled down and limited Harbor Springs to just seven points in the third period, while scoring 28 and built a 52-31 cushion.
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