An all-out effort by the girls varsity basketball team on Friday wasn’t enough to cut it against top-dog Grand Rapids Christian. In the 64-53 loss, the Rangers showed heart through the whole game, getting multiple leads throughout.

“This was a fun game,” head coach Kristina Prins said. “Being down early, the girls fought hard and rallied all game long.”

These comments from coach Prins elude to how well the Rangers played against a team that beat them 67-47 earlier in the season. Senior Theryn Hallock continued to dominate by dropping 19 on the night, while juniors Delaney Smith and Maya Holser had outstanding games on both ends of the court. Combining for 17 points and multiple blocks and steals, the ladies kicked it into high gear with the help of the junior duo. 

Juniors Thea Sloat and Gracie VerMeulen also did their fair share of work, scoring 5 and 4 points, respectively. Along with that, key plays on defense to give FHC the lead were just what the ladies needed in the late-season matchups.

Down by double digits going into halftime, even though they scored a season-high 33 points in the first half alone, the girls knew they had to step up their defense; a great defensive third quarter brought the Rangers back into the game. Thea scored a three-ball while Hallock continued her consistent scoring with 5 points in the third. Sophomore Maggie Sneider also added 2 points in the quarter and had five on the day, giving the Rangers a close lead towards the end of the third. 

A fourth-quarter rally by the Eagles was not what the Rangers were looking for, mainly since the Rangers were trying to dig themselves out of a hole. The game flipped scripts when GRC knew what the Rangers were doing on both sides of the court and made key adjustments to counter the game plan from FHC. Despite losing in a close game throughout, the girls showed resilience and some promise right before postseason play.

“This game showed that we can adapt,” Prins said. “After losing to them by 20 last game, we can be proud of the way we played going forward.”

Now at 8-10 overall and 4-8 in conference play, a conference championship is out of reach for the Rangers. However, a home game against Greenville on Tuesday will be a great chance for the ladies to bounce back after a tough loss. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 7 p.m., with the game being Senior Night for the girls.