Last week in the Rangers’ second to last game of the season, the girls JV basketball team took on the Byron Center Bulldogs in what proved to be a highly competitive game until the very end. The Bulldogs ended up slipping away with the victory by a slight margin of three points, ending the game with a score of 42-39. 

The Rangers started off relatively slow offensively in the first half, scoring only 15 of their points by the end of the second quarter. Freshman Maggie Sneider led this half with six points and was followed closely by sophomore Maya Holser who had five. The other four points were awarded to freshmen Claire Marvin and Zenash Cummings off of their fast-break layups. 

As the third quarter commenced, the Rangers came out strong. They were not able to finish several of their baskets, but their defensive pressure caused chaos in the Bulldogs’ half. Both Maya and sophomore Frankie Sutton picked up four more points. However, as the Rangers entered the fourth quarter, they went on a massive 18-point scoring run in the last quarter to cut down the Bulldogs lead. Once again, Maya played a huge part in the Rangers’ comeback, as she went on to score 12 more points and went nine for ten from the free-throw line. In order to back up Maya’s efforts, Frankie hit a clutch three-pointer towards the end of the quarter to put the Rangers within five. Her three-point dagger was immediately followed by a steal and layup from Zenash. The Rangers continued their intense pressure throughout the entire game and were able to get several break-aways from this, and Maya and Maggie’s prominent presence on the offensive and defensive boards bolstered their chances at a legitimate comeback. Even though they won the battles in the paint, the Rangers’ lack of scoring output from their stars ended up being a backbreaker for them.

The girls JV basketball team will take on the East Grand Rapids Pioneers this Thursday, March 18 at 5:30 P.M. This will be their last game of the season and will be played on the Rangers’ home court. The girls varsity basketball team will be holding its senior night at 5:00 pm as well.