GROSSE ILE – A high-level Huron League boys basketball matchup took place on the island, pitting Grosse Ile up against Riverview, as both schools came in jockeying for position in the league standings.
Both clubs came into their season sequel with a combined 22 wins on the year already while each was also riding seven-game win streaks overall.With a rematch of an early December meeting taking place – one that was won by Riverview by a single bucket – Grosse Ile attempted to inch themselves closer to the top spot in the Huron League.
Behind some hot shooting and stingy defense, the host Red Devils were able to collect that much-coveted win, a 72-54 final to extend their own win streak to eight while snapping the Pirates’ such streak.
“First and foremost, I am just so happy for my team,” Grosse Ile head coach Derrick Jackson said. ”This is something that we talked about since the beginning of the season, coming out here and beating Riverview for the first time in the seniors’ career. This was their last opportunity, and they really wanted it.
“That’s what I’m more happy about, and proud about,” Jackson added. “Those guys were able to get to see the winning side of things.”
Opening the game, both teams went back and forth trading defensive stops or made buckets, no in between.
A slow beginning for each side led to finding any sort of rhythm very difficult. A free throw advantage ultimately helped propel Grosse Ile to a 17-12 lead at the end of the frame.
The second quarter is when the islanders really took over the game. A 15-0 run suddenly jolted them to a 17-point lead. Riverview was able to cut the deficit slightly, but still found themselves down 36-23 at the half.
“We came out and executed greatly, despite having a slow start. but we started to get shots to fall and things to go our way,” Jackson continued. “We found a way to do the things that I felt like was able to take advantage of some of their weaknesses, and we were able to get shots on the basket.”
Despite efforts to get back into the game in the second half, Riverview was met by a very high-percentage effort from three-point land on the side of Grosse Ile, who ballooned their lead to over 20.
The Devils took a 58-36 lead into the fourth quarter, a lead that they had no plans on giving up as they coasted to their eighth straight win.
“Sometimes it’s not about what you don’t do, it’s about what the other team does,” Riverview head coach Tim Stamper said. “Credit to the kids on Grosse Ile because they came out, played extremely hard, and they wanted them all to be good.
“At the end of the day, we know that when you’re in first place, teams are gonna hunt you, and they did,” Stamper continued. “Credit to the kids on that side, they did a lot well tonight.”
Just the second loss in 15 games played overall, it’s the first conference loss in eight such games this winter season Pirates, who prior to Tuesday had won 20 consecutive games vs Huron League foes going back to last year.
The loss, Stamper says, could propel the reigning Huron League champions back into their winning ways with a slight reality check.
“It’s all about how you respond,” Stamper explained. “It’s all about how you respond to this kind of stuff. So you take it on the chin, you own up to it, and you get back to work. Everything is still in front of us.
“It’s about where we go from here, and I’m confident that we’ll respond the right way.”
In the winning effort, Grosse Ile had four scorers finish in double figures.
Max Westerdale led the way with 21 points, while Jack Moco finished with 18 points. Tanner Symons and Drake Duey chipped in with 15 points and 10 points, respectively.
For Riverview, Noah Swearingen finished with a game-high 28 points. Blake Uy provided a nice lift for the Bucs as well with 15 points.
For the Devils, the win puts them within a game and a half of the top spot in the Huron League, with a game in hand on Riverview as well.
Jackson says Tuesday’s performance only gives them added confidence to fuel their conference championship aspirations.
“Oh man, it just motivates us,” Jackson said. “It keeps us hungry. It keeps us locked in and focused on our goals. All it takes is to go 1-0 for the rest of the year. If we go 1-0 the rest of the year, each league game, it’s a possibility that we will be league champions.
“A win like this, against the top team, to give them their first loss of the season is just motivating for us and for us to keep moving forward.”
UP NEXT
Grosse Ile (10-2, 5-2 Huron League) will get the chance to avenge another December loss later this week on Jan 30 when they go on the road to face off against Monroe Jefferson on Friday.
For Jackson, it is going to be about continuing their defensive growth.
“We can always be better on defense,” Jackson said. “Defense is a big part of our strategy and defense is something that I take a lot of pride in. So if we can become a better defensive team, I think that that can really push us over the edge of being one of the top teams as we go into our district.”
Riverview (13-2, 7-1 Huron League) that same night will look to bounce back from Tuesday’s loss with a home matchup against Milan. Stamper says a priority for the Pirates right now is finding more consistency.
“Consistency in our energy,” Stamper said. “We have to rebound the basketball. We have to defend. We have to keep our composure a little bit better. But again, this is about what (Grosse Ile) did well, not about what we didn’t do, and sometimes that happens.”
Photo gallery of Riverview vs Grosse Ile in a key Huron League boys hoops battle
