Tag Archives: South Christian girls basketball

South Christian girls fall short in state quarterfinal thriller against West Catholic, 39-37

Citizen Journalism, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , ,



By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org



The South Christian Sailors girls basketball team found itself in a similar situation to last week’s regional title game, but unlike last week, a late comeback fell just a bucket short.


When a last-second layup attempt bounced off the rim with no time remaining on the clock, the Sailors saw a memorable state tournament run end with a 39-37 loss to Grand Rapids West Catholic in the Division 2 state quarterfinal game at Unity Christian.

Similar to the regional title game against Vicksburg, South Christian found itself facing a seven-point deficit with five minutes remaining. Just like the regional final, the Sailors mounted a furious comeback led by their defense. South Christian limited West Catholic to just two free throws in the final five minutes. Those free throws, however, proved just enough for West Catholic to hold off the determined Sailors.

“They don’t ever quit,” said South Christian Coach Erika Brown, about her player. “We just couldn’t connect on the offensive end like we usually do and it didn’t help missing our free throws tonight either. It was just one of those games where time just ran out on us.” 

The game was a close, defensive struggle throughout. South Christian was up 9-7 at the end of the first quarter and took a 20-18 lead into halftime.

“We knew it was going to be a grind-out battle against a conference opponent,” said West Catholic Coach Derek Paiz. “We just wanted to come out here and execute on offense. I thought they (South Christian) did a really good job of switching between man and two-three zone. That kind of threw us off and held us below our season average.”   



South Christian’s Lizzie Wolthuis (3) prepares to pass during the state quarterfinal game. (Photo Courtesy, Greg Chrapek)



Sailors up by three in the third until West Catholic run

The Sailors were up 28-25 midway through the third quarter before West Catholic went on a scoring spurt. The Falcons closed out the quarter with an 8-0 run to take a 33-28 lead into the fourth quarter.

West Catholic upped the lead to 37-30 in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter before South Christian ramped up the intensity on the defensive side of the floor and began to create turnovers.

A bucket by Abby Prins cut the West lead to 37-32 with 3:54 remaining in the game. With 2:17 left, the Sailor defense forced another turnover, which led to a drive to the bucket by Sophia Prins. She was fouled and added the free throw to trim the Falcon lead to two.

With 1:44 remaining, West’s Elish Dykstra split a pair of free throws to put the Falcons up 38-35. South, however, trimmed the deficit to a single point with 57 seconds remaining in the game when Sophia Prins drained a pair of free throws.

The Sailor defense forced a turnover with 50 seconds remaining in the game, but came up empty on the ensuing possession. Abby Prins came up with a steal for the Sailors with 28 seconds remaining, but the Sailors lost possession with seven seconds remaining in the game.

Sailors’ last-second layup bounces out

West Catholic’s Anna Ignatoski split a pair of free throws with 6.8 seconds remaining giving the Sailors one final opportunity to tie or take the lead, but a last-second layup attempt bounced off the rim.

Sophia Prins South Christian with 12 points, followed by sophomore Meredith Helmus, 10 and freshman Natalie Wolthuis with five.



South Christian’s Kamryn Boonstra (10) and Meredith Helmus (14) prepare on defense during the state quarterfinal game. (Photo Courtesy, Greg Chrapek)



South Christian finished the season at 24-3, and shared the OK Gold with West Catholic, both teams at 11-1 in the conference.

“This season was pretty special,” Brown said. “With the group of girls that we have and coming off the season last year where we started that run at the end. We had some battles early in the season, but the run at the end just inspired us for this year. It’s one thing to sit down and talk about your dreams at the beginning of the season, but it’s another thing to actually work at the process of it and enjoy the process because it’s a long season.

“The girls bought into that this year and that alone speaks testament to how these girls are as individuals on and off the court. The whole journey was just fantastic.”

While the loss marked the end of the careers for South Christian seniors Kamryn Boonstra, Lily Nitz, Brianna Knott and Kaylee Quist, the bulk of the team is due back next season. The outcome was not what the Sailors wanted, but the state tournament run will propel the team into what should be another memorable season next winter.

“As a coach, when you look ahead that gets you excited about the future,” Brown explained. “Once this wears off, the hurt of this game wears off, it will sink into them that they made a run that was something special and they can make a comeback next year.”

The Falcons, who improved to 23-3, were led in scoring by senior Elisha Dykstra with 13 points.

South Christian uses late rally to defeat Vicksburg for D2 regional title

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, ,
The South Christian girls basketball team with the regional championship trophy. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)


By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org


Trailing by seven points midway through the fourth quarter of the Division 2 regional championship against Vicksburg, the South Christian girls basketball team was at a crossroads.


They needed to turn things around in a hurry if they were going to continue their state tournament run. The Sailors did just that, as they mounted a furious rally in the final minutes of the game to overtake Vicksburg and claim a regional crown with a 64-57 win.

The win sends them to next Tuesday’s Division 2 state quarterfinal game at Unity Christian where they face Grand Rapids West Catholic at 7 p.m.

South Christian Coach Erika Brown called a timeout during the fourth quarter to remind the team of what they needed to do to accomplish their goal of a regional title and to continue what has been a memorable tournament run. 

“We called that timeout and I just said to the girls, this is what you’ve been preparing for all season and it comes down to the will to win,” Brown explained. “That’s what we had to concentrate on. We weren’t doing the little things all game long that we needed to so we needed to really focus on that.


That (Vicksburg) is a good team; a very, very good team. They are well coached and we needed to do everything spot on to give ourselves a chance.”

The Sailors responded to Brown’s words in a big way, trailing 53-46, South Christian closed out the game by outscoring Vicksburg 18-4. Junior guard Sophia Prins played a key role in the rally, coming up with a big steal and bucket to start the run. With 1:40 remaining in the game, Prins delivered a key assist as her pass to Lizzie Wolthuis led to a bucket that put the Sailors up 56-55.



South Christian’s Lizzie Wolthuis (3), who totaled 14 points, drives the baseline against Vicksburg. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)


Prins then had another key steal and drove the floor for a layup attempts. She was fouled on the play and then sank a pair of free throws upping the lead to 58-55 with 1:16 left.

“That is Sophia our point guard,” Brown said. “She is so physical on both ends of the floor. She is our general, our floor leader. When she gets going the rest of us just follow.”

Six consecutive points near the end to seal the win

Vicksburg cut the margin to 58-57 before the Sailors closed the game out with six consecutive points in the final minute of the game. Four of those points came from Prins, including a pair of key free throws.     

“We got down by a little bit, but we just worked super hard and we didn’t give up,” Prins said. “We knew that the game wasn’t over. It was because we love each other and we stuck together.”

The two teams were no stranger to each other as the Sailors and Bulldogs met in the regional title game last season. Vicksburg came out ahead last year with a 49-34 win, and for the Sailors, winning the title this year against the Bulldogs was extra special.

“Last year we lost in regionals to Vicksburg so this was revenge,” Prins said. “We did everything we could to make it to quarterfinals next week. I knew to win this we would have to get deflections and steals and give them the least amount of offensive possessions as possible, and we did just that.”

The game was a back-and-forth struggle throughout. South Christian led 21-13 at the end of the first quarter and was up 36-30 at the half before Vicksburg battled back to take a 49-46 lead heading into the final quarter.

“We knew we were going to get a game of runs with them,” Brown said. “They (Vicksburg) are good three-point shooters and flashers to the hoop and that’s what they did.” 

Prins led South Christian with 24 points, including 3, three-point buckets. In all, the Sailors connected on 12 three-point shots. Junior Lizzie Wolthuis converted four treys as part of her 14 points, while senior Lily Nitz scored all nine of her points on treys. Sophomore Meredith Helmus added seven points, followed by freshman Abby Prins with six.

“This title is so special,’ Brown said. “We talk a lot about being family and being connected and what will get you to that victory line is that. This is a special group of girls. From seniors down to our two freshmen on our team. The way our seniors have led this team with grace. Our freshmen have never skipped a beat.


“It’s been a really good journey. I’m so proud of these girls. The fight, the determination, the competitiveness. The outright love they have not only for the game, but for each other. It’s really special.”   

Vicksburg, which finished the season with a 23-3 record, was paced in scoring by seniors Scarlett Hasner (26 points) and Makayla Allen (19). The pair was especially effective from long range as they combined for 9 three-point buckets.

South Christian, which improved to 24-2, advance to Tuesday’s quarterfinal to face OK Gold rival West Catholic (22-3). The two teams finished atop the conference at 11-1 each. West Catholic won the first meeting between the two rivals in January by a 62-49 margin, while South Christian won the rematch in February 58-51.  

South Christian defense amps up the pressure in win over Thornapple Kellogg in WKTV Game of the Week Tuesday

Citizen Journalism, Kent County, Local Sports, Sports, West Michigan, , , , , ,
South Christian junior guard Sophia Prins led the Sailors with a game-high 23 points in the win against Thornapple Kellogg. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



By Greg Chrapek
WKTV Contributor
greer@wktv.org



Heading into Tuesday’s OK Gold game against Thornapple Kellogg, South Christian girls basketball Coach Erika Brown was looking for her team to take things up another level on the defensive end. The Sailors ended up doing that and more as South turned in a defensive gem in beating TK 55-25.

“There’s been things that we’ve been specifically working on in practice and we really wanted to put it into the game and see how we could adjust and make those adjustments,” Brown said. “We just need to clean up our defense and slides and positioning and some of our schemes on defense. Just really getting after knowing where we are together as a team in the movement part of it on defense.”

South Christian wasted little time in showing the dividends of the work it put in on defense during recent practices. The Sailor defense was aggressive and on point right from the opening tipoff against the Trojans. With the combination of stingy defense and balance on offense, South Christian took a 12-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Sailor offense was paced in the opening quarter by juniors Lizzie Wolthuis and Sophia Prins who both connected on three-point shots.


South Christian’s Lizzie Wolthuis (3), who totaled 11 points, drives the baseline against Thornapple Kellogg. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



“We did get off to a good start,” Brown said. “That’s what we talk a lot about. Our team identifies as defense and transition, so we’ve been really working on those two things.” 

South Christian took its defense to another level in the second quarter. Turning up the defensive intensity even more, the Sailors kept TK off the scoreboard for the entire quarter while building a 25-7 halftime lead.

With a double-digit lead heading into the second half, the Sailors maintained their aggressiveness on the defensive end while sharpening their skills on the offensive side of the floor. South Christian outscored TK 17-11 during the third quarter as it built a 42-18 lead.

South Christian closed out the game by outscoring the Trojans 13-7 in the fourth quarter.

Prins led the way for South Christian with 23 points highlighted by 3 three-point baskets.

“Our point guard Sophia (Prins) had an amazing game,” Brown said. “She is our floor general and director. She is doing a lot better in her talking and getting people where they need to be. I was very proud of her tonight.” 

Wolthuis also drained a trio of treys finishing with 11 points. Sophomore Meredith Helmus added seven.


Overall, the Sailors were pleased with their offensive production, but like the defense, they see upside for improvement.

“We have some things we have to work on with offense,” Brown said. “We’ve been seeing more zone this year than we have in the past and zone offenses tend to get overlooked a little more than man, the quick-hit plays and all the things you really work on a lot. For what we’ve been working on for zone offense, I was happy and pleased with what we did tonight.” 


South Christian senior Kamryn Boonstra (10) looks for an opening against the Trojans defense. (WKTV, Greg Chrapek)



South Christian improved to 14-2 overall and 7-1 in the conference. The win also set the stage for Friday’s OK Gold showdown where the Sailors, ranked 13th in the state in Division 2, travel to Grand Rapids West Catholic to take on the Falcons, ranked fifth in the state in Division 2 and have a 7-0 record in the conference.

The win was the sixth in a row for the Sailors since they dropped a 62-49 decision to West Catholic in early January. South’s other loss was a 41-39 decision against Hudsonville in December.

With four seniors on the team along with two freshmen, two sophomores and the remaining players from the junior class, the Sailors have a mix of youth and veterans which makes for an enjoyable team to coach.

“We have a group of girls that just love each other,” Brown said. “It’s a little bit more than basketball to us. It’s about life and doing this journey together. Being there through the hard times, the good times, the struggles in school, on and off the court. We have a really, really good squad this year. They’ve really taken this to heart and making this a journey that’s going to be memorable.”  

Thornapple Kellogg fell to 2-5 in the league, 6-9 overall. The Trojans were led in scoring by freshman Taylor Lloyd, who drained a pair of treys and finished with 14 points.

South Christian girls basketball team saves best for last with thrilling tournament run

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Local Sports, Sports, ,
South Christian girls pose with their district championship trophy. (Photo Courtesy, David Kool)



By Greg Chrapek

WKTV Contributor



It was a season of ups and downs for the South Christian girls basketball team, but the final couple weeks of ups made the season one to remember for the Sailors.

After finishing the regular season with a 12-10 overall record, 7-7 in the OK Gold, the Sailors went on a thrilling state tournament run that included a district championship and berth in the regional finals.

Heading into the final game of the regular season, South Christian’s record stood at 11-10, the Sailors, however, wrapped up the regular season with a big boost as they defeated a 16-6 Wyoming team 56-55.

That win propelled the Sailors into the state tournament with some momentum. Hosting the district tournament, South Christian took advantage of that momentum by defeating Wayland 48-38 in the district semifinals. The Sailors then won the district title in thrilling fashion with a 78-67 win in double overtime against Holland Christian.


Holland Christian grabbed a 14-10 lead at the end of the first quarter in the district title game and led by four at halftime. The Sailors eventually took a 37-36 lead at the end of the third quarter before the game went into double overtime. The two squads scored six points apiece in the first overtime before South Christian dominated the second one outscoring Holland Christian 14-3.    

Sailors claw back after 13-2 deficit in regional opener

South kept the momentum going at the regional opener at Hopkins with a 47-40 win against Otsego. The Sailors displayed plenty of determination in the win against Otsego as they rallied from behind. South Christian trailed 13-2 at the end of the first quarter before clamping down on defense and picking up the pace on offense.

The season came to an end for the Sailors, however, in the regional final where they dropped a 49-34 decision to Vicksburg.


South Christian Coach Erika Brown (Courtesy, South Christian)

“Winning the district title and competing in a regional final game this season was so special for this group of young ladies,” said South Christian Coach Erika Brown, in her first season as head coach.



“Their hard work, love for each other and the game, and the deep belief they could win was what carried them through, plus our strong defensive mentality. I am incredibly proud of them and what they were determined to accomplish through the many ups and downs this season gave us.”



Defense key to success

The Sailors, who finished the season with a 15-11 overall record, built their team on defense and that defense was a key to success down the stretch.

“Our defense defined us this season,” Brown said. “When we connected and got after it on defense, our offense would ignite.”



Sophia Prins. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)
Lizzie Wolthuis. (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)

South Christian received key contributions from every member of the team this season. South was led by a solid backcourt that featured guards Sophia Prins and Lizzie Wolthuis.

“Sophia was our starting point guard,” Brown said. “She directed the way and gave us composure and confidence on both ends of the floor.





“Lizzie was our starting shooting guard. She would ignite our offense with her ability to hit threes and drive to the hoop. She also was a strong rebounder and defensive presence.”

The backcourt also was balanced by the versatile skills of the fellow starters.


“Ashley Thomasma was our senior captain who has strong defensive and passing abilities,” Brown said. “Kami Boonstra was our strong driver and shooter and was great at getting defensive deflections. Lily Nitz was our junior captain who was our most versatile player guarding the other team’s top players.”


South Christian captain Ashley Thomasma (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)
South Christian captain Lily Nitz (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)



The Sailors also received numerous contributions from players not in the starting lineup throughout the season.

“So many of our players brought such unique talent to our team this year,” Brown said. “We were blessed and fortunate to have so many pieces to the puzzle.” 

While lifting a district title trophy was special, it was the process involved that really sticks out for Brown.

“What I will remember the most about the team and the tournament run was the smiles and watching the girls’ hearts grow and the belief in their eyes widen,” Brown said. “I am so grateful for my wonderful coaching staff, supportive parents and a group of young ladies that bought in and made this such a fun journey this season.


“I will forever remember this team and my first year as head coach.”

Nice start for new South Christian girls basketball Coach Erika Brown; replaces 28-year veteran Kim Legge

City of Kentwood, Local Sports, Sports,
New South Christian Girls Basketball Coach Erika Brown (Courtesy, South Christian)



By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



It’s not an easy task replacing a 28-year veteran coach who has experienced great success.



That’s what Erika Brown is tasked to do as the new coach of the South Christian girls basketball team, replacing Kim Legge.



“I am excited to continue building off the success Coach Legge established over her many years of coaching,” said Brown, who was the varsity assistant for the Sailors for three years and coach at Grandville and Davision for four years. ” I am honored to take the lead here at South. Coaching at South gives me the opportunity to share my faith and help encourage young ladies to be the best versions of themselves.



“Teaching them the game of basketball is the icing on the cake.”



Brown kicked off her new role with a 56-40 win over Grand Rapids Christian last Tuesday.



“I am proud of our hard work on Tuesday night,” said Brown, whose husband Danny is South Christian’s football coach. “Grand Rapids Christian has been a tough opener over the years. I felt we played well and I was happy with our energy and effort. We talk a lot about our effort, attitude and our connection with each other. These are things we can control and we put lots of emphasis on them.



“Our leading scorers for the night were Sophia Prins (19 points) and Lizzie Wolthuis (15 points). Sophia is our floor general, and as our point guard she is the extension of the coach on the floor. She embraces this role with everything she has. Lizzie is our shooting guard. When she finds her rhythm we roll with it and great things happen.”


“It’s pretty special to have two players who began their high school career together on varsity, continuing to be great teammates and leaders in their own unique ways.”



The team captains are senior Ashley Thomasma and junior Lily Nitz.  


South Christian captain Lily Nitz (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)



Brown takes over a Sailor team that finished second in the Gold at 10-4, 16-8 overall.



“Our goal this year is to get better each week, to compete at our best each game and to embrace the process and journey we are on together.”




South Christian captain Ashey Thomasma (Courtesy, Eric Walstra)







South Christian Athletic Director David Kool had much to say about Coach Brown and former Coach Legge.



“We are so excited to have someone the caliber of Coach Brown taking over our program,” Kool said. “She has been involved with the program over the last couple of years as an assistant so her familiarity with the girls and our community is top-notch. She brings past experience as a varsity head coach at different programs and a vast array of knowledge in the basketball realm. Coach Brown is a relational coach who’s life mission is to love kids and show them the hands and feet of Jesus every day. She is going to make our girls better as players and human beings and that is very exciting for us.



“Coach Legge is and will continue to be missed. We are very grateful and appreciative of her leadership of our program over the years. She not only won a lot of games, but more importantly, made an impact on so many girls over her 28 years at South Christian. She was a relationship person and a Jesus follower first who did things the right way and her time will always be remembered fondly here. We wish her and her family nothing but success in the next phase of her life.”

OK Gold champion South Christian girls basketball team hoping for another run

City of Kentwood, Sports,
(pxhere.com)


By Cris Greer

WKTV Managing Editor

greer@wktv.org



Coming off an 18-4 season last year, the South Christian girls basketball team will lean on two returning starters and some young talent to be in the mix again for another conference crown.

“I anticipate the OK Gold being a competitive conference as usual and only time will tell how things pan out,” said Coach Kim Legge, whose Sailors tied with Catholic Central atop the OK Gold at 13-1. “I am extremely excited about our future as I see us growing each and every day.

“We are gauging our progress one day at a time, but we love the progress these girls have made already.”

Senior leader Ashley Raredon. (Courtesy, South Christian)

Senior Ashley Raredon and junior Ashley Thomasma are the two returning starters.

“Ashley (Raredon) played big minutes for us last season and has stepped right back into that role, but with some added leadership skills,” said Legge, whose Sailors are off to a quick 4-2 start. “Ashley (Thomasma) has and will be a big contributor for us. The two of them have played together for two years now and work really well together.”

Junior Joelle Alferink, who saw limited minutes last season, “knows our system now after being on varsity,” Legge continued. “We have also added sophomore Lily Nitz and two freshmen, Sophia Prins and Lizzie Wolthuis to the regular rotation at this time.

“They all are capable shooters and can work the inside outside game well with Ashley Raredon.”


Legge said her players can really push each other in practice.

“They get after it and that is going to make us stronger as the season progresses.”

South Christian girls fall to Grand Rapids Christian 48-39 in home opener

Citizen Journalism, Sports, West Michigan, , ,
The South Christian girls basketball team before a game from last season. The Sailors fell to Grand Rapids Christian 48-39 on Tuesday. (WKTV)



By Zach Fanko

WKTV Contributor

After dropping its opener last week to Forest Hills Northern, the South Christian girls basketball team had the tall task of facing a tough Grand Rapids Christian squad on Tuesday night.

The Sailors hung around with the Eagles for four quarters, but ultimately a few defensive breakdowns and some untimely turnovers led to a 48-39 loss. Despite the loss, South Christian coach Kim Legge was pleased with the performance from her young team.

“We are making the progress that we have to make,” Legge said. “We are a young team that has freshmen and sophomores playing big minutes so we are still learning how to gel as a unit.”

One of those freshman was Lizzie Wolthuis who came off the bench to score a team-high 11 points for the Sailors. Lily Nitz and Ashley Raredon each accounted for five rebounds.

South Christian (0-2) trailed by just six at the break and fought to get within four points in the third quarter, but Katlyn LaRue’s game-high 15 points for Grand Rapids Christian (4-0) proved to be the difference.

The Sailors travel to Holland Christian on Thursday, while the Eagles have some time off before a Dec. 15 matchup with Bryon Center.

WKTV prep playoff coverage: East Kentwood, South Christian in girls district finals

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The East Kentwood High School girls basketball team (shown here in an early season game) will be playing in a District final game this week. (WKTV)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

After a hectic week of local teams battling in state girls basketball district tournaments, the East Kentwood Falcons are in the finals of the Division 1 tournament at Middleville Thornapple Kellogg High School, while the South Christian Sailors are in the finals of the Division 2 tournament in Wayland. Both finals will be Friday, March 26.

East Kentwood (13-3, with two wins in the tournament) will face off against East Grand Rapids (12-2) at 7 p.m., with the winner advancing to the Division 1 Region 3 tournament at Holland West Ottawa starting on Monday, March 29.

South Christian (11-4, with one win in the tournament) will take on host Wayland (9-2) at 7 p.m., with the winner advancing to the Division 2 Region 12 tournament at Edwardsburg, also starting on March 29.

In this week’s early district play, East Kentwood defeated host Middleville, 69-44, on Monday, March 22, and then defeated Byron Center, 41-34, in semifinal action Wednesday, March 24.

South Christian, also in early district play, had a bye and then defeated Kentwood Grand River Preparatory Academy, 71-15, in the semifinals March 24.

Other local district results

In the Division 1 tournament at Middleville, Wyoming high lost an opening round game to Byron Center, 63-41, as the Wolves ended their season at 10-7.

In the Division 2 tournament at Godwin Heights, Kelloggsville defeated the host Wolverines (5-6 overall) in opening round action by the score of 41-39. The Rockets then lost in the semifinals to Grand Rapids Catholic, 44-36, to finish their season with a 5-8 record.

In the Division 2 tournament at Wayland, West Michigan Aviation Academy defeated Hopkins, 53-42, before falling to Wayland, 57-22, in the semifinals to finish their season at 12-6.

In the Division 3 tournament at Covenant Christian High School, Wyoming Potter’s House lost to Grandville Calvin Christian, 49-39, in semifinal action and ended the season at 9-5 overall.

In the Division 4 tournament at Martin, Tri-unity Christian lost to host Martin, 49-41 in semifinal action and ended their season at 5-10.