PENTWATER – A fierce second half comeback attempt for Pentwater’s girls basketball team was cut short Friday, Jan. 17, as the Falcons ultimately cost themselves in a 34-26 loss to Big Rapids Crossroads Academy (BRCA).
There were little to no positive talking points for Pentwater in the first half. The team seemed disjointed, costing them possessions and allowing BRCA to gain a steady advantage that they turned into a 34-10 lead by the end of the second quarter.
Pentwater sparked themselves to a nice run in the third quarter, leaving the door open for a possible comeback. Taking control on offense, the Falcons out scored the Cougars for the first time all evening, piling 16 points onto their total, thanks in large part to the hot shooting of Aubrie Adams from three-point range.
A strong full-court press defense from the Cougars made things difficult at times for Pentwater, but with good passing and ball handling, the Falcons did enough to break it.
Cutting BRCA’s lead to just nine after that third quarter, the Falcons needed an even stronger push to keep things tight at the end. That wasn’t in the cards, however.
With time dwindling, Pentwater Head Coach Jeff Knapp encouraged his team to begin intentionally fouling the Cougars in an effort to make them earn their points the rest of the way. Miscommunication ruined that attempt as it seemed the Falcons were confused on just how aggressive to get when pursuing fouls.
A full two to three minutes ran off the clock for Pentwater at that point, with just a few intentional fouls being called. That allowed BRCA to stall things out on offense and come away with a win in WMD play.
Pentwater fell to 3-4 overall with the loss and now sit at 3-2 inside West Michigan D League play. With nearly a week missed due to inclement weather, the Falcons will be back in action tonight, Friday, Jan. 24 for an away meeting with Mesick at 6 p.m.
