St. Ignace high school seniors Audrey Wyers and Corey Swope were crowned Courtwarming queen and king Friday, February 8. The St. Ignace boys basketball team's crucial 69-62 Straits Area Conference (SAC) win over the Rudyard Bulldogs Friday, February 8, sets the stage for the league showdown at Cheboygan Thursday, February 14. The Saints suffered a 65-61 non-league setback at the hands of Manistique Monday, February 4.

The Saints are 8-1 in the SAC and 12-4 overall, while the Cheboygan Chiefs defeated Rogers City Friday, to set their league record at 8-1 and overall recored at 10-7. Rudyard fell to 5-4 in the conference and 11-5.

Saints Post Courtwarming Win

Over Bulldogs

LaSalle High School seniors Audrey Wyers and Corey Swope were crowned 2008 Courtwarming queen and king during festivities between St. Ignace's junior varsity and varsity games.

Revenge was on the minds of the Saints after the Bulldogs ousted St. Ignace 76-45 Thursday, January 3, but more important, the win allows the Saints to continue to strive for a Straits Area Conference (SAC) championship.

Bulldogs defender Craig Wallis (23) was unable to prevent the Saints' James Peterson (24) from converting a reverse layup. Rudyard held a 56-44 advantage from the field, while the Saints held a 25-6 scoring difference from the free throw line. Saints sophomore Gerrit Mortensen scored a career-high 30 points, including 13-of-19 from the free throw line to lift St. Ignace to a victory.

The conference game was a chess match from the opening tip to the final buzzer, as both teams put together scoring runs, only to watch their opponents post comebacks.

Rudyard led 15-9 at the 2:48 mark of the first eight minutes as Arik Hesselink scored eight points for the Bulldogs before St. Ignace scored the final six points of the quarter to notch the score at 15. Austin St. Louis scored six points for the Saints during that span.

The second quarter had four lead changes during the first two minutes before the Bulldogs took control with a 29-22 advantage. St. Ignace regrouped to slice the Rudyard lead to 32-30 at halftime with a 8-3 scoring run.

Arik Hesselink (5) of Rudyard, who led the Bulldogs with 18 points, scores a twopoint field goal over the Saints' Nick Montie (32) during the first half. St. Ignace stayed close, shooting 13 of 20 from the free throw line in the first half, while St. Louis and Mortensen scored eight points for the Saints and Hesselink scored 14, and Jeff Briggs added 10 for the Bulldogs.

The Saints pushed up the tempo in the third quarter, outscoring the Bulldogs 18-8 for a 48-40 lead going into the final eight minutes.

St. Ignace's lead was short lived, as the Bulldogs' Craig Wallis opened the fourth quarter with seven unanswered points to cut the Saints lead to 48-47 with 6:53 left in the game. Wallis tied the game at 54 with 4:56 on the clock.

James Peterson and Mortensen scored to give the Saints the lead for good, but it took a Mortensen triple, four free throws, and Lester with two free throws to earn the SAC win.

Saints statistics: Gerrit Mortensen, 30 points, four steals, four assists, four rebounds; Anthony Lester, nine points, seven rebounds, four assists; James Peterson, nine points, four rebounds; Austin St. Louis, nine points, three rebounds; Nick Montie, eight points, seven rebounds; Kyle Smock four points, 10 rebounds.

Gerrit Mortensen (3) of St. Ignace drives to the hoop for two of his career high 30 points against Arik Hesselink (5) of Rudyard during the second half of the Saints' league win over the Bulldogs Friday, February 8. Bulldogs statistics: Arik Hesselink, 18 points; Craig Wallis, 17 points; Jeff Briggs, 16 points; Chastin McKelvie, five points; Davin Salo, three points; Tom Hendrickson, two points; Kiefer McCollum, one point.

Saints Drop Non-league

Match-up at Manistique

St. Ignace trailed by 14 points in the road contest at Manistique before tying the score in the closing minute of play, however, the Emeralds, who connected on 10 of 14 free throws in the fourth quarter, scored their final four points from the charity stripe to clinch the win.

The large courtwarming crowd at LaSalle High School didn't bother Brendan Insley, three-year-old son of Andrea and Todd Insley of St. Ignace, who slept through part of Friday's St. Ignace-Rudyard boys basketball showdown. Manistique led 16-14 after the first eight minutes and held a 35- 31 halftime lead with a 19-17 scoring edge in the second quarter before both teams scored 30 points in the second half.

Saints statistics: Gerrit Mortensen, 22 points, five steals, four assists, Anthony Lester, 19 points, five rebounds, three assists; Nick Montie, eight points, five rebounds; Austin St. Louis, seven points, five rebounds, three assists; James Peterson, five points, eight rebounds, four assists; Kyle Smock, 11 rebounds.

Trojans Down Phoenix, Rams;

Extend Streak to 42 Wins

The Cedarville Trojans boys squad ran its record to 42 consecutive wins after defeating the Flint International Academy Phoenix 85-35 Friday, February 8, and the Harbor Springs Rams 89-43 Tuesday, February 5.

Trojans Upend Phoenix

The Flint school, in its fifth season of varsity basketball, is among eight schools in America affiliated with the International Academy Association, with its base school in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

"This was their first trip to the Upper Peninsula, and they want to return in 2009," said Trojans Coach David Duncan of the opposing team. "I felt we played very well with 10 players in the scoring column."

Cedarville held a 53-19 halftime advantage and outscored Flint International Academy 32-16 in the second half.

Tyler Wilson scored 12 points for the Phoenix.

Trojans statistics: Sheldon Tassier, 14 points, four assists, four steals; Taylor Smith, 13 points; C.J. Paquin, 12 points, five assists, four steals; Jordan Duncan,

11 points, four steals; Luke Murray, nine points; Jason Duncan,

eight points, eight rebounds; Scott McGreevy, eight points; Kevin Thompson, four points, seven rebounds; Cody Thompson, four points; James Mitchell, two points.

Trojans Down Rams Cedarville led 48-23 at halftime

against Harbor Springs and outscored the Rams 41-20 in the second half.

Trojans statistics: Jason Duncan, Sheldon Tassier, 16 points; C.J. Paquin, Kevin Thompson, 14 points; Cody Thompson, eight points; Jordan Duncan, James Mitchell, seven points; Taylor Smith, five points; Luke Murray, two points.

Cedarville will host DeTour Thursday, February 14, and Rudyard Tuesday, February 19, to close out the season.

Trojans JV Update

The Cedarville Trojans' junior varsity team is 12-4 on the season after defeating Flint International Academy 98-65 Friday, February 8. Cedarville lost to Harbor Springs 91-51 Tuesday, February 5, and downed Brimley 76-30 Thursday, January 31.

Trojans statistics vs. Flint: Andrew Jaroche, 18 points; Matt Schlosser, 17 points; Jordan Baker, 15 points; Zach McFarlane, 10 points; Tyler Kanitz, Connor McLeod, eight points; Michael Kinney, Jeremy Sherlund, seven points; Jacob Strait, four points; Charlie Nelson, Isiah Murray, two points.

Trojans statistics: vs. Harbor Springs: Matt Schlosser, 15 points; Andrew Jaroche, Jordan Baker, nine points; Zach Mc- Farlane, eight points; Tyler Kanitz, Michael Kinney, four points; Isiah Murray, two points.

Trojans statistics vs. Brimley: Andrew Jaroche, 19 points; Jordan Baker, 18 points; Jeremy Sherlund, eight points; Matt Schlosser, seven points; Michael Kinney, five points, Zach McFarlane, Connor McLeod, Jacob Strait, four points; Charlie Nelson, three points, Isiah Murray, Tyler Kanitz, two points.

Raiders Down Bays, Tigers

The DeTour Raiders boys basketbal team defeated the Brimley Bays 55-47 in an Eastern Upper Peninsula Conference contest Friday, February 8, and defeated the Hillman Tigers 72-51 during a non-league match-up Tuesday, February 5.

Fourth Quarter Key

To Win Over Bays

DeTour trailed 35-30 after three quarters and outscored Brimley 25-12 in the final eight minutes to clinch the EUPC home win.

The Bays led 16-8 after the first eight minutes, and led 21-19 at halftime after the Raiders held an 11-5 scoring run in the second quarter.

Brimley continued to lead with a 35-30 advantage after three quarters before DeTour pushed the offense in the final eight minutes to post the league win.

Raiders statistics: Ian Burton, 18 points; Nathan Klamerus, 10 points, nine rebounds, two steals; Andy Dyal, 10 points, six rebounds, two steals; Tyler Anderson, seven points, seven assists; Teryn Miller, five points, five rebounds, two steals; Kaleb Barbeaux, three points; Darrell Plont, two points.

Bays statistics: Corie Quinn, 16 points; Nate Mills, 10 points; Mortz Drechsel, 10 points; Ryan Freedman, nine points; Ty Root, Brent Aikens, one point.

Total Offensive Effort for

Raiders

in Non-league Win Over Tigers

DeTour led 38-20 at halftime and held a 34-31 scoring edge in the second half en route to the nonleague win over Hillman.

Raiders statistics: Nathan Klamerus, 16 points, eight rebounds, three assists; Thomas Worden, 15 points, five rebounds; Andy Dyal, 12 points; Ian Burton, 11 points; Tyler Anderson, 10 points, 10 assists, five steals; Josh Wilson, six points; Kaleb Barbeaux, two points.