Woodmen win, Cougars fall against Michigan squads

For the Daily Journal

Day 2 of the Border War Classic took place at Greenwood Middle School on Friday afternoon, with the local squads coming away with a split against the visitors from Michigan.

Greenwood coasted past Tri County 56-38 in the early game, while tourney host Greenwood Christian Academy was handed a 47-36 loss to Walled Lake Northern.

A strong defense, led by sophomore Ashley Buste, propelled the Woodmen in Friday’s opener.

Greenwood frustrated Tri County’s offense and forced 13 turnovers in the second quarter. That turnover advantage helped cause an 8-0 run coming out of an early Greenwood timeout.

“With our girls being tired, we wanted to focus on tipped balls today, and I think we really succeeded in that regard,” Greenwood coach Bill Torgerson said. “Ashley came off the bench strong for us and was a key player today.”

The Woodmen came out in the third quarter and picked up where they left off, forcing five more turnovers.

Leah Moore finished the game with 15 points to lead all scorers. She also contributed five rebounds and a steal.

Grace Miller led Tri County with 12 points, eight rebounds and two steals.

The second game didn’t go as well for Greenwood Christian, as it could never quite get anyone other than freshman Izzy Reed going offensively.

Reed was the lone player for the Cougars to score in double figures, finishing the day with a game-high 20 points. She added six rebounds and two steals in the losing effort.

The Cougars (8-6) were outscored 32-17 in the second half.

“Walled Lake is a tough, tough school. They’re starting five seniors and play very well up in Michigan,” Greenwood Christian coach Alan Weems said.

Greenwood Christian struggled from the free-throw line all game, hitting just 62 percent (18 of 29) of their attempts.

“We’ve struggled for the past few games on the free points,” Weems said. “We’ve been putting up extra shots, and will have to until it’s fixed.”

Greenwood was the only team to win both of its games in the two-day event.

“While most kids get to enjoy a break, we are playing basketball,” Torgerson said. “This is a unique opportunity for both me and the girls. I can talk to coaches and see what they’re doing in Michigan, and the girls get to play teams they normally don’t see. It’s a grind, but we enjoy it.”

“It’s really a great chance for all four teams,” Weems added. “The girls really enjoyed playing teams we haven’t seen before and meet girls from other places.”