Loss in district tournament semifinals disappointing but G-A boys basketball team enjoyed success
By Bruce Rolfe
While a district tournament semifinal 75-20 loss to Schoolcraft February 28 was disappointing, the Galesburg-Augusta boys varsity basketball team enjoyed a second straight season filled with good memories and accomplishments.
The Rams won the SAC Central Division (9-1 in SAC Central play) for the second consecutive year and posted a 16-6 overall record, leaving the team with 33 wins over the last two seasons.
G-A coach Brian Dolph felt the team should look back on the positive season with pride.
“We are proud of our young men and their accomplishments. They represented themselves and this school with class and should be proud of their accomplishments. As this group of seniors depart, they walk away as being a part of the first group to bring a division championship to G-A and also the first group to repeat as champions. They also set a record for most wins over a two year span with 33, going 33-11 over their junior and senior seasons. Great accomplishments for a great group of young men,” said the Ram coach.
Schoolcraft’s defense gave G-A problems most of the game, leading to 19 turnovers and cold shooting.
Schoolcraft’s defense limited G-A to just 19 percent shooting (9-47) from two-point range and 1-for-7 (7 percent) shooting from the three-point line.
The Eagles were also clicking offensively, dropping in 12 three-point baskets.
Schoolcraft, behind 17 points from Shane Rykse, got off to a scorching start, racing out to a 32-7 lead after one quarter.
Rykse, who finished with a game high 31 points, dropped in seven more points in the second quarter, helping the home team expand the lead to 50-15 at halftime.
The Rams never got on track offensively, scoring just one point on a free throw by Ethan Gibson in the third quarter and G-A found itself trailing by a 65-16 count after three quarters.
Tegan Lockmiller’s six points led the Rams. Leading scorer Jeremiah Mann was held to two points on 1-for-19 shooting overall from the floor.
Galesburg-Augusta 7 8 1 4 - 20
Schoolcraft 32 18 15 9 - 75
Galesburg-Augusta Jeremiah Mann 2, Ethan Thomas 4, Ethan Gibson 4, Tegan Lockmiller 6, John Klimp 2, C.J. Benard 2
Free throws: G-A 1-6/Schoolcraft 9-11
3-point baskets: G-A 1 (Tegan Lockmiller 1)/Schoolcraft 12 (Tyler Perez 3, Shane Rykse 2, Tucker Waltheiz 2, Colin Hotrum 1, Jaden Reiber 1, William Miller 1, Bryce Lamb 1Ty Goddard 1)
G-A Stat Leaders
Rebounds: John Klimp 7, Nolan Brewer 2, C.J. Benard 2, Jeremiah Mann 2
Steals: Ethan Gibson 3, Jeremiah Mann 2
JVs finish season 8-9
A 47-31 loss to Plainwell in the season finale at Plainwell High School February 27 gave the Galesburg-Augusta girls JV basketball team an 8-9 record for the season.
Hailee Themins scored 14 points to lead G-A.
Despite the loss, Coach Dontrell Bowden felt his entire team played strong defense.
G-A was scheduled to play Battle Creek St. Philip February 29 at home but St. Phil does not have a JV team.
Lady Rams finish regular season 8-14 with win over St. Phil
By Dale Martin
In its regular season finale February 29 the Galesburg-Augusta girls varsity basketball team defeated the Tigers of Battle Creek St. Philip, 55-40.
The win sent the Rams into the district opener March 4 against Delton-Kellogg at Kalamazoo Christian with an 8-14 record.
G-A got off to a quick start. Mya Erskin swished a pair of 3-pointers, Jaidyn Klimp connected on all four of her inside shots and Maureen McBride and Grace Gibson each hit a three as the Rams finished the first quarter with a 20-9 lead.
The pace slowed a bit in the second period. Lili Thompson, McBride and Klimp each scored a basket, Erskin hit her third 3-pointer of the half and Klimp added a free throw as the Rams extended their lead to 31-17. St. Philip’s Mimi Hibbard tossed in all eight of her teams’ points in the quarter. She would finish the game with 18 points to lead her team.
The third period featured a pair of three’s by Holley Coburn, two short jumpers and two for two at the charity stripe by Klimp and a short jumper in the paint by Gibson. The Ram defense held the Tigers to seven points and enjoyed their biggest lead of the game, 45-24, going into the final quarter.
Three pointers from McBride and Thompson (the Rams finished the game with nine), and baskets in the paint by Gibson and Klimp closed out the scoring for the Rams. Hibbard and Addi Dzwik each netted six points as the Tigers outscored the Rams 16-10 in the final quarter.
Klimp led the Rams with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 4 steals. Erskin finished with 9 points and 5 rebounds. McBride scored 8 points with 3 assists. Gibson had 7 points and 10 rebounds and Coburn and Thompson each scored 6 points for G-A.
The Rams controlled the boards with 39 rebounds and finished the game with a season low of 3 turnovers.
B.C. St. Philip 9 8 7 16 - 40
Galesburg-Augusta 20 11 14 10 - 55
Mya Erskin 9, Lillian Thompson 6, Holley Coburn 6, Jaidyn Klimp 19, Maureen McBride 8, Grace Gibson 7
Free throws: G-A 4-5
3-point baskets: G-A 9 (Mya Erskin 3, Holley Coburn 2, Maureen McBride 2, Grace Gibson 1, Lillian Thompson 1
G-A Stat Leaders
Rebounds: Jaidyn Klimp 13, Grace Gibson 10, Mya Erskin 5, Brooklyn James 4
Assists: Maureen McBride 3, Grace Gibson 2, Jaidyn Klimp 2
Steals: Jaidyn Klimp 4, Grace Gibson 2, Rhyann Wilson 2, Brooklyn James 2.
Cold shooting sinks Lady Rams
By Dale Martin
The weather outside was seasonally warm but the shooting inside the Plainwell gym was frigid for the Galesburg-Augusta girls varsity basketball team in a 56-32 loss February 27.
The Rams opened the game with two free throws by Jaidyn Klimp in the first minute of the first quarter. They didn’t score again until the final minute of the period on an inside basket by Ellesa Callender.
Ten turnovers limited G-A to just seven shots inside the arc and four from outside the arc. Meanwhile, the Trojans put together a 15-0 run, finishing the quarter with a 19-4 lead.
The second quarter wasn’t much better for the Rams. They managed just one basket out of four attempts on the inside by Grace Gibson and one of six attempts from the outside by Lili Thompson. Klimp added three more free throws but Plainwell extended its lead by another point to 28-12 at halftime.
G-A hit the offensive glass in the third period, pulling down 9 boards but just couldn’t get the ball to fall. The visitors netted just one of eighteen shots in the lane, a Klimp put back, and two of three 3-pointers, one each from Gibson and Rhyann Wilson. Three more free throws by Klimp gave the Rams their biggest quarter output at eleven points but the Trojans collected sixteen points to extend their lead to 44-23 with one quarter to play.
The Rams kept firing away in the fourth quarter. Brooklyn James scored on two short jumpers and Callender scored on an inside basket but G-A managed to make just three of fourteen shots. That put their total at six makes out of 43 attempts for the game, a woeful 14%. Callender, Gibson and Wilson each made a free throw in the quarter but it wasn’t nearly enough as Plainwell finished their home season with a 56-32 win.
The turnovers, 24 of them, kept the Rams from getting into any kind of offensive rhythm. Another contributing factor was the dominance under the boards by the Trojans. At times they would get three or four more attempts to score and they made the most of it.
Klimp had 10 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Rams. Gibson finished with 6 points and 11 rebounds. and Callender made 5 points while collecting 8 rebounds.
Galesburg-Augusta 4 8 11 9 - 32
Plainwel 19 9 16 12 - 56
Lillian Thompson 3, Jaidyn Klimp 10, Ellesa Callender 5, Brooklyn James 4, Rhyann Wilson 4, Grace Gibson 6
Free throws: G-A 11-21
3-point baskets: G-A 3 (Lillian Thompson 1, Rhyann Wilson 1, Grace Gibson 1)
G-A Stat Leaders
Rebounds: Jaidyn Klimp 15, Grace Gibson 11, Ellesa Callender 8/Assists: Holley Coburn 2/Steals: Rhyann Wilson 2, Jaidyn Klimp 2, Lillian Thompson 2/Blocked shots: Jaidyn Klimp 3
