The Westwood Patriot Boys Basketball team hosted the Manistique Emeralds in boys basketball action Tuesday night for their 1st game of the new year. The 1st points of 2011 was a 3 pointer by Westwood Patriot Zak French to set the tone of looking for the outside shot if the Patriots couldn’t find anyone underneath. Westwood also press hard pressure on the Emeralds to start the game. But early fouls and loose ball handling by both teams early showed that both teams had a long Christmas break off the hardwoods. Manistique took advantage of the charity stripe to come back late in the quarter to take a 6-4 lead with about 3 minutes left in the 1st. But Jared Davidson hit the 3 pointer with 1:30 left for Westwood, then teammate Zak French immediately got the loose ball and hit for another trip to make it 10-6 with a minute to go. But a late score and a foul found Manistique within one to end the quarter trailing Westwood 10-9.
Hard pressure and fouls continued for teams, but Westwood carryed 17 fouls halfway through the 2nd to the Emeralds 6. Quick steals and fast running gave Manistique the lead 15-10, holding Westwood scoreless through 2/3 of the 2nd quarter, scoring 8 unanswered points. But the Patriots fought back to tie it up 15-15 with one minute left in the half. With both teams struggling for control of the ball the remainder of the quarter, the half ended with Westwood up by a bucket 17-15 to head to the locker room.
Westwood continued to move away from Manistique in the 3rd, moving out to a nine point lead ending the quarter up 31-22.
The Westwood Patriots return to the airwaves Thursday night (01-09-11) as the Boys travel to Iron Mountain to take on the Mountaineers. Joe Duckworth has the call beginning with the pre-game around 7:20pm & tip-off scheduled for 7:45pm on 103.3 The Country Extreme