Spartan running back L.J. Scott (3) gets airborne as he fights for extra yardage during the first half of the game against Maryland, Saturday at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.

EAST LANSING – The limb most needed by Michigan State in an upset bid at Ohio State in a week took a rest for the second half of a bizarre win today over Maryland at Spartan Stadium, with the idea of having it as functional as possible for the Buckeyes.

Connor Cook’s right arm is the key for the No. 14 Spartans, but it managed just six pass completions and 77 yards in a 24-7 win that set up Saturday’s long-awaited showdown at OSU. That’s because he took a shot that injured his right shoulder in the first quarter.

Cook returned from that and gritted his way through the rest of the first half against the blitzing Terrapins (2-8, 0-6 Big Ten), but Mark Dantonio decided to sit him the rest of the way. With its passing offense grounded, MSU (9-1, 5-1) was able to count on its maligned defense and more-maligned special teams against an inferior opponent.

MSU’s Connor Cook out with shoulder injury

And though Cook is expected to play at Ohio State in a game that could produce the Big Ten East champion, any shots to that right shoulder could be fatal to the Spartans’ championship hopes. Backup quarterback Tyler O’Connor (6-for-11, 44 yards, one touchdown, one interception) and No. 3 quarterback Damion Terry both got time in the second half for an offense that managed just 121 passing yards.

That defense got five turnovers and three picks, though, including a 44-yard Riley Bullough interception return for a touchdown that served as the winning points. He got a key block from cornerback Darian Hicks, who returned from a concussion and played for the first time since Oct. 10 at Rutgers.

Contact Joe Rexrode: jrexrode@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @joerexrode. Check out his MSU blog at freep.com/heyjoe. Download our new Spartans Xtra app for free on Apple and Android devices!

Green Bay Packers’ Mason Crosby misses a field goal attempt at the end of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015, in Green Bay, Wis. The Lions won 18-16. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Fitting.

In the middle of one of the worst seasons in franchise history, the Detroit Lions ended a losing streak that’s haunted them for more than two decades with the most unlikeliest of heroes.

The Lions held Aaron Rodgers and the vaunted Green Bay Packers offense in check most of the game and Crezdon Butler, who signed off the street Saturday as an injury replacement for Rashean Mathis, broke up the potential game-tying two-point conversion as the Lions won at Lambeau Field, 18-16, for the first time since Dec. 15, 1991.

The Lions had lost an NFL-record 24 straight road games to the Packers, including a playoff loss in 1994 and a Week 17 defeat last year that cost them the NFC North title.

Interim general manager Sheldon White, who took over after Martin Mayhew was fired last week, was a player for the Lions the last time they won in the state of Wisconsin, and several Lions including Eric Ebron and Ameer Abdullah weren’t even born yet.

The Lions, who entered the game an NFL-worst 1-7, needed Butler’s late-game heroics and more to win after Matt Prater missed two extra points, including one after a Lance Moore touchdown with 1:57 to play.

Rodgers, who finished 35 of 61 passing for 333 yards, drove the Packers 73 yards in eight plays after Matthew Stafford hit Moore for a 4-yard touchdown with 1:57 to play.

Justin Perillo caught the 11-yard touchdown pass to pull cut the Lions’ lead to 18-16, but Butler, who had come into the game two plays earlier after Josh Wilson suffered a right leg injury, stripped the two-point pass out of Davante Adams’ hands in the end zone.

The Packers (6-3) recovered the onside kick seconds later after Calvin Johnson muffed the catch at Lions’ 49-yard line. Two short completions moved Green Bay to the Lions’ 34, Mason Crosby ran on the field for the game-winning 52-yard field.

But Crosby’s kick sailed way low and wide and the Lions rushed the field in celebration of their second victory of the year.

Stafford, after completing just 1 of 7 passes to start the game, finished 24 of 38 for 242 yards and two touchdowns for the Lions, who fired Mayhew and team president Tom Lewand after their Week 8 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in London.

Stafford’s first touchdown came on a 2-yard pass to Brandon Pettigrew three plays after Ameer Abdullah returned the second-half kickoff 104 yards to the 1-yard line.

Prater made two field goals, including a 51-yarder in the fourth quarter, and is perfect on field goals this year. But he has three missed extra points.

Johnson led the Lions with six catches for 81 yards, and Golden Tate added a spectacular 43-yard catch-and-run to the Packers’ 5, which setup Moore’s touchdown.

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

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Brown City junior Jasmin Bender hugs freshman Kendal Muxlow as they win a set during a Class C quarterfinal volleyball game Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at Lapeer High School.

LAPEER – They made history.

Go ahead and put the 2015 Brown City volleyball team in the record books.The Green Devils reached a new standard for the program on Tuesday with a Class C quarterfinal victory over New Lothrop at Lapeer High School.

Brown City did it behind heart, resiliency and a lot of skill en route to a 25-21, 25-23, 19-25 and 25-16 victory.

Brown City advances to the state semifinal round where they will face Monroe St. Mary’s Catholic at 3 p.m. Friday in Battle Creek.

“This feels amazing to know we are going to Battle Creek,” Brown City junior Alexia Mason said. “We did our best to focus on our side of the net and we just played our best.”

Becki Krause paced Brown City with 19 kills, Mason added 36 assists and Kendal Muxlow had 10 kills and eight aces. Taylor Pitts had seven kills and Riley Pavel had six kills.

Jasmine Bender added 11 digs for Brown City (39-8-5).

“It’s awesome to do this,” Muxlow said. “We just have confidence in each other and we just have to continue doing what we are doing.”

Brown City had only previously reached the quarterfinals, but they punched their ticket to Battle Creek with balanced, consistent play.

New Lothrop got off to a good start in Game 1 and carried an early 7-4 lead. But that only seemed to wake Brown City up. Brown City answered with a 8-2 run of its own to take a 12-9 advantage.

Brown City would go up 15-10 and also 18-14 before New Lothrop closed the gap by scoring five of the next six points to tie the game at 19.

After a Brown City timeout, they appeared to refocus and went right back to work. This time, they surged ahead with three straight points to take a 22-19 lead. From that point on they carried the momentum and closed out New Lothrop at 25-21.

Brown City clearly had the momentum as Game 2 began. The Green Devils scored the first three points of the set. The lead grew to 5-1 and eventually 10-2 before New Lothrop called timeout.

New Lothrop started chipping away at the Brown City advantage after the stoppage in play. They closed the gap to 11-7 and eventually tied the game at 19.

With the pressure on, Brown City went right back to work. They regained the lead with a 3-0 run and then after New Lothrop closed within 22-21, Brown City scored three of the final five points to win 25-23.

Brown City hoped to put New Lothrop away in Game 3, but it wouldn’t come without an intense fight. Brown City led 5-2 early but New Lothrup wouldn’t go away. They eventually tied the game at 12. With New Lothrup surging, Brown City responded with a run to take a 18-15 advantage. But New Lothrop didn’t want its season to end and responded by scoring 10 of the next 11 points to win the set 25-19 and force Game 4/

Brown City came out refocused in Game 4 and scored the first five points of the set. They expanded that lead to 8-2 and eventually 12-6.

After New Lothrop pulled within 14-10, Brown City caught fire and scored seven straight points. That gave Brown City all the cushion it needed to close out the match with a 25-16 victory.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” Jenna Welke said. “The girls just took care of business. It was a full out team win and I’m very proud of the girls.”

Contact Joseph Hayes at (810) 989-6268 or at jahayes@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @Joseph_Hayes11. Listen to him from 4-8 pm on 88.3 FM Monday through Friday.

Brown City junior Jasmin Bender hugs freshman Kendal Muxlow as they win a set during a Class C quarterfinal volleyball game Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at Lapeer High School.

Brown City coach Jenna Welke instructs players from the sidelines during a Class C quarterfinal volleyball game Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at Lapeer High School.

Brown City senior Taylor Pitts tips the ball over the net during a Class C quarterfinal volleyball game Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at Lapeer High School.

Brown City junior Becki Krause spikes the ball during a Class C quarterfinal volleyball game Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at Lapeer High School.

Brown City senior Taylor Pitts spikes the ball during a Class C quarterfinal volleyball game Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at Lapeer High School.

Brown City students cheer during a Class C quarterfinal volleyball game Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at Lapeer High School.

Brown City junior Jasmin Bender hugs freshman Kendal Muxlow as they win a set during a Class C quarterfinal volleyball game Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at Lapeer High School.

Port Huron Northern junior Garrett Yarger gets hugs from teammates after scoring a goal during the Larry Manz Holiday Hockey Tournament Friday, November 27, 2015 at McMorran Arena.

Port Huron Northern sophomore Noah McNutt scores on Anchor Bay sophomore Alec Morin during the Larry Manz Holiday Hockey Tournament Saturday, November 28, 2015 at McMorran Arena. Northern beat Anchor Bay 6-5 in overtime.

Marine City’s Stephanie Abraham takes a shot over Cros-Lex’s Rebecca Oden during a basketball game Tuesday, December 1, 2015 at Marine City High School.

Marine City’s Paige Tranchida blocks Cros-Lex’s Rachel Soper during a basketball game Tuesday, December 1, 2015 at Marine City High School.

It got a little dicey, but the Mariners kicked off the season with a tally in the win column.

Croswell-Lexington gave the Mariners a run for their money, turning an 11-point deficit into a tie game midway through the fourth quarter, but the black and orange pulled off the 45-35 win.

While the Pioneers did force 14 second half turnovers out of the Mariners in the second half, they stayed dialed in on offense and on the free throw line to take the victory. Marine City guard Karyssa Austin led all scoring with 17 points, including five 3-pointers, and nine from guard Antonia Potvin.

The Mariners also added seven points from sophomore forward Stephanie Abraham and four crucial points off free throws from Paige Tranchida.

Cros-Lex had a group effort on the scoreboard, receiving seven points from Rachel Soper and six from Desiree Lerma and Rebecca Oden.

It was as good of a start Marine City could’ve asked for, kicking off the night on 7-0 run that included an Antonia Potvin 3-pointer just two minutes into the game.

The rest of the opening quarter seemed like the first quarter of the first game as the teams combined for 10 turnovers. Of course, strong defense by Cros-Lex guard Sydney Soper forced three of those Mariners turnovers.

A swift drive to the lane by Lerma with 35 seconds left in the quarter cut the Marine City lead to 12-7 heading into the second quarter.

The Lady Pioneers got the game as close as 12-11 with two baskets by Rebecca Oden, but the Mariners roared back and answered with two buckets by Desaray DeSnyder and a 3-ball by Austin grew the lead to 19-11.

With Stephanie Abraham’s late-half layup, the Mariners carried a 21-11 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The Pioneers really cranked up the defense in the third quarter, forcing eight turnovers out of halftime. However, whenever Cros-Lex started to charge Austin had an answer.

The Pioneers got the lead to 19-25 midway through the quarter, but a 3-pointer by Austin extended the lead to 28-19. The blue and white got two baskets from Pioneer guard Allessa Calamita to cut the lead to 28-23, but Austin once again swished a triple to make it 31-23.

The Pioneers wasted no time erasing the 32-26 deficit the fourth quarter started with, getting four points by Lerma and two more from Rachel Soper to knot the game up at 32-all.

After the teams traded baskets Marine City forward Tranchida stayed cool and collected to hit four free throws within two minutes to take back a 38-34 lead.

Potvin also added four free throws down the stretch, but the Mariners defense also held Cros-Lex silent to lock up the opening night win.

Marine City’s Karyssa Austin leaps to try to keep the ball in-bounds during a basketball game Tuesday, December 1, 2015 at Marine City High School.

Marine City’s Antonia Potvin and Cros-Lex’s Calli Townsend fight for possession of a loose ball during a basketball game Tuesday, December 1, 2015 at Marine City High School.

Marine City’s Stephanie Abraham takes a shot over Cros-Lex’s Rebecca Oden during a basketball game Tuesday, December 1, 2015 at Marine City High School.

Marine City’s Karyssa Austin takes a shot during a basketball game Tuesday, December 1, 2015 at Marine City High School.

Marine City’s Karyssa Austin drives the ball down court as Cros-Lex’s Calli Townsend puts on pressure during a basketball game Tuesday, December 1, 2015 at Marine City High School.

Port Huron Northern is still the city’s top dog in girls basketball.

The Huskies travelled the short distance to Port Huron’s gym to take on the Big Reds, erasing a tight halftime deficit to win with a comfortable 68-37 score.

Northern was led by a myriad of players, starting with sophomore Sami Klink and her 19 points that went with her pesky defense. Senior Kiana Vovata added 16 for Northern, and junior Bree Bauer scored 11 and Kathleen O’Connor chipped in 10 with her in-your-face defense as well.

Port Huron was led by senior Sydney Brown, who scored 13 points on the night.

Northern’s defense was, as always, the star of the game as they forced the Big Reds into 22 turnovers.

“They’ve been huge. They’ve been huge,” Northern coach Mark Dickinson said of Klink and O’Connor’s defense. “They play together in AAU and a lot last year in tea camp. They know where they’re supposed to be and they fill the spots.”

Port Huron’s defense was also stout, squeezing 16 turnovers out of the Huskies.

The game started off with a defensive clinic, but that was snapped by a and-1 3-pointer by Votava midway through the quarter to make it 8-2. The quarter ended up with nine combined turnovers, and two late-quarter free throws by junior Jenna Koppinger sent the game into the second quarter with a 13-4 Huskies lead.

The second quarter couldn’t have started for the Big Reds, who started it with a Rachelle Wendt layup off a backdoor assist from junior Kelsie Chapman.

All Port Huron did from there was continue it’s hot start, holding Northern to just one point and getting six more points from Brown in the quarter’s first five and a half minutes.

However, when Bauer hit a layup with 1:45 left in the half, it sparked an 8-4 run that included six points off layups from Klink to make it a 22-16 halftime score.

“Our girls played hard,” Port Huron coach Becky Gilbert said. “We just have to make sure we are playing good defense (without fouling) … there are some things we need to work on as a team, but I thought the girls kept fighting.”

Both Klink and Brown led in first half scoring, each cashing in eight points for their teams.

Port Huron got an early 3-pointer from Chapman to make it just a 22-18 Northern lead to begin the half, but that close deficit was erased shortly.

Bauer extended Northern’s lead with two layups while absorbing fouls, making her bonus free throw on the second trip to the line. Those five points combined with a runner by  O’Connor made it a 31-21 lead just three minutes into the half.

Northern continued to control the third quarter, forcing nine turnovers. Northern junior Cassidy Koschnitzke also drained two free throws with less than a minute left to not only make it a 44-29 lead, but also assure all eight Huskies scored on the night.

The fourth quarter started with another Port Huron highlight as Brown sank a layup while falling away from the basket, cutting the lead to 44-32 while giving her 13 points on the night

The Huskies continued to push down firmly on the gas pedal for the remainder of the game, scoring a whopping 24 points in the final quarter.

Port Huron junior Kelsie Chapman drives the ball down court as Port Huron Northern junior Jenna Koppinger and other defenders put on pressure during a basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015 at Port Huron High School.

Port Huron junior Kelsie Chapman scores on Port Huron Northern junior Bree Bauer during a basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015 at Port Huron High School.

Port Huron Northern junior Bree Bauer goes for a shot as Port Huron junior Kelsie Chapman gets a clean block during a basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015 at Port Huron High School.

Port Huron senior Sydney Brown drives the ball down court during a basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015 at Port Huron High School.

Port Huron Northern sophomore Sami Klink scores on Port Huron senior Taya Thomas during a basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015 at Port Huron High School.

MARYSVILLE – Early season rivalry games are always interesting.

With neither team at their optimum, games normally turn out to be extremely competitive.

Such was the case Friday as the St. Clair and Marysville boys basketball teams collided at Marysville High School.

The game featured several runs, but it was the Saints third quarter surge that proved to be the difference. St. Clair started the second half on a torrid run that enabled them to turn a slim lead into a blowout.

The run was enough to propel St. Clair to a 54-44 victory over Marysville.

Ben Davidson paced St. Clair with a game-high 26 points. Cameron Parslow added 10 points and Mario Mattson added eight points. Dylan Kiger scored 14 points to lead Marysville, Austin Paterson scored 12 points and Ross Hinkley scored seven.

The Saints got off to a fast start with five consecutive points to begin the game. But Marysville answered with seven consecutive points to take a 7-5 lead late in the first quarter.

The Saints, however, closed on a 4-0 run to lead 9-7 entering the second quarter. The Vikings began the second quarter on a 10-5 run to take a 17-14 lead. But it was short-lived. The Saints came right back with an 8-2 run to lead 22-19 at halftime.

The Saints and Vikings began the second half with the game still up for grabs. But not soon after it began, it was obviously apparent who was in control. The Saints surged ahead behind aggressive defense and hot shooting.

As the lead ballooned, there was nothing that Marysville could do to stem the tide. The Saints outscored Marysville 18-4 in the third quarter to take a 40-23 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Vikings tried to fight back as the final quarter began. Marysville got several clutch plays and pulled within 47-40 after a three-point play from Seth Lauth. But that’s as close as the Vikings would get as St. Clair made enough free throws to hold Marysville off.

Contact Joseph Hayes at (810) 989-6268 or at jahayes@gannett.com. Follow him on twitter @Joseph_Hayes11. Listen to him every weekday from 4-8 p.m. on 88.3 FM.

St. Clair junior A.J. Aguilo goes for a shot as Marysville junior Zane King attempts to block during a basketball game Friday, Dec. 11, 2015 at Marysville High School.

St. Clair senior Darrien Rutledge drives the ball down court during a basketball game Friday, Dec. 11, 2015 at Marysville High School.

St. Clair junior Sam Winston, junior A.J. Aguilo and junior Clay Tallon react on the bench during a basketball game Friday, Dec. 11, 2015 at Marysville High School.

St. Clair sophomore Mario Mattson takes a shot during a basketball game Friday, Dec. 11, 2015 at Marysville High School.

St. Clair sophomore Ben Davidson goes for a shot during a basketball game Friday, Dec. 11, 2015 at Marysville High School.

Marysville junior Jake Carter goes for a shot as St. Clair senior Cameron Parslow and a host of defenders attempt to block during a basketball game Friday, Dec. 11, 2015 at Marysville High School.

You would think Marine City’s girls basketball team was a group of artists with how much work they got done in the paint on Monday.

The Lady Mariners hosted Algonac and spent the night dominating in the post, grabbing 47 rebounds and seeing three forwards score in the double digits. After 32 minutes of owning the area around the rim, Marine City walked out of the gym with a 59-29 win.

“When we saw our shots weren’t falling in we decided to move the ball around a little more,” Marine City junior Paige Tranchida said. “We tried to make the extra pass every single time … and moved it from the inside-out.”

Tranchida dropped 16 points on the night for Marine City (4-0 overall), tying herself with partner-in-crime Stephanie Abraham. Elizabeth Black also came in off the Mariners bench to score 10 points as well.

Algonac (1-2) was paced by senior Riane Presbey and her eight points, followed closely by sophomore Olivia Blaszcak and her seven points.

The Lady Mariners came out firing, grabbing a 5-0 lead in the first 49 seconds thanks to Tranchida’s and-1. Abraham also went on to score six of the team’s first nine points in their hot start.

“We had a lot of ball movement, so when someone was guarding someone out they could pass it in for an open shot,” sophomore Stephanie Abraham said.

The Mariners went on to pitch a shutout in the game’s opening quarter, carrying a 13-0 lead into the second quarter thanks to a buzzer-beating shot by Tranchida.

“I could see it in their eyes before coming out of the tunnel to warm up they were ready for tonight,” Mariners coach Jeff Austin said. “I could tell they were ready for tonight, my assistant (Al Warwick) teaches at Algonac so they wanted to put on a good performance for him.”

The second quarter is when the Muskrats started to turn up the pressure on defense, forcing the Mariners into seven turnovers.

“We had four sophomores a lot, and we were out of position a couple of times, but when we are positioned right we can do stuff,” Algonac head coach Dan Matzka said.

The Muskrats played a close second quarter, but the damage done in the first quarter sent the Mariners into halftime with a 26-12 lead.

The Mariners gas pedal was stomped on once again when the second half started as Marine City scored 19 points in the third quarter to Algonac’s 10.

The fourth quarter only got tougher for the Muskrats, who only added six points to the scoreboard. The Mariners lead grew to as much as 32 points when Black converted on a steal-and-score with two minutes to go, securing the post-dominated victory.

“It’s nice, I’ll be honest,” Austin said. “First game of the season we were 6-for-33 on two point field goals. I think it was nerves and the hype about the year, but I think we’ve settled down. Unfortunately, we are going into break now.”

Mariners’ Antonia Potvin crosses half court Monday, Dec. 14, during girls basketball at Marine City.

Mariners’ Stephanie Abraham dribbles at half court Monday, Dec. 14, during girls basketball against Algonac at Marine City.

Mariners’ Karyssa Austin dribbles by an Algonac defender Monday, Dec. 14, during girls basketball at Marine City.

Muskrats’ Amanda Jolet tries to dribble by a pair of Mariner defenders Monday, Dec. 14, during girls basketball at Marine City.

Muskrats’ Amanda Jolet tries to dribble by Mariners’ Karyssa Austin Monday, Dec. 14, during girls basketball at Marine City.

Mariners’ Elizabeth Black gets a rebound over Muskrats’ Abby Kochan Monday, Dec. 14, during girls basketball at Marine City.

Members of the Mariners student section raise their hands during a free-throw Monday, Dec. 14, during girls basketball against Algonac at Marine City.

Mariners’ Karyssa Austin looks for an open teammate Monday, Dec. 14, during girls basketball against Algonac at Marine City.

Muskrats’ Amanda Jolet tries to dribble by Mariners’ Lauren Tomasek Monday, Dec. 14, during girls basketball at Marine City.

Members of the Mariners play staunch defense against Algonac Monday, Dec. 14, during girls basketball at Marine City.

Mariners’ Stephanie Abraham drives to the net around a pair of Algonac defenders Monday, Dec. 14, during girls basketball at Marine City.

Mariners’ Stephanie Abraham tries to get around Muskrats’ Abby Kochan Monday, Dec. 14, during girls basketball at Marine City.

Look up the word “rivalry” in the dictionary, and you’ll probably be shown a picture from Cardinal Mooney’s gym on Tuesday night.

Marine City and Cardinal Mooney’s boys basketball players were getting underneath each other’s skin before they started sweating. The two student sections were chanting back-and-forth all night, and maybe every sixth chant had to do with, you know, the actual game.

However, best of all, it was a tug-o-war match that saw each team take a hold of a decent lead, but Mooney was the last to have it as they won 57-43.

The Cardinals were led by sophomore guard Daniel Everhart, who drained 20 points on the night. The Mariners also had a sophomore in the 20 points club as well as forward Will Patsalis scored 20 as well.

Mooney also found 13 points from Daniel Bobick and nine more from Max Jennings.

The Mariners also had junior guard Ryan Sommers adding nine points in the effort.

Mooney got off to a nice start in the first quarter with Jennings and Bobick knocking down 3-pointers in the first four minutes for a 6-1 lead. Sophomore guard Daniel Everhart added the other four Mooney points in the quarter to take a 10-5 lead into the second quarter.

Marine City sophomore Patsalis was the lone Mariner not kept quiet in the first quarter, scoring four points and throwing down a bigtime block. However, a few other teammates cranked up the energy in the second quarter.

The Mariners came out looking to cause mayhem, doing so by generating four Mooney turnovers and a 9-0 run in the first four minutes of the quarter, taking a 14-10 lead. The black and orange defense was so suffocating during that quarter that Mooney didn’t make a field goal until Everhart nailed a buzzer-beater, making it a 21-15 Mariners halftime lead.

Mooney’s seniors came into the second half with fire, starting with guard Jeff Mullally scoring six quick points to tighten the Mariners lead to 23-21.

Then it was forward Michael Proia’s time to shine for Mooney, draining two free throws to tie it up at 23-all. From there, Bobick swished home two 3-pointers to help Mooney to a 31-25 lead.

That Mooney lead was quickly tightened to 31-28 after Marine City’s Robert Mazzone knocked down a 3-ball with time expiring.

The fourth quarter was all about the Cardinals, who quickly extended their lead to 36-28. While the Mooney offense was swishing and scoring, their defense locked down the Mariners well enough for them to start the quarter on 0-of-10 shooting from the field.

Cardinal Mooney freshman Matthew Huculak takes a shot during a basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015 at Cardinal Mooney High School.

Cardinal Mooney coach Michael McAndrews smiles and looks up at the scoreboard as they widen their lead over Marine City during a basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015 at Cardinal Mooney High School.

Cardinal Mooney players react as they widen their lead over Marine City during a basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015 at Cardinal Mooney High School.

Marine City sophomore Will Patsalis takes a shot during a basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015 at Cardinal Mooney High School.

Cardinal Mooney senior Daniel Bobick takes a shot during a basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015 at Cardinal Mooney High School.

Cardinal Mooney sophomore Daniel Everhart takes a shot during a basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015 at Cardinal Mooney High School.

Cardinal Mooney sophomore Daniel Everhart takes a shot in front of a host of Marine City players during a basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015 at Cardinal Mooney High School.

Cardinal Mooney sophomore Daniel Everhart drives the ball down court during a basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015 at Cardinal Mooney High School.

They are in it to win it.

The St. Clair boys basketball team has won the Ed Peltz Holiday Tournament the last two years and took a big step Friday toward a third consecutive title.

St. Clair defeated Croswell-Lexington, 51-43, on Friday night at Port Huron Northern in a semifinal game. The Saints will face the winner of the Port Huron Northern-Port Huron High game at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

“I felt like we were the better team and we did not want to lose,” St. Clair sophomore Ben Davidson said after scoring a game-high 21 points. “We won it the last two years and we want to win it the third year. We definitely didn’t play our best tonight. It was a very ugly win, but a win is a win.

“We have to play a lot better (Saturday) than we did today. We didn’t play very good in the first half. In the second half, we pieced it together.”

Austin Smith had 10 points and Matthew Benson added seven points for the Pioneers. Ian Janssen added 10 points for the Saints.

The Saints led for the majority of the game, but the Pioneers wouldn’t go away. St. Clair took a 19-13 lead into the second quarter and extended it to 24-13. But the Pioneers got back into the game with an 8-0 run to close the gap.

“I thought we played hard,” Croswell-Lexington coach Mike Kennealy said. “We could have done a little better defensively talking on the weak side. But overall, we did a nice job.

Cros-Lex coach Mike Kennealy talks with players in a huddle during the Ed Peltz Holiday Basketball Tournament Friday, Dec. 18, 2015 at Port Huron Northern High School.

“We played hard, and when you play hard, it keeps you in games.”

The Saints led 30-25 entering halftime and then went to work early in the third quarter with the intent of pulling away. But it wouldn’t be that easy, Cros-Lex pulled within 30-28 in the third quarter, before St. Clair responded with a run of its own to take a 41-33 lead into the fourth quarter. The Pioneers pulled closer in the fourth quarter, but always seemed one shot away from being back in the game.

“We had some timely runs,” St. Clair coach Shawn Sharrow said. “They got it to four points a couple of times and our kids responded. We got some baskets and stops when we needed to. We are a bit disappointed on our defensive effort. We played in spots, but we have to play defense consistently.”

St. Clair will get that chance in Saturday’s championship game. Croswell-Lexington, meanwhile, hopes to end the tournament on a high note with a victory in the consolation game.

“We have to play smarter,” Cros-Lex guard Matthew Kettlewell said. “They are a smart team. They are well coached. They outplayed us and out-smarted us. The mental aspect is what we need to work on.”

Contact Joseph Hayes at (810) 989-6268 or at jahayes@gannett.com. Follow him on twitter @Joseph_Hayes11. Listen to him every weekday from 4-8 p.m. on 88.3 FM.

St. Clair senior Darrien Rutledge works the ball down court during the Ed Peltz Holiday Basketball Tournament Friday, Dec. 18, 2015 at Port Huron Northern High School.

Cros-Lex sophomore Damian Arnold blocks St. Clair junior A.J. Aguilo during the Ed Peltz Holiday Basketball Tournament Friday, Dec. 18, 2015 at Port Huron Northern High School.

Cros-Lex senior Matthew Kettlewell goes for a shot during the Ed Peltz Holiday Basketball Tournament Friday, Dec. 18, 2015 at Port Huron Northern High School.

St. Clair sophomore Ben Davidson works the ball down court during the Ed Peltz Holiday Basketball Tournament Friday, Dec. 18, 2015 at Port Huron Northern High School.

St. Clair junior Clay Tallon grabs a rebound in front of a host of Cros-Lex players during the Ed Peltz Holiday Basketball Tournament Friday, Dec. 18, 2015 at Port Huron Northern High School.

St. Clair sophomore Ben Davidson sinks a shot in front of a host of Cros-Lex players during the Ed Peltz Holiday Basketball Tournament Friday, Dec. 18, 2015 at Port Huron Northern High School.

It was about as good of an atmosphere as you will find in a high school basketball game.

For 32 minutes, the Port Huron High and Port Huron Northern boys basketball teams battled for area supremacy. In the end, it was the Huskies that had enough fire-power to hold off the Big Reds, 50-45, at the Ed Peltz Holiday Tournament.

Northern advances to face St. Clair tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the championship game. Port Huron will face Croswell-Lexington at 5 p.m. in the consolation game.

“It feels good. It feels amazing actually to win against our rivals,” Port Huron Northern guard Geryd Welsh said after scoring a game-high 26 points. “Our fans do a lot of for us. It’s good to get a win for them.

“We made a couple mistakes and coach (Brian Jamison) told us to keep playing together and not get down on ourselves.”

The Big Reds and Huskies were even for most of the game, before Northern took control in the fourth quarter while making 8 of 13 free throw attempts. Port Huron meanwhile languished form the line, making only 2 of 9 attempts while spending most of the quarter in the double bonus.

“We missed ours and they made their free throws,” Port Huron coach Tony Giancarlo said. “That’s what happened down the stretch. The free throws were the difference and the amazing thing is we work on free throws like crazy.

“But the kids fought hard and they made a lot of plays on the other side. They gained the momentum and the crowd got up and we started forcing some shots. We have to learn what’s a good shot and what’s not depending on the time of the game. Northern has a good player over there that made a lot of nice shots.”

That good player was Welsh, who was dominant in stretches for the Huskies. When he wasn’t scoring from the outside he was setting up his teammates for easy scores.

William Fealko and Nick Trimble each had seven points for Northern while Brandon Doan added six points. Tyler Lee paced Port Huron with 14 points, DeAngielo Sanderson Jr. added 11 points and Jon Miller scored seven.

“I really think we needed to swing the ball more and not settle for jump shots,” Lee said after the loss. “We need to pound the ball inside and we didn’t talk more on defense. We have been working on that in practice to keep talking on defense.”

Up next for Northern is a big contest against St. Clair, which has won the tournament the past two years.

“I told the kids to enjoy it tonight because (on Saturday) we have to be focused,” coach Jamison said. “They are a tough team to play with no prep days. They are so patient and so well coached. They play good defense. They are one of those teams that you would like to have two or three days to prepare for.”

Contact Joseph Hayes at (810) 989-6268 or at jahayes@gannett.com. Follow him on twitter @Joseph_Hayes11. Listen to him every weekday from 4-8 p.m. on 88.3 FM.

Port Huron senior Geryd Welsh works the ball toward the basket during the Ed Peltz Holiday Basketball Tournament Friday, Dec. 18, 2015 at Port Huron Northern High School.

Algonac High School senior AJ Garshott is the Times Herald Football Player of the Year.

ALGONAC It was shocking, improbable and spectacular all at the same time.

The rise of AJ Garshott and the Algonac High School football program will be a story that is recalled for years to come. After starting out the season as a fullback, Garshott became the Muskrats starting quarterback and led the team to its best season in school history.

He now ends his senior season as the Times Herald Football Player of the Year. Chase Tucker of Sandusky, Andrew Hamel of Richmond, Ryan Ellul of Marysville and Joe Duff of Croswell-Lexington were also considered for the award.

“It was awesome seeing a guy that didn’t start the first game of the season take over and lead us to the season we had,” Algonac lineman Mason Ruhlman said. “We went from a 1-8 team to 10-2 and we were building each week.”

Leading the Muskrats charge was Garshott, who finished the season with 1,351 passing yards and 14 touchdowns through the air. He also rushed for 336 yards and 10 scores while leading the Muskrats to their first 10 win season in the school’s history and their first playoff berth in a decade.

“It was a big shock,” Garshott said. “The past years we haven’t been successful. We had good players come through that did some good things but it doesn’t mean as much if you aren’t successful as a team. It was cool to see the hard work finally pay off.”

For Garshott, that experience began during the first week of the season. He entered the game as the Muskrats fullback and left as their starting quarterback.

“I think the Marine City game was a big confidence booster,” Garshott said. “We just got better as the season went on. Our defense was unbelievable and we shut down every offense we played. When I was playing fullback in the Marine City game I was very upset with the way we played in the first half.

“It was tough because I had no control over it. It made me want to prove my coach wrong that I should play and after the game he told me that. He told me I proved him wrong and he said he would be stupid not to start me.”

So after starting at fullback and playing backup quarterback, Garshott was thrust into the hot seat as the Muskrats’ starting quarterback and would lead the team on an epic run.

Algonac scored the most points in school history (397), won its first Blue Water Area Conference title and first district title. The Muskrats won seven straight games along the way and 10 of their first 11 games. The only caveat was a 15-14 loss to Richmond.

“He got better each game,” Algonac offensive assistant Nick Matzka said. “He grew in what he was seeing and making reeds off of that. I coached him as a freshman and a JV quarterback and his maturity and his role really progressed year by year.

“He was always a thrower that could throw all over the field. He improved in the little things. The way he read defenses and where the ball should go. Every year, he got better with it.”

By the time the season came to a close with a 51-25 regional final loss to River Rouge, Algonac’s comeback season had already been solidified.

“It hit me right after the River Rouge game what we had done,” Garshott said. “We were driving home and there was a police escort from our city. There were about 300 people at our school honking their horns and it made me feel like we changed the community. It was unreal to see that.

“As the games went on this season the home games were insane. There were so many people. They kept rallying around us. It’s huge for the team when you change the community. Every business in town seemed to have a sign about our football team.”

As he leaves the program, Garshott said he is pleased to know he helped change the course of the program and left it in better shape than it was in when he initially arrived.

“I’m going to remember how this was the greatest football season Algonac has ever had,” Garshott said. “It’s only going to go uphill from there. The lower levels are doing well.

“Heart was our motto this season. If you didn’t have heart you couldn’t go onto the field.”

Contact Joseph Hayes at (810) 989-6268 or at jahayes@gannett.com. Follow him on twitter @Joseph_Hayes11. Listen to him from 4-8 p.m. every weekday on 88.3 FM.

On Monday night, Croswell-Lexington’s girls basketball team played Port Huron Northern just about as tough as they could.

However, it just didn’t end in a win at the Girls Basketball Holiday Tournament.

That changed on Tuesday night against Port Huron, as 11 Lady Pioneers scored to top the Big Reds, 57-47.

“I thought some girls came in and did some nice things, like I look at Corbin (Redman) and she gave us six points off the bench,” Cros-Lex head coach Darren Bongard said. “I think the key was contribution from everybody tonight, and we needed that after last night (against Northern).”

Leading the well-balanced attack for Cros-Lex was senior forward Rebecca Oden and her 16 points. Senior guard Allessa Calamita also shined with 10 points.

Port Huron had three strong scorers in double-digits, starting with senior Sydney Brown and her 11 points. Senior Kaitlyn Newman and sophomore Madeline Trombly each netted 10 as well.

Sophomore Nicole Mallory also had an energy-filled game for the Big Reds one night after leading the team with 12 points in a loss to Marysville.

“She was a big spark for us yesterday and today, and we needed that,” Port Huron head coach Becky Gilbert said. “One of our players, Tytiahna (Hawkins), hurt her knee and she was a spark plug for us.”

For the most part, the game was evenly fought all night, but Cros-Lex found their spark in the final four minutes of the first half.

After Brown gave Port Huron a 17-16 lead, the Pioneers ran the show and went on a 14-3 run to grab a 31-19 lead heading into halftime. The Big Reds would never cut the Pioneers lead to single digits the rest of the night.

The Pioneers also started the half with fire, getting four quick points from senior Rachel Soper and Oden to give themselves a 15-point lead. The lead eventually grew as big as 42-25, but the Big Reds went on a 7-0 run to tighten up the Pioneers advantage to 42-32.

The Big Reds wouldn’t get any closer to the lead than 10 points, even after a late-game push that included nine combined points in the fourth quarter by Brown and Trombley.

“I think we are a little more physically and mentally tough (than we were earlier),” Bongard said. “Playing in a tournament like this helps your team with that … Port Huron and Port Huron Northern are physical teams, and the further you get in the season the more it’s like that.”

Cros-Lex senior Desiree Lerma takes a shot during the Holiday Girls Basketball Tournament Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015 at Port Huron Northern High School.

Cros-Lex junior Cali Townsend gets past Port Huron senior Sydney Brown during the Holiday Girls Basketball Tournament Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015 at Port Huron Northern High School.

Port Huron senior Syndey Brown goes for a shot during the Holiday Girls Basketball Tournament Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015 at Port Huron Northern High School.

Port Huron junior Kelsie Chapman breaks away with the ball during the Holiday Girls Basketball Tournament Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015 at Port Huron Northern High School.

Cros-Lex senior Allessa Calamita takes a shot during the Holiday Girls Basketball Tournament Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015 at Port Huron Northern High School.

Port Huron junior Tyler Lee grabs a rebound during the Ed Peltz Holiday Basketball Tournament Friday, Dec. 18, 2015 at Port Huron Northern High School.

Let the games begin.

Things are about to get interesting. This week, conference play will begin in high school basketball and with it will come an up-tick in intensity as teams begin their march toward conference championships.

With that in mind, lets take a look at some interesting stories entering the conference season.

Mighty MAC 

It won’t be easy to trek through the Macomb Area Conference for any local teams.

In the MAC Blue Division, Port Huron and Port Huron Northern will square off with the likes of Grosse Pointe South and Anchor Bay for conference supremacy.

The Big Reds and Huskies have already squared off this season, with Northern defeating Port Huron, 50-45 in the opening game of the Ed Peltz Tournament last month.

Port Huron Northern boys basketball coach Brian Jamison

“I think we got better over the break,” Northern coach Brian Jamison said after the Ed Peltz Tournament. “The biggest thing for us is getting ready for league play.”

After the Huskies face Yale Tuesday in a non league game, they will host Grosse Pointe South on Thursday in an anticipated match-up.

In the MAC Gold Division, St. Clair is the lone representative from the Blue Water Area. It will face a stiff challenge from New Haven, which is the clear favorite entering the conference season.

“We are more on an every day basis,” St. Clair coach Shawn Sharrow said. “Every game matters the same to me. Whether it is us getting together for a practice or a game, us doing the little things is what matters to me.”

St. Clair will open league play at home Thursday against Lakeview.

Meanwhile in the Silver Division, Marysville and Marine City each hope to compete for a conference title. The Vikings shared the conference title last year with South Lake.

Marysville will head to Madison Heights Lamphere Thursday, while Marine City will host South Lake.

Photo gallery: Yale upends Richmond, 45-41

Balanced BWAC 

The Blue Water Area Conference might just be the most balanced and competitive conference involving local teams.

Last season, Yale, Imlay City and Richmond each won a share of the conference championship. This season however, each team is looking to win the league title outright.

It won’t be easy though with so much balance. That also doesn’t include up and coming teams such as Armada and Croswell-Lexington, which are already much improved over last season.

“Last year we had four freshmen up on the varsity,” Armada coach Russ Collins said. “It was a rebuilding that took half the season. In the second half of the season we won three games and played another five (games) that were overtime or less than four point losses.”

Armada hopes that experience will allow them to challenge the upper echelon teams in the league, namely Yale, Imlay City and Richmond.

Yale will host Imlay City on Friday in a key match-up.

GTC East 

The Greater Thumb Area Conference is up for grabs once again this season. Marlette, Brown City and Sandusky all have a great opportunity to make a run for a league title.

But it won’t be easy. They will have to overcome Bad Axe, Ubly and USA among others to challenge for a title.

NCTL 

The North Central Thumb League has been dominated by the Peck boys basketball team for several seasons. But that run could come to an end if the Pirates aren’t at their best. After losing several key players the past two seasons, Peck will need to rebuild on the fly.

That will give teams such as Deckerville and Carsonville-Port Sanilac a chance to surprise.

Contact Joseph Hayes at (810) 989-6268 or at jahayes@gannett.com. Follow him on twitter @Joseph_Hayes11. Listen to him every weekday from 4-8 p.m. on 88.3 FM.

Yale would get close, then Port Huron Northern would extend the lead.

Yale would get close again, and Northern would once again grow their lead.

That was the theme of the boys basketball game played at Northern’s gym, and the Huskies can’t complain about that as they won 52-40 in a game they never trailed in.

While Northern hit big shots from the outside all night, the rock of their team came inside as senior Kodi Badger scored 17 points and snagged 10 rebounds.

“We were hoping (for a big game from Badger) because they play a lot of guards,” Northern head coach Brian Jamison said. “We gave him the ball early inside, and he’s an explosive rebounder.”

Northern also had nice contribution from junior Billy Fealko’s 11 points and senior Geryd Welsh’s 10 points.

Yale was paced by senior Cody Kegley, who passed the ball smoothly all night while also scoring 11 points. Junior Luke McClelland and senior Jordan Craig also scored eight points each.

Northern came out with energy, running to a 7-0 start with four points by senior Kodi Badger to force Yale into a timeout just 2:39 into the game. The Bulldogs did come out of the timeout with a 5-0 run, but the Huskies owned the first quarter by finishing with a 15-8 lead.

The second quarter is when Yale’s little-but-loud student section started making its ruckus. Northern saw itself with a 19-11 lead, and Yale decided to change that by forcing four turnovers in a 7-0 run that brought the game to a narrow 19-18 Huskies lead.

However, the Huskies got themselves out of trouble with a swished 3-ball by Fealko and an and-1 by Welsh to bump the lead back to 25-18. The teams traded baskets to end the half with Northern carrying a 27-21 lead and 10 points by Badger into the locker room.

Yale kept chipping and chipping at Northern’s lead, but the Bulldogs just couldn’t bite the Huskies. The closest Yale got was early in the third quarter as they brought Northern’s lead down to 31-29 with a Jordan Craig bucket, but missed layups and free throws prevented a tie and a possible lead.

Once again, when Northern saw their lead in jeopardy, they strung together a pair of golden possessions, this time with a free throw by Welsh and a bigtime 3-pointer by Fealko. That helped the Huskies to a 35-31 advantage heading into the final quarter.

Yale shaved Northern’s lead down to six points twice in the fourth quarter, but the first time they responded with a 3-pointer by Matt Baravik. When Yale threatened again, Fealko hit a 3-ball to make it 49-40 with 3:45 to go.

“We hit some big shots, especially in the fourth quarter to give us separation,” Jamison said. “Yale played so hard and so smart, and they did a great job taking us out of our sets … I was pleased with our effort.”

Yale junior Matthew Donnellon, left, sophomore Blake Pilgrim and sophomore Derik Porrett celebrate after scoring streak led to a Northern time out during a basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016 at Port Huron Northern High School.

Port Huron Northern senior Geryd Welsh drives the ball past Yale senior Jordan Craig during a basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016 at Port Huron Northern High School.

Port Huron Northern senior Kodi Badger blocks a shot by Yale senior Cody Kegley during a basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016 at Port Huron Northern High School.

Port Huron Northern senior Kodi Badger takes a shot in front of several Yale defenders during a basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016 at Port Huron Northern High School.

Yale players put their hands in a huddle with coach Garnett Kohler during a basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016 at Port Huron Northern High School.

Yale senior Cody Kegley drives the ball down court during a basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016 at Port Huron Northern High School.

Yale junior Cade Smeznik takes a shot over Port Huron Northern senior Geryd Welsh during a basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016 at Port Huron Northern High School.

When Pee Wee AAA Detroit Belle Tire was walking to the locker room, Sterling Cooke was getting all the glory.

“I love you Sterling,” shouted one fired up teammate.

“Sterling, you’re the man,” another added.

All the words thrown his way were well deserved. Just moments earlier, Cooke took a pass and peppered it toward the net for a game-winning goal with no time left on the clock for a 2-1 win over Grand Rapids Fox Motors.

“It was a quick-release shot from a defensive pass from behind the net (by Ryan Mast),” Cooke said with a huge smile.

Just 28 seconds before that goal, it was Grand Rapids that was frantically celebrating as they knotted up the game at 1-1 with a breakaway goal by Carson Finney. At that point almost everyone in McMorran felt like Grand Rapids was going to walk away with a tie against the No. 1-ranked Pee Wee team in the nation.

Thanks to strong goaltending by Detroit’s Kaidan Mbereko and Grand Rapids’ Gibson Homer, it took a while for the first goal to find its way into the net. Francesco Pinelli was the first to light the lamp, scoring for Detroit with 5:46 left in the game to end the dual shutout.

Despite the loss, Homer acted as a steel wall in front of the net all game in an impressive performance.

“Gibson Homer, we are pretty familiar with him,” Detroit head coach Ryan Barnes said. “He’s maybe one of the best goalies, if not the best goalie, you will run into in Pee Wee hockey.”

The Belle Tire penalty kill was also stout all afternoon, shutting down six Grand Rapids power plays. The most notable stop came at the end of the first period, when Grand Rapids had a 5-on-3 advantage for nearly a minute and a half that returned no goals.

“Usually your goalie is your best penalty killer, and he was for us,” Barnes said. “It’s not easy when you don’t see action for a few minutes at a time.”

While Belle Tire will move onto the knockout stage by building a quick 3-0 tournament record, Grand Rapids will end its Silver Stick run Saturday as it is 0-2-1. That can also certainly be seen as a deceiving record that does no justice for a solid defense that’s only allowed six goals all tournament.

“Our goaltending was outstanding, but at the same time we developed some chances for ourselves and just didn’t execute,” Grand Rapids co-head coach Mike Knuble said. “They executed at the last second. Our guys played their hearts out, but that’s sports. That’s the beauty of it. Somebody win and somebody loses.”

Detroit Belle Tire players celebrate scoring a goal with less than a second on the clock during a Silver Stick PeeWee AAA hockey game Friday, Jan. 8, 2016 at McMorran Arena in Port Huron.

Detroit Belle Tire’s Ty Gallagher takes a shot-on-goal during a Silver Stick PeeWee AAA hockey game Friday, Jan. 8, 2016 at McMorran Arena in Port Huron.

Grand Rapids Fox Motors’ Gibson Homer catches a shot-on-goal by Detroit Belle Tire’s Francesco Pinelli during a Silver Stick PeeWee AAA hockey game Friday, Jan. 8, 2016 at McMorran Arena in Port Huron.

Detroit Belle Tire’s Adam Pietila and Grand Rapids Fox Motors’ Ryan Kusler fight for possession during a Silver Stick PeeWee AAA hockey game Friday, Jan. 8, 2016 at McMorran Arena in Port Huron.

Marysville senior Payton Husson takes a shot during a basketball game Friday, Jan. 8, 2016 at Marysville High School.

Talk about being dumped right into conference play.

When Marine City got to Marysville’s gym, it was officially the start of the Macomb Area Conference Gold girls basketball season. For two teams that have a realistic shot to win the conference title, it was an early gut-check time for both teams.

Thanks to a big second quarter and sharp free throw shooting to end the game, the Lady Vikings prevailed on their home floor with a 53-42 win.

Senior center Payton Husson was a force inside for the Vikings, cashing in 18 points on the night to go with her established defensive presence. Senior forward Devan Valko also had 14 points, and senior guard Shannon Curley had 10 points that included two crucial 3-pointers.

Kiara Kelley also added seven points, but she also contained Marine City’s Karyssa Austin, who is one of the most dangerous shooting threats in the area.

“I thought she did a good job, she was tasked with Austin who is really, really good,” Marysville head coach Ryan Rathje said. “She took I think four charges tonight too.”

The scoring leader for the night was wearing black and orange as sophomore forward Stephanie Abraham gave the Lady Mariners 20 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter.

“She did a good job getting to the basket, I think she only had one jump shot,” Marine City head coach Jeff Austin said.

Husson wasted no time showing the fans who packed the bleachers she was going to run the show. In the first quarter, the SUNY Binghamton commit scored three points and caught two Mariners shots. Not blocked — caught.

Marine City’s Paige Tranchida also got off to a hot start, scoring four points and blocking a shot to help Marine City tie the game late in the quarter at 9-9.

Unfortunately for the Mariners, Husson and the Vikings were only getting warmed up.

Husson went on to score 10 points in the second quarter, and Hannah Delor also made a layup while being fouled to round out the offensive highlights. On defense the Vikings were even more tenacious, allowing just two points the entire quarter off a layup by Stephanie Abraham.

“Devan and Shannon are really strong at outside shooting and they can get hot so (Marine City) were worried about them, so that gave me one-on-one the entire second quarter,” Husson said. “My gameplan was to take advantage of that the most I could because I knew they would double me eventually.”

The combination of tough defense and smart offense sent the Vikings into halftime with a 24-11 lead.

The Mariners used the third quarter to claw back into the game, doing so by getting the Vikings’ lead down to 31-25 near the end of the quarter. However, that lead was bumped to 34-25 when Curley swished home her first big 3-ball of the night toward the end of the quarter.

Marine City took another charge at the lead, cutting it down to 36-30 to begin the fourth quarter. Once again, Curley sent the Vikings fans into a frenzy with a nothing-but-net 3-pointer from downtown to make it 39-30.

The Lady Mariners simply wouldn’t go away in the fourth quarter, hitting late shots to stay within shooting range of the lead. What didn’t help their cause was the Vikings’ efficiency on the free throw line as Valko, Curley and Kiara Kelley combined to shoot 9-for-10 in the final 1:30.

“Devan at the free throw line is like the sun coming up — you know it’s going to happen,” Rathje said.

Marine City will get a nice break between games and will next play on Jan. 14 when it hosts Roseville. Marysville’s turnaround will be quicker as it hits the road on Tuesday to face Center Line – the team it tied with for the conference title last season.

Marysville senior Devan Valko passes the ball during a basketball game Friday, Jan. 8, 2016 at Marysville High School.

Marine City junior Antonia Potvin keeps pressure on Marysville junior Lydia Sawdon during a basketball game Friday, Jan. 8, 2016 at Marysville High School.

Marysville junior Kiara Kelley sprints for a loose ball during a basketball game Friday, Jan. 8, 2016 at Marysville High School.

Marysville sophomore Hayley Delor keeps a loose ball in-bounds during a basketball game Friday, Jan. 8, 2016 at Marysville High School.

Marysville junior Kiara Kelley drives the ball past Marine City sophomore Stephanie Abraham during a basketball game Friday, Jan. 8, 2016 at Marysville High School.