Late basket lifts Reed City girls basketball over Fremont

REED CITY — Reed City got the start it wanted in the new year with a 44-41 win over Fremont in nonleague girls basketball action Tuesday night.

Emily Libey scored 18 points and Megan Donley added eight points for the Coyotes, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

“In previous games, our turnovers have been up in the 20s, and that’s been a killer,” Reed City coach Brian Koopman said. “Tonight, we had only 11 and that’s awesome. The other thing we’ve been working on is playing full-court defense. If we shoot a shot, we have to crash the boards and try getting an offensive rebound. When we’re on defense, we have to go for every loose ball and rebound. Tonight, that was our spark.”

Libey scored six points in the first quarter and Hanna Price added four. The Packers narrowed it to 14-7 going into the second quarter.

The Packers scored the first nine points of the second quarter as the Coyotes went cold. Libey broke the scoring drought on a 3-point play with 3:18 left in the second half for a 17-17 tie. Alanna Nelson’s 3-pointer late in the quarter gave Reed City a 22-17 halftime lead.

Donley put Reed City up 25-20 with a 3-pointer early in the third. Fremont struggled offensively while Reed City took advantage and led 30-22 at 2:05 on Libey’s basket. Donley netted a 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer for a 33-25 lead. Reed City’s lead later was 36-27, but the Packers got back in the game with six straight points. Libey drove for a basket and a 40-35 lead with 2:12 to play. Fremont’s Katie Parkhurst tied the game 41-41 with 25 seconds left on a basket off a steal.

Hannah Price hit a free throw with 13.5 seconds left and missed the second attempt, but Brenna Westhoff got the rebound and putback for a three-point lead. Fremont couldn’t score at the other end as time expired.

“I was hoping she would make that (free throw),” Westhoff said. “I thought if she was going to miss it, I would get the rebound and put it back and make up for my mistake earlier in the game.”

She was referring to an open shot earlier in the quarter when she decided not to take with Reed City leading. She passed it off instead to kill time off the clock.

Parkhurst led Fremont with 13 points.

“We’re not that high potent of an offensive team that we can afford 20-some turnovers a game,” Koopman said. “That was crucial for us tonight. We did a good job against their pressure.”

The Coyotes only had eight healthy players.

“We had a couple of kids injured,” Koopman said. “I thought all eight kids came in, did a good job and played good minutes, hit some baskets and did the right things we had to do.”

The Coyotes (3-4), who notched their first home win this season, play at Grant on Jan. 12 in Central State Activities Association Gold Division action. Fremont (2-6) joins the CSAA next season.

“As a whole team, I think we’re getting better overall and that’s crucial,” Koopman said. “’Kids are coming in and giving us good minutes.”