By Mike Moore
Staff Writer
Grass Lake — Some time had come and gone since the last time the Grass Lake boys basketball team played a home game.
The calendar switched over.
A new president was sworn in.
Days and nights had passed.
“Thirty-five days,” coach Joel Cook said with a smile, not as if he was counting, or anything.
Needless to say, the Warriors were glad to be back on the home court Tuesday night, and made the most of the home rims, heating up from outside for a 60-57 victory over East Jackson.
“This is a big win,” Cook said. “We were shorthanded, playing with only nine guys, but they all stepped up. Every single guy played a part in this win.”
While the gym was quiet, and relatively empty most of the night, it was East Jackson that came out strong.
The Trojans scored early and often, building a 14-10 advantage after the first quarter.
But Grass Lake adjusted, and went on a 19-11 run in the second to take a 29-25 lead into halftime.
The third quarter, and the entire second half, for that matter, was back and forth.
After scoring just four points the entire first half, East Jackson junior Daniel Poole went off in the third, hitting three 3-pointers the scoring 12 in the frame and pulling East Jackson to within one, 44-43, entering the fourth.
While the lead changed 15 times (unofficially) Grass Lake got some key 3-pointers down the stretch to eventually build a six-point lead late in the game.
“The outside shot is a big part of our game, but it’s been missing in action lately,” Cook said. “We do shoot better at home, and we shot the ball very well tonight.”
Grass Lake finished the game with six 3-pointers, but equally as big was pair of free throws by freshman Trae Ruggles in the game’s final seconds.
Ruggles tied for the team high in scoring with 16 points as well.
He’s a freshman, but he’s played a lot of basketball in his life,” Cook said. “At the end there, I think that’s a situation most freshmen back away from. He wanted the ball in his hands. He was impressive tonight.”
Jake Horner and Isaac Alexander also scored 16, each, for Grass Lake, which moved to 6-4 on the season.
Poole led East Jackson (3-7) with 22 points, while Collin Blough added 12 and Austin Jackson scored eight.
Mike Moore is a play-by-play commentator and Sports Writer for JTV Sports.
He’s also a Real Estate agent with Real Estate One, specializing with buyers and sellers throughout Michigan, from the Jackson area to metro Detroit. You can reach him at mjm12@albion.edu or by calling (313) 770-6365 with any inquiries.
