The first full Friday night slate of the 2024-25 high school basketball season brought an array of exciting moments. There were buzzer-beaters, triple-doubles, and down-to-the-wire finishes that left fans on the edge of their seats. Below, we take a closer look at how all the Muskegon-area boys and girls basketball teams performed on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (NOTE: This post will be updated as coaches submit scoring summaries and player stats.)

Unforgettable Moments on the Basketball Court

SUPER SAIN DELIVERS IN CRUNCH TIME

The Muskegon girls basketball team kicked off the season in a thrilling manner. Junior guard Mariah Sain knocked down the game-winning jumper with three seconds remaining, lifting her squad to a 39-37 road win over East Kentwood. Sain finished with 16 points, leading Muskegon, while Dy’Nasti Bell added 10 points and Camiyah Bonner had seven points. Jaslynn Ward scored 11 points to lead East Kentwood, and Logan Richardson and Aries Branch each added nine points.This victory showcased Sain's clutch shooting ability and the team's determination to come out on top in a tight game. It set the tone for the rest of the season and gave the Muskegon girls a boost of confidence.

RUEL NEARLY NOTCHES A QUADRUPLE-DOUBLE

The Oakridge boys basketball team opened the game with a 15-4 run and cruised to a convincing 72-47 win over Ravenna. Senior guard Peyton Ruel had an incredible performance, registering a triple-double with 21 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds. He nearly recorded a quadruple-double with seven steals as well.Ruel's all-around play was a key factor in Oakridge's victory. His ability to control the game on both ends of the court and distribute the ball effectively made a significant impact on the team's performance.

BOYS

In the boys' games, Dearborn defeated Grand Haven 60-59. The Buccaneers led 30-20 at halftime but couldn't hold on in the second half. Will Plummer scored 18 points to lead Grand Haven, while Harper Huntington added 12 points, Will Korenstra and Kaden Strong each had eight points, and Nolan Portenga scored seven points.Forest Hills Central dominated Reeths-Puffer 70-42. Marvin Moore led Reeths-Puffer with 17 points, while Brayden Mitchelson and Logan Brooks each added 10 points. Brendan Cargill scored 28 points to pace the Rangers.Whitehall outscored Spring Lake 58-45. The Vikings led 29-22 at halftime and pulled away in the fourth quarter. Cam Thompson led Whitehall with 19 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, and four blocks, while Brock Morningstar added 13 points and two assists and Kal Koehler had 11 points and 10 rebounds. Finn Muller added seven points and Corde Anderson had six points. Jaden Core finished with 19 points and six rebounds to lead Spring Lake, while Reid Grimmer added 11 points and six rebounds.North Muskegon defeated Menominee 49-37. Adam Dugener led North Muskegon with 14 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, while Braylen Burrell added 13 points. Tanner Turkoff scored a game-high 24 points to lead Menominee. North Muskegon will play Lapeer tomorrow in the championship game of the Will Lynch Season Tip-Off tournament at Benzie Central.Sparta defeated Fremont 94-49. The Packers fell behind 49-25 at halftime and couldn't keep up in the second half. Redick Powell and Gabe Hulst each scored 13 points to lead Fremont.White Cloud defeated Shelby 30-26. Jayden Robinson scored 13 points to lead White Cloud, while Colson Cruzan added eight points, Kaleb Canning had four points, and Jacob Zimmer had three points. Leighton Belasco scored 11 points to lead Shelby, while Nathan Miller added five points and eight rebounds and Evan Waller added nine rebounds.Grant defeated Howard City Tri-County 86-44. Zaiden Phillips scored 21 points to lead Grant, while Blake Rider added 18 points, Ethan DeLong had 17 points, and Sincere Hatch had 15 points. "I'm happy with the amount of points we are scoring, but my guys know we still have a lot of work to do," said Grant head coach Dan George. "We just have to keep getting better than we were the day before."Newaygo defeated Reed City 81-65. Hunter Yearsovich scored 21 points to lead Newaygo, while Ethan Reyburn added 18 points, Isaiah Miedema had 16 points, and Blake Kerr added 15 points.Ludington defeated Mason County Central 63-47. The Orioles used a 26-10 run in the second quarter to pull away and secure a convincing win. Cam Gunsell led Ludington with 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Taj Williams and Messiah Himes each added 13 points. Cole VanderHaag finished with 15 points and three rebounds to lead Mason County Central, while Trent Hawk added seven points and seven rebounds, and Peyton Merz had four points and six rebounds.Holland defeated Western Michigan Christian 46-42. The Dutch led 26-12 at halftime but had to fend off a late rally from the Warriors. Derrick Ashley led Western Michigan Christian with 16 points, while Tyson Annema and Gabe VanBaale each scored eight points and Ben Visser added seven points.Kent City defeated Lakeview 64-39. (No stats provided)Wyoming Kelloggsville defeated Hart 73-66. (No stats provided)Wyoming Tri-unity Christian defeated Orchard View 76-27. (No stats provided)

GIRLS

Grand Haven defeated Ludington 55-22. Gillian Sorrelle led the Buccaneers with 16 points and 10 steals, while Mallory Woiteshek added 12 points, 16 rebounds, and five blocks, Nadia Prieditis had 12 points, and Kendall Gillis had eight assists. Peyton Welch scored 12 points to lead Ludington, while Elianna Jeruzal added five points.Grand Rapids Northview defeated Mona Shores 46-37. The Sailors led 21-15 at halftime but were outscored 16-3 in the fourth quarter. Laynie Russell scored 13 points to lead Mona Shores, while Katie Phillips added 12 points, and Addison Fisher had seven points.Forest Hills Central defeated Reeths-Puffer 56-35. The Rockets fell behind 17-7 to start the game and couldn't complete a second-half comeback. Raquel Walker led Reeths-Puffer with 17 points, three assists, and three rebounds, while Ashlyn David added 11 points and 10 rebounds.Montague defeated Fruitport 49-34. The Wildcats jumped out to a 12-4 lead in the first quarter and held on for the win. Braylyn Bultema led Montague with 15 points, while Addison Pranger added 12 points, and Maizie Collins and Joceyln Rodriguez-Perez each added six points. "We played a solid four quarters of basketball," said Montague head coach Jess DeBruin. "We struggled after the half, but we made some adjustments and were able to execute going into the fourth quarter to give us a good lead. It was an overall, good team win."Fremont defeated Sparta 54-12. The Packers led 30-6 at halftime and cruised to the victory. Mia Clemence led Fremont with 15 points and eight rebounds, while Riley Chase added nine points and seven rebounds, and Brynna Barnhart had eight points and seven rebounds. Taylor Johnson added seven points, five rebounds, and five steals and Taylor DeKuiper had six points, seven rebounds, and six steals.Greenville defeated Manistee 51-37. Avamae Fett led Manistee with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Madalyn Wayward added six points.Ravenna defeated Oakridge 51-17. Cabria Guenthardt led Oakridge with 10 points.Kent City defeated Lakeview 61-40. Hailey Kamphuis led Kent City with 13 points, five assists, four steals, and four rebounds, while Alyssa Miller added 11 points and five steals, and Brooke Skrabis had nine points. Laynee Hoffman added eight points, eight steals, and three assists, and Kenzy Freeland had six points, five rebounds, and four steals. Savanna Scarlett scored a game-high 22 points to lead Lakeview.Newaygo defeated Reed City 35-27. The Lions fell behind 7-0 to start but rallied to take a 21-14 lead at halftime and held on. Amaya Lathrop led Newaygo with 12 points, five steals, and two rebounds, while Morgan Andres added six points, four rebounds, and four steals, Gabby Arney had five points and three steals and Lily Holmes had four points and eight rebounds. "It was an impressive win for the team tonight," said Newaygo head coach Nathan Thomasma. "The girls had a great practice yesterday and it translated to the game tonight. Reed City is a good team and they are going to win some games this year so to get the W up at their place is tough to do. I'm proud of how the girls kept their composure and matched the physicality of Reed City. It was a good start to the conference season. We'll enjoy it tonight but we have two tough opponents to get ready for next week."Wyoming Tri-unity Christian defeated Orchard View 47-38. (No stats provided)Follow Josh VanDyke on Twitter and Facebook for more West Michigan sports content. If you would like your local high school sports news delivered free to your inbox daily, click here and sign up for one of our local high school sports newsletters. Love reading about local sports? Don't miss any of the excitement from the season ahead. Purchase your subscription and get full access to every story on MLive.