WHITEHALL — The score said what it always says when Fremont plays against a West Michigan Conference Lakes opponent Friday night, but despite a 60-28 defeat, Whitehall was largely pleased with its performance against the conference's best.
Fremont has defeated every WMC Lakes foe by at least 16 points - and every one that isn't second-place Ludington by at least 27 - so that the Packers ultimately pulled away was no surprise. However, the Vikings played a very good first quarter and trailed just 20-12 at the end of it. But for a couple of missed opportunities on 2-on-1 breaks, the game might have been even closer at that point.
Coach Brian Milliron said his team got too unselfish on a couple of those opportunities, resulting in excessive passing and ultimately turnovers.
"We have some girls that are very pass-happy and very unselfish, and I
need them to be more selfish," Milliron said. "They catch the ball in a 2-on-1, 3-on-2
situation and we have to attack the basket. We can't look to pass or
whatever it is that we
were trying to do there. We have to attack the basket."
That the Vikings (9-10, 4-6 WMC Lakes) had those chances at all, though, was a step up from their first meeting with Fremont, in which they gave up the first 15 points and were never in a position to make Fremont sweat. Whitehall's improved showing came while shorthanded, with Drew Buckner and Mansah Waller both out sick.
Fremont took over after the first quarter, as it so often does. Consecutive three-pointers by Packer star Mia Clemence extended the visitors' lead to 29-14, and it kept growing from there.
With the game decided, though, Whitehall was able to celebrate a couple of bright spots, as seniors Grace McDowell and Megan LeaTrea were able to score their first field goals of the season - McDowell's even came while being fouled.
"We've been waiting all season (for that)," a smiling Clare Westerlund said after the game, deeming those her favorite moments of the night. "Especially against Fremont, it
makes it even more fun because it's the best team in the conference."
That positive atmosphere was obvious among the team as, although it went in the book as a loss, the game represented an opportunity to grow, and the team felt that's what happened. With a tough district coming up - one of the teams in it, Spring Lake, is one of the two teams to beat Fremont this year - that's the main focus for the Vikes.
"We wanted to do better than we did
last time, and get better a little bit each day," Milliron said. "I
thought the kids did. Obviously, they're bigger than us, they're faster
than us and they're stronger than us, but we played hard for 32
minutes. When it comes to stuff like that, I wouldn't trade any of our
girls for that, not one."
Westerlund's nine points led Whitehall, while Taylor DeKuiper had 15 points and Clemence 14 for Fremont.
