Midland, MI – April 1st, 2021 – The 13-3 Marquette Redmen basketball team played in the MHSAA District 1 Regional Final against the 11-2 Bobcats of Grand Blanc on Thursday night. Marquette was looking to earn their first regional championship in over 50 years. The game was broadcast live on Fox Sports Marquette 105.1-99.9!
First Half:This game started at a very fast pace with Grand Blanc coming out swinging with a 3-pointer out the gate. Lincoln Sager for the Redmen matched the shot with a 3-pointer of his own to tie things back up. Marquette was able to hang with one of the top teams in the state through most of the quarter. The Redmen weren’t able to capitalize on good looks they were given which really hindered their offense.
The second quarter is when the Bobcats started to pull away a bit. Lincoln Sager was able to hit another three early on and showed that he had the hot hand for the Redmen. He outscored the rest of the team in the entire first half. Grand Blanc was able to cause turnovers and turn them into points. Grand Blanc’s RJ Taylor was able to start a run for the Bobcats by putting up five total points on an 8-0 run to close out the half.
Halftime: Grand Blanc 44, Marquette 27
Second Half: The Bobcats really started taking over the game in the start of the second half. They began the half with a 7-0 run to build their lead. Marquette was able to get on the board with Ty Lotterman getting a put back bucket to bring the score to, 51-29 in favor of the Bobcats. Marquette’s offense continued to struggle getting dialed in, and Grand Blanc was able to pull ahead by 25 points.
The final eight minutes still saw quality basketball, but the shots weren’t falling in Marquette’s favor. The Bobcats continued to pull away with power in the paint and precision behind the arc. The teams went back and forth with scoring for a bit, but it was too little too late for the Redmen. The Marquette seniors saw plenty of time on the court and made plays for the team down the final stretch of the game. It was Grand Blanc who would advance in the tournament as the Marquette Redmen come home with the loss in the regional final.
Final: Grand Blanc 85, Marquette 58
Crossroads Mini-Mart Shell Player of the Game: Lincoln Sager, Marquette
The Redmen finish their season with an impressive 13-3 regular season record. They are losing key players due to graduation, but the future does look bright for the Redmen as they look to follow up their great playoff run this season.
