Scott Keyes
Sports Scene
For the second year in a row, the Bullock Creek girls basketball team made it all the way to the Class B semifinal round at the Breslin Center.
And for the second year in a row, the Lancers’ ultimate goal of winning a state championship came up just short.
“Maybe the third time is a charm,” said junior Halee Nieman after the Lancers 52-47 loss to Grand Rapids South Christian. “As a player, you dream about getting here once, and we have been here two years in a row. We need to get back to work and hopefully be able to make it back here again next season.”
Nieman was huge for Bullock Creek. She started the game scoring 12 of the Lancers’ first 13 points, and the Lancers pulled out to a 13-8 lead early in the second quarter. However, Nieman picked up her third foul before halftime and South Christian took advantage. Markayla Vander came off the bench and scored 11 second-quarter points and pulled down four rebounds in the quarter to give the Sailors a three-point halftime lead.
A year ago, Bullock Creek lost in overtime to a taller Powers Catholic team, 48-45. This year, Bullock Creek lost to a taller Grand Rapids South Christian team that outrebounded the Lancers, 44-25.
Once Nieman went out of the game, the momentum swung over to the Sailors.
South Christian, which went on to lose to Eaton Rapids in the Class B final, made 15 of 18 from the free-throw line in the second half and outrebounded the Lancers 23-11 in the second half. Still, Bullock Creek stayed close with 21 steals and 33 forced turnovers.
“This game felt a lot like last year’s game,” said Bullock Creek coach Justin Freeland. “We caused 33 turnovers, like we wanted to. We got out-rebounded, like we didn’t want to. And they hit key free throws down the stretch, which didn’t allow us to make a final push. In a game like that, anything can happen.”
Nieman led the Lancers with 18 points, while Hannah Heldt followed with 16. Nieman also had seven steals and six rebounds. Heldt and Ellie Juengel fouled out, while Nieman finished with four fouls. Neiman, a 5-foot-11-inch junior, was forced to the bench in the first half with three fouls.
Juengel said that as a player you leave everything out on the court in a game like this, and pride allows a team to pull through the difficult losses. “We were so close again,” she said. “I couldn’t be prouder of my team. We played a great team, but unfortunately for us we lost the game. This is only going to make us hungrier heading into next season.”
Juengel added seven points, six rebounds, and three steals for Bullock Creek, which finished the season 24-2.