St. Francis Holds On, Beats Big Rapids 52 to 50

Traverse City St. Francis left Big Rapids with a 52 to 50 win on Tuesday after the Gladiators saw a comfortable lead evaporate in the final minutes. St. Francis led by as many as 16 points through three quarters, but the Cardinals mounted a fierce rally in the fourth quarter that tied the score at 50 with 6.2 seconds remaining.

Big Rapids forced the final sequence when coach Blake Thomas' squad tightened its defense and found ways to score in the closing minutes. With 1.5 seconds on the clock the Cardinals fouled St. Francis guard Mason Hoelscher as he launched a three point attempt. Hoelscher made his first two free throws, missed the third, and Cardinals forward Liam McLaughlin secured the rebound. His half court heave fell short, sealing the narrow victory for the Gladiators.

Cole Haist paced the Cardinals with 20 points and Trenton Mossel added 10, giving Big Rapids the offensive spark that fueled the comeback. St. Francis improved to four wins and two losses, while Big Rapids fell to one win and three losses.

“Tonight is definitely a tough one to swallow because we were right there,” Haist said. “But there were a lot of glimpses where we showed what we can do, especially in the fourth quarter where we made our push, and a lot of things to build off of going into Friday.” Coach Blake Thomas reflected on the inconsistent stretches that decided the game. “I thought we played well at the beginning and end of the game but really struggled in the second and third quarters,” he said. “Give Traverse City St. Francis credit. They did a good job on the defensive end and altered a lot of shots in those quarters. I’m proud of the way we competed tonight. We were down by 12 with under five minutes to go and came back to tie the game with six seconds left. We just have to find a way to put together a full 32 minutes.”

For local fans the game underscored the thin margins that separate victory and defeat and highlighted issues both teams must address before holiday schedules and league play intensify. Big Rapids will host Reed City on Friday in a Central State Activities Association Red Division contest.