Natalie Yowler and Bri Warner

The Martin girls’ varsity basketball squad won yet another Division 4 district championship Friday night by defeating a Byron Center Zion Christian team that sported a 12-1 overall record.

Senior center Natalie Yowler got the Lady Clippers off to a hot start by notching  her season high in the first quarter, scoring 10 of Martin’s first 14 points.

Bri Warner locked down Zion’s key senior Kelly Leep, holding her to 12 points. Efforts by Maddy Bogdan, Gracie Shettler, and others limited Kendra Leep to only 5 points.

Shettler led all scorers with 13 points, followed by Yowler and freshman Makala Goddard, who scored 10 apiece.

“We were locked in from the very beginning tonight,” said coach Ben Schipper. “That was one of our most complete games all year. We took care of the ball, handled pressure, got our posts involved, and clamped down defensively.
“Playing bigger schools night in and night out in conference play absolutely prepares us for the playoffs. We had a lot of learning moments early on in the season, but we have grown from each one and we are playing our best basketball at the right time, which has been our goal all along.”
Schipper said he was pleased to see seniors Warner and Yowler “really turn it on these last three  games. Bri just won her fourth district championship. Can’t imagine there are too many players in the state who can claim that accomplishment.”

The Lady Clippers, now 9-5 on the season overall, will play an old nemesis, Walkerville, 11-5, at 7 p.m. Mendon High School Monday night in the regional opener. Walkerville was the team that defeated Martin in the state Class D championship game in 1987.

 

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