It doesn’t happen often, but the Martin girls’ varsity basketball team absorbed defeat Monday night at the hands of undefeated Saugatuck, 50-49.
The visiting Indians scored on a layup at the buzzer to claim their fourth victory in as many tries this season. Martin, which lost only once last season, also by a single point, fell to 2-1 on the campaign.
Coach Ben Schipper reported his team was down by seven points with 45 seconds left in the when freshman Makala Goddard hit a three-point field goal to pull to within four. Gracie Shettler then hit a three with 21 seconds left to get the Lady Clippers to within one.
With just six seconds showing on the clock sophomore Cirsten Coburn stepped to the free throw line for two shots. She made the first to tie the game before a Saugatuck timeout.
After the timeout, she buried her second shot to give Martin a one-point lead. But Saugatuck inbounded and went the length of the floor to have an air ball layup fall into one of its player’s hands for a putback at the buzzer.
Gracie Shettler led the Lady Clippers with 13 points and Coburn and Bri Warner both had 10.
Martin will be back in action Wednesday evening at Watervliet.
