With just a few seconds remaining in the game, junior Ava Bates knocked down a long jumper to put Ovid-Elsie up 43-41 and helped the Lady Marauders earn their second straight MMAC title.  Bates finished with 5 points on the night to go along with 11 rebounds and 4 steals.

"I gotta give Durand a lot of credit.  They put in a 1-3-1 defense to keep us from getting to the middle and to try and keep Bates from hurting them," said Head Coach Ryan Cunningham.  "But we found ways to make plays when we needed to and we're just happy to come away with the win.  Durand was well-prepared and it is always a tough environment there."

After a tight first quarter which saw Durand cling to a 12-11 lead, Ovid-Elsie would turn things up defensively and outscore the Railroaders 11-6.  But Durand would answer with a 13-9 third-quarter run before Ovid-Elsie finished with a 12-10 run to close out the game.

"We got up as many as seven points," noted Cunningham, "but they just kept battling back.  They hit some big threes and never really allowed us to get into a flow on offense."

Evalyn Cole had a game-high 21 points to go along with 7 rebounds and 5 steals while Braeden Tokar added 7 points and 4 assists.  Hailee Campbell added 5 points and 6 rebounds while Rylee Lewis and Kiah Longoria (3 rebounds) each scored three points.

The Lady Marauders held a 30-26 rebound advantage over Durand and collected 12 steals on 19 Railroader turnovers.  Ovid-Elsie also handed out 10 assists on 16 made baskets.

Next up for the Lady Marauders is Goodrich who comes to OE on Tuesday night with a 17-1 record and a #9 State Ranking in Division 2.  The JV girls will tip-off at 5:30 p.m. with the Varsity girls scheduled for around 7:00 p.m.