A great season has ended for the Ovid-Elsie Lady Marauders as New Lothrop handed OE a 43-26 loss in the District Semi-Finals. Ovid-Elsie led 9-7 after the first stanza but couldn't find the bottom of the rim in the second stanza as New Lothrop blanked OE, 11-0 to take an 18-9 lead at the half.  New Lothrop would stall for much of the third quarter while increasing their lead to 27-15 by the end of the third.  Ovid-Elsie kept battling back but eventually, the Hornets would capture the fourth stanza 16-11 behind some clutch free throw shooting. New Lothrop shot 17 of 27 from the line while Ovid-Elsie connected on just 3 of 4 attempts from the charity stripe.  Ovid-Elsie was tagged for 25 fouls compared to New Lothrop's 8. Braeden Tokar (2 steals, 2 assists) and Hailee Campbell (6 rebounds) paced Ovid-Elsie with 6 points each, while Evalyn Cole chipped in with 5 points and 5 assists.  Lily Bates and Ellyanna Carman each hit triples en route to their 3 points each while Ava Bates rounded out the Marauder scoring with 2 points. Ovid-Elsie collected 10 steals on 22 New Lothrop turnovers but was out-rebounded 26-18.  Ovid-Elsie only shot 23.8% from the field while the Hornets connected on 50% of their tries.  OE handed out 10 assists on 10 made baskets.   Ovid-Elsie concludes their season with a 19-3 record.  For the senior class, they earned three conference titles, two district titles, and a regional championship.  All-in-all, the senior class finished with a combined 4-year record of 74-15 at the varsity level. New Lothrop will advance to play St. Charles in the District Finals on Friday night.  

The Ovid-Elsie Lady Marauders traveled to Genesee Christian Tuesday night for a non-conference match-up with the Soldiers.  Ovid-Elsie would come away with a 62-31 win to improve to 19-2.  Genesee Christian fell to 11-9. Senior Ava Bates had a team-high 16 points to pace OE and added 3 rebounds and 3 steals.  Fellow seniors Evalyn Cole (7 assists, 6 steals) and Hailee Campbell (4 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals) scored 13 points and 12 points, respectively, and Braeden Tokar finished with 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. "It was a small, hot gym with a big, loud crowd," said Head Coach Ryan Cunningham.  "It had a very tournament-like atmosphere which is what we need going into districts next week." Ovid-Elsie built a small first-quarter lead of 14-9 and added to it in the second quarter 10-8 to lead 24-17 at the half.  But it was the third quarter (16-4) that made the difference while the Lady Marauders closed the game out with a 22-10 fourth quarter. "We struggled defensively in the first half," said Cunningham.  "They have a lot of movement in their offense and it kept us on our toes.  We made a few mistakes but we were able to talk things through at halftime and make some good adjustments.  The 7-0 run we had coming out of the locker room certainly helped." Ellyanna Carman scored 5 points and grabbed 4 steals while Lily Bates scored 4 points, Tava Kvalevog added 3 points, and McKenzie Keck two points to round out the scoring for Ovid-Elsie. Ovid-Elsie shot 50% from the floor on the night including 9 of 19 from behind the arc (47.4%).  The Soldiers held a slight rebounding advantage 21-16 but the Lady Marauders were able to collect 19 steals on 32 GCS turnovers.  Ovid-Elsie also handed out 21 assists on 25 made baskets. Thursday's finale against Napoleon has been canceled due to some injuries in the Napoleon program.  Ovid-Elsie is looking to pick up a game, but if not the next action will be in districts next Wednesday night at Ithaca against the winner of the New Lothrop-Ithaca winner.

The Ovid-Elsie Lady Marauders wrapped up conference play Friday night with a 67-34 victory over Chesaning.  Ovid-Elsie clinched their third straight undefeated conference championship.  Ovid-Elsie improves to 18-2 on the season with two games left before District play. Ovid-Elsie opened the game with a 21-7 first-quarter surge and followed it up with a 14-7 second-quarter to lead 35-14 at the half.  Chesaning picked things up in the third quarter, but OE still outscored the Indians 20-13 before finishing them off with a 12-7 fourth quarter. "I thought we did a nice job defensively again tonight, especially in the first half," said Head Coach Ryan Cunningham.  "They made a bit of a run in the third quarter but we were able to answer it with some nice offensive sets." Braeden Tokar had a team-high 14 points to lead the Lady Marauders but it was the play of Alyson Moore and Ellyanna Carman that caught the attention of Cunningham. "Carman was all over the place in the first half with 11 points and then Aly got hot.  I've been talking with her lately about just catching the ball and shooting and tonight she did just that," noted Cunningham. Moore finished the game with 13 points which included going 4 of 4 from behind the arc.  Carman also finished with 13 points. "That is the great thing about this team," added Cunningham.  "We are not made up of one or two players, we are a team.  Nobody cares who gets the credit as long as we put a notch in the win column.  These kids are genuinely excited for each other when they do well." Tokar also added 5 assists and 2 steals while Carman added 5 rebounds and 6 steals.  Hailee Campbell scored 9 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, handed out 5 assists, and collected 6 steals while Evalyn Cole added 7 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals.  Dannika Campbell chipped in with 6 points, Tava Kvalevog 3 points, and McKenzie Keck 2 points. Ovid-Elsie shot 51% from the floor on the night including 59.4% from 2-point range.  The Lady Marauders out-rebounded Chesaning 25-19 and collected 23 steals on 30 Indian turnovers.  OE also handed out 21 assists on 26 made baskets. The Lady Marauders will be back in action next week as they travel to Genesee Christian on Tuesday before wrapping up the regular season at home on Friday night against Napoleon.  Both games are slated for 7:00 p.m.

With a 51-27 win over Montrose Wednesday night, the Ovid-Elsie Lady Marauders clinched their third straight MMAC title outright.  Ovid-Elsie now sits 17-2 and 11-0 in the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference. "Tonight was a special night," said Head Coach Ryan Cunningham.  "We wanted a chance to secure the title outright and to do it at home was extra special.  Our kids played tough and in the second half, they asserted themselves defensively to ensure Montrose couldn't make a run at us." Ovid-Elsie got off to a good start leading 17-9 after the first stanza and 28-21 at half but the second half is when the Lady Marauders turned up the heat on defense holding the Lady Rams to just 6 second-half points, 9-4 and 14-2 respectively. Evalyn Cole paced the Lady Marauders with 21 points to go along with 5 assists and 3 steals while sophomore Lily Bates scored 10 points and grabbed 5 rebounds.  Hailee Campbell filled the stat sheet with 8 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 steals while Braeden Tokar added 5 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals.  McKenzie Keck and Ellyanna Carman (4 rebounds, 3 steals) scored 3 points each and Dannika Campbell added a free throw to round out the scoring for OE. The Lady Marauders collected 17 steals on 26 Montrose turnovers while adding 14 assists on 17 made baskets.  Montrose won the rebound battle 36-29 but was held to just 27% shooting. Ovid-Elsie will have a quick turnaround as the Lady Marauders will head to Chesaning Friday night for the final MMAC matchup of the year.  

With a 55-14 win over Durand Friday night, the Ovid-Elsie Lady Marauders have guaranteed themselves at least a share of the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference title.  This is Ovid-Elsie's third straight conference championship. With two games to go in conference play, the Lady Marauders could secure it outright with a win over Montrose on Wednesday or at Chesaning on Friday. "Our team was pretty locked in tonight, especially on the defensive side," said Head Coach Ryan Cunningham.  "We had to make some adjustments in our lineup and rotations due to a couple of injuries, but we had a lot of kids step up tonight and contribute." Braeden Tokar had a game-high 20 points to go along with 4 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 assists while Hailee Campbell chipped in with 12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 assists.  Evalyn Cole had another solid night adding 10 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals.  Tava Kvalevog added 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, Ellyanna Carman 3 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals, and McKenzie Keck (3 rebounds) and Lilian Bates (6 rebounds) each scored two points. It was a tight first quarter as Ovid-Elsie led 11-8 but then turned things up with a 14-3 second quarter.  The staunch OE defense held Durand scoreless in the third (18-0) and finished the game with a 12-3 effort in the final stanza. Ovid-Elsie (16-2, 10-0 MMAC) out-rebounded Durand (10-10, 5-6 MMAC) 37-22 and handed out 17 assists on 24 made field goals.  The Lady Marauders also collected 15 steals on 22 Railroader turnovers and shot 44% on the game including 58% from two-point range. Ovid-Elsie will be off until Wednesday when Montrose will come to town and then will travel to Chesaning on Friday night.  Both games are slated for 5:30 p.m.

Braeden Tokar had a game-high 14 points to lead Ovid-Elsie past Corunna Tuesday night, 53-8.  Tokar also added 5 steals and 3 assists. The Lady Marauders jumped out to a commanding 25-2 first-quarter lead behind some stingy defense and some quick buckets in transition.  After the Cavalier's first bucket in the first quarter, OE would only relinquish six more points, all off of free throws. "We had some great energy to start the game off," said Head Coach Ryan Cunningham.  "We were able to knock down some threes and get into the middle of their zone early on and that helped build our confidence." Evalyn Cole filled the stat sheet with 11 points, 5 rebounds, 6 steals, and 5 assists while Ava Bates added 9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals.  Ellyanna Carman knocked down a couple of triples en route to her 8 points.  Hailee Campbell (3 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 assists) and Francesca Giacobbe each scored 4 points, Dannika Campbell 2 points, and Danica Bancroft a free throw to round out the Marauder scoring. Ovid-Elsie out-rebounded Corunna 23-14 and collected 23 steals on 34 Cavalier turnovers.  Ovid-Elsie also handed out 14 assists on 20 made baskets.  The Lady Marauders connected on five three-pointers while shooting 44% from the field. Ovid-Elsie will head to Durand Friday night for an MMAC showdown.  Game time is slated for 5:30 p.m.

With a commanding 65-13 win at Byron Monday night, the Ovid-Elsie Lady Marauders are one win away from securing their third straight MMAC title.  Ovid-Elsie (14-2, 9-0 MMAC) still has three conference games to go. Ava Bates paced OE with 19 points followed by Evalyn Cole's 12 points and 9 steals.  Braeden Tokar and Fanscesca Giacobbe each chipped in with 7 points while Ellyanna Carman added 5.  McKenzie Keck added 4 points while Tava Kvalevog knocked down a triple to round out the Marauder scoring. Ovid-Elsie will host Corunna on Tuesday night for a non-conference matchup at 7:00 p.m. before traveling to Durand on Friday night.

Senior Ava Bates knocked down 5 three-pointers en route to her game-high 25 points to help lead the Lady Marauders past Byron Friday night, 64-10.  Ovid-Elsie improves to 13-2 (8-0 MMAC). Ovid-Elsie took a commanding first-quarter lead (23-5) and followed it up with a 22-1 second quarter to lead 45-6 at halftime.  Ovid-Elsie also held a scoring advantage in the third (14-2) and fourth (5-2).  OE would lead by as many as 54 points during the contest. "Our kids have been locked in since the Williamston loss," said Head Coach Ryan Cunningham.  "We've been shooting the ball well and we have been playing with a lot more intensity on the defensive side." Bates also added 4 rebounds and 4 steals.  Fellow senior Evalyn Cole added 15 points, 7 rebounds, 6 steals, and 6 assists while senior Hailee Campbell chipped in with 8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocked shots.  Senior Francesca Giacobbe added 6 points, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 4 rebounds while senior Braeden Tokar added 4 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals.  Juniors Tava Kvalevog and Ellyanna Carman added 4 points and 2 points, respectively, to round out the scoring for Ovid-Elsie. "Tonight was senior night and it was awesome to see our seniors lead the way," said Cunningham.  Ovid-Else out-rebounded Byron 26-21 and picked up 18 steals on 32 Byron turnovers.  The Lady Marauders also handed out 18 assists on 24 made baskets and shot 50% from the field and 72% from the line. Due to a make-up game, Ovid-Elsie will head to Byron on Monday before hosting Corunna on Tuesday.  Friday night OE will head to Durand for another conference showdown.    

The Ovid-Elsie Lady Marauders improved to 12-2 on the season after defeating Stockbridge (8-7) on the road Tuesday night, 64-40.  Ovid-Elsie would knock down 11 triples on the night including nine in the first half. "We had one of our best shooting practices last night," said Head Coach Ryan Cunningham.  "We knew they were going to play a zone and we were able to force them out of that pretty quick." Ava Bates went 5 for 5 from behind the arc in the first half en route to 19 first-half points while Evalyn Cole and Lilian Bates also connected on multiple threes. "They went to a box and one on Ava in the second half to slow her down, but Lily and Evalyn stepped up," said Cunningham.  "We have a very selfless group of kids and when they were trying to take Ava out of the game, we found ways to get others involved." Bates would finish with 19 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists while Cole also scored 19 points and added 3 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals.  Lilian Bates finished with 12 points and Braeden Tokar chipped in with 6 points, 4 steals, and 2 assists.  Hailee Campbell (7 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 assists) and Francesca Giacobbe each had three points and Ellyanna Carman added two points and 3 assists. Ovid-Elsie shot 46% from behind the arc and 42% on the game.  The Lady Marauders also shot 73% (11-15) from the free-throw line and handed out 18 assists on 21 made baskets.  While Stockbridge out-rebounded OE 25-18, Ovid-Elsie was able to collect 14 steals on 17 Panther turnovers. Ovid-Elsie will host Byron on Friday night for Senior Night at 5:30 p.m.

In a nip and tuck game that saw 15 lead changes, it would be the Williamston Hornets (10-4) who would come out on top, 44-34, over Ovid-Elsie (11-2). The Hornets led 12-8 after the first quarter but the Lady Marauders would use a 10-7 second quarter run to close the gap to 19-18 at half.  After a 9-7 OE advantage in the third, Williamston would close the game out with an 18-7 fourth-quarter run. "We made some costly defensive errors about mid-way through the fourth quarter and they capitalized on them," said Head Coach Ryan Cunningham.  "They hit back-to-back three-pointers and we turned the ball over three times in that stretch.  It was too much to overcome against a solid team like Williamston." Braeden Tokar paced the Lady Marauders with 10 points and added 3 rebounds while Evalyn Cole scored 8 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and handed out 3 assists.  Hailee Campbell also scored 8 points while nabbing 4 boards.  Francesca Giacobbe added 3 points while Ava Bates (7 rebounds, 3 steals) and Ellyanna Carman (3 rebounds) each scored two points, and Dannika Campbell a free throw to round out the Marauder scoring. "I think a game like this shows that we are capable of playing with anyone," added Cunningham.  "But we also need to take a hard look in the mirror at ourselves and hold ourselves accountable for the mistakes that we made." Ovid-Elsie out-rebounded Williamston 28-19 and handed out 7 assists on 15 made baskets.  The Marauders turned the ball over 12 times compared to 13 for Williamston but came away with only 3 steals.  Williamston held a huge advantage at the free throw line going 7 of 10 compared to OE's 3 for 6 and knocked down 7 triples compared to just one for Ovid-Elsie. The Lady Marauders will be back in action next Tuesday night at Stockbridge for another big non-conference matchup before playing host to Byron on Friday night, which will also be senior night.  

In a game that matched up a pair of one-loss teams, Ovid-Elsie would cruise to a 49-21 win over visiting Morrice Tuesday night.  Ovid-Elsie improves to 11-1 while the Orioles drop to 8-2. After a sluggish start in the first quarter (7-6), the Lady Marauders used a 40-10 run in the middle quarters to put the Orioles away.  Morrice managed to outscore OE 5-2 in the 4th. "They came out and played a zone and we struggled to connect early on," said Head Coach Ryan Cunningham.  "Once we stopped settling for outside shots and used our defense to fuel our offense, we got going." Braeden Tokar had a game-high 15 points along with 6 rebounds and 5 steals while Evalyn Cole (6 rebounds, 4 steals, 4 assists) and Ava Bates (9 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists) scored 12 points each.  Hailee Campbell chipped in with 4 points and 7 rebounds while McKenzie Keck, Francesca Giacobbe, and Tava Kvalevog each added 2 points. Ovid-Elsie handed out 13 assists on 20 made baskets and out-rebounded Morrice 37-25.  The Lady Marauders also collected 21 steals on 33 Oriole turnovers. Next up for the Lady Marauders will be a huge test as the Williamston Hornets come to town on Thursday for a 7:00 p.m. matchup.  

At New Lothrop Friday night, the Lady Marauders would improve to 10-1 on the season and 7-0 in the MMAC.  The win also gives Ovid-Elsie a two-game cushion over second place New Lothrop (7-4. 5-2 MMAC). "We knew this was going to be a battle," said Head Coach Ryan Cunningham.  "New Lothrop is very good, they are well-coached, and it is always a tough place to play at." Ovid-Elsie would claim the first quarter 14-3 but New Lothrop got hot from behind the arc in the second and outscored OE 18-7 in the second stanza to tie the game at 21 at the half.  Both teams scored nine points in the third stanza before Ovid-Elsie would close the game out with a 22-7 fourth-quarter run. "We talked a lot about how this would be a game of runs and we needed to match their energy in their gym," added Cunningham.  "We felt that if we could keep things close, we could make that final push and we did." Braeden Tokar (3 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals) and Evalyn Cole (4 assists, 5 steals) paced the Lady Marauders with 12 points each while Ava Bates added 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals.  Hailee Campbell played solid all the way around with 8 points and 5 rebounds, but it was her defense that drew accolades from Cunningham. "We gave her the toughest assignment tonight and that was to try and slow down Wendling," noted Cunningham.  "She still had a good game but Hailee made her work for it." But Ovid-Elsie was motivated in other ways tonight, Cunningham mentioned.  Not just because of the league showdown, but because of some of the locker room material that was found. "Our kids found some inappropriate and degrading material in the locker room," Cunningham said.  "At first, it was hurtful but I believe it helped fuel our fire.  It was disappointing to see especially from a team we respect so much.  I wouldn't tolerate that stuff being displayed in our locker room, but in the end, we are going to rise above it and put it behind us." Ellyanna Carman added 5 points for OE while Dannika Campbell chipped in with 4 points and Lily Bates 2 points to round out the Marauder scoring. Ovid-Elsie shot 69% from the field on the night (3 for 5 behind the arc) and handed out 17 assists on 20 made baskets.  The Lady Marauders also collected 11 steals on 19 Hornet turnovers.  New Lothrop held a slight rebound advantage, 20-18. Ovid-Elsie will take a break from league action next week as they welcome Morrice to town on Tuesday and Williamson on Thursday.

The Ovid-Elsie Lady Marauders made the most out of their invitation to the Cadillac Showcase as OE downed the Northmen, 49-47.  In a game that saw six lead changes and Ovid-Elsie up by as many as 10 points, the game came down to some clutch free throw shooting in the final seconds. "We didn't get to the line the entire game until the final minute," said Head Coach Ryan Cunningham.  "This game had a playoff-type atmosphere and it was everything that we wanted in a non-conference match-up." Petoskey (8-4) took a slight 6-4 advantage after the first quarter but OE put together a 16-11 run in the second to lead 20-17 at the half.  After a 17-15 advantage in the third, the Northmen would battle back with a 15-12 fourth-quarter surge of their own including a buzzer-beating three-pointer to close out the game. "We were able to build a pretty good lead but they just kept hitting shots," added Cunningham.  "Tokar and Bates were clutch down the stretch knocking down some key free throws." Ava Bates was named "Player of the Game" after knocking down 14 points and grabbing 3 rebounds while Evalyn Cole added 13 points, 6 assists, and 3 steals.  Braeden Tokar had another all-around great game with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists, and two blocked shots.  Ellyanna Carman chipped in with 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists while Tava Kvalevog (2 steals), Hailee Campbell (5 rebounds. 3 assists, 2 steals), and Lily Bates each added 2 points. Ovid-Elsie shot 51.3% from the floor including 60% from behind the arc while Petoskey shot 45% and 43.8%, respectively.  The Lady Marauders converted on 3 of 4 attempts from the foul line while the Northmen hit 4 of 6.  Ovid-Elsie was able to collect 13 steals on 19 turnovers and handed out 17 assists on 20 made baskets.  The Lady Marauders also won the rebound battle, 21-14. "We were very intentional during practice this week and shifted our focus to taking better shots and hitting the glass," said Cunningham.  "The loss to St. Pat's caused us to rethink some things and I believe that we have 'righted the ship' so to speak.  If we continue to play this focused, we are going to be tough down the stretch." Ovid-Elsie will host Montrose on Tuesday night before heading to New Lothrop on Friday.  Both games are slated for 5:30 p.m.

At Ovid-Elsie, the Lady Marauders took down the visiting Lakeville Falcons Friday night, 66-26.  Ava Bates had a game-high 17 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 3 steals.  Braeden Tokar added 16 points and 6 rebounds to propel Ovid-Elsie to 8-1 (6-0 MMAC). "They sat in a zone all night trying to slow us down," said Head Coach Ryan Cunningham.  "After a slow start, I was really happy with how we executed on both ends of the floor and worked the ball inside.  Tokar showed some dominance inside." Ellyanna Carman added 9 points and 4 rebounds for OE while Hailee Campbell chipped in with 8 points and 4 rebounds.  Evalyn Cole (9 steals) and Tava Kvalevog each added 4 points and Alyson Moore and Lily Bates each a triple en route to their 3 points each.  Kenzie Keck rounded out the scoring with a pair of free throws. Ovid-Elsie connected on 16 of 19 tries from the foul line and collected 21 steals on 33 Falcon turnovers.  The Lady Marauders also handed out 20 assists on 23 made baskets and out-rebounded Lakeville 29-19. It will be a short turnaround as Ovid-Elsie will travel to Cadillac Saturday for a 4 p.m. showcase game against Petoskey.

At Saginaw Valley State University, Portland St. Pat's handed Ovid-Elsie their first loss of the season, 51-45.  PSP improves to 7-2 while OE dips to 7-1. After an 11-9 first quarter in favor of the Shamrocks and another 15-14 advantage in the second, PSP would put together a dominant 15-5 third-quarter run to lead 41-28.  However, the Lady Marauders would claw their way back into the game with some tenacious defense and ended up outscoring PSP 17-10 in the final stanza. "We knew this was going to be a dog fight.  They are a very good team with a lot of quickness and athleticism," said Head Coach Ryan Cunningham.  "We didn't have our best stuff tonight but I am proud of the way our girls fought to the end." Ovid-Elsie led by 5 points early in the contest but a 7-0 run by the Shamrocks put PSP back on top in a game that saw five ties and 10 lead changes.  But it was the third-quarter surge that kept the Marauders at bay. "We went through some slumps on offense and we uncharacteristically turned the ball over tonight.  We talked a lot the past few days about how they want to speed us up and make us uncomfortable, and they did just that," added Cunningham. Sophomore Lilian Bates helped pace the Lady Marauders with 9 points including 2 triples to go along with Evalyn Cole's 9 points.  Bates and Cole also added 4 rebounds each with Cole adding 5 assists and 3 steals. Braeden Tokar added 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals while Hailee Campbell (8 rebounds) and Ava Bates (6 rebounds, 4 assists) each scored 6 points.  Francesca Giacobbe added 3 points and Tava Kvalevog and Ellyana Carman 2 points each.   "Bottom line here is that we turned the ball over too many times and gave up too many offensive rebounds," Cunningham said.  "In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't change anything in terms of the goals that we have.  We scheduled games like this for a reason and we need to learn from our mistakes and get better.  This loss will pay dividends down the road." Ovid-Elsie out-shot Portland St. Pat's 35% to 33% from the field and at the free throw line, 66.7% to 50% respectively.  However, the Shamrocks attempted ten more free throws than the Lady Marauders.  Both teams grabbed 30 rebounds and PSP had one more assist in the game (16-15) but it was the steals and turnovers that stood out as PSP collected 10 steals on 20 OE turnovers while the Lady Marauders collected 7 steals on just 10 Shamrock turnovers. Ovid-Elsie will remain idle until Lakeville comes to town on Friday night for a 5:30 p.m. MMAC tilt.  The Lady Marauders will then hit the road on Saturday to take on Petoskey at Cadillac High School at 4:00 p.m.

The Ovid-Elsie Lady Marauders used a staunch third-quarter defensive effort to help turn away the visiting Durand Railroaders Friday night en route to a 57-19 MMAC victory.  During that third-quarter stretch, Ovid-Elsie was able to keep Durand off the scoreboard with a 17-0 run. The Lady Marauders also held scoring advantages in each of the three other quarters - 16-8, 17-8, and 7-3. "I thought we played with a lot of energy in the third quarter," said Head Coach Ryan Cunningham.  "We pride ourselves on playing great defense and we knew we made a couple of defensive mistakes in the first half and wanted to correct that." Ovid-Elsie would go on a 25-0 scoring streak and push the lead to as many as 40 points before Durand would claim three points in the fourth stanza. Ava Bates led all scorers with 16 points while Evalyn Cole had another great all-around game scoring 12 points and adding 7 steals and 7 assists.  Hailee Campbell added 8 points and 5 rebounds while Ellyanna Carman chipped in with 7 points and 3 rebounds.  Braeden Tokar added 4 points to go along with 8 assists,  Tava Kvalevog and Alyson Moore added 3 points and Francesca Giacobbe 2 points. The Lady Marauders out-rebounded Durand 25-13 while handing out 22 assists on 23 made baskets.  Ovid-Elsie would connect on 51% of their shots while holding Durand to just 21% from the field.  Ovid-Elsie also collected 15 steals off of 23 Railroader turnovers. Ovid-Elsie improves to 7-0 (5-0 MMAC) and will be back in action next Friday night at Durand.

Throw records out the door, when it comes to Ovid-Elsie and Chesaning it is still a rivalry game.  However, senior Evalyn Cole refused to let the Indians enter the Marauder gymnasium to try and hand the Lady Marauders their first loss.  The Lady Marauders would come out on top, 67-47. Cole scored 19 points in the first half en route to a 30-point night, including 5 rebounds and 9 steals in just 24 minutes of action.  Ava Bates also hit double digits with 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists while Braeden Tokar (4 assists) and Ellyanna Carman (3 rebounds, 3 steals) each chipped in with 7 points each.  Hailee Campbell (3 assists, 3 steals) added 5 points while Dannika Campbell added 3 points, Francesca Giacobbe added a pair of free throws and Alyson Moore also added a free throw to round out the Marauder scoring. "I thought Evalyn put on one of the best performances any player has put on at OE in a long time.  She brought a great deal of energy and intensity to the game when we needed to pick things up," added Cunningham. Ovid-Elsie led 16-6 after the first quarter but saw their lead dwindle to 8 at halftime after a 14-16 quarter that favored Chesaning.  After an 18-9 third-quarter edge, the Lady Marauders would push the lead to as many as 24 points before capturing the 4th stanza 19-16. "Defensively, we didn't have our best effort tonight and that's on me as a coach.  I need to do a better job of getting us ready for a rivalry game like this," said Head Coach Ryan Cunningham.  "We know we have a target on our backs and every night we are going to get everyone's best shot.  So give Chesaning credit for bringing the fight to us, but also give my kids some credit for fighting back." Ovid-Elsie collected 29 steals on 41 Indian turnovers but was out-rebounded 35-21.  The Lady Marauders also handed out 13 assists on 24 made baskets and connected on 17 of 25 tries from the free-throw line. Ovid-Elsie (6-0, 4-0 MMAC) will head into the break for some much-needed rest before returning to action on January 5th at home against Durand.  Chesaning falls to 1-4 on the season and 0-3 in the conference.

In a battle of unbeaten teams Friday night, the Ovid-Elsie Lady Marauders would rise to the occasion and defeat the visiting New Lothrop Hornets, 53-46.  In a back-and-forth battle that would see the Lady Marauders lead by as many as 14 points, it came down to the final minutes and some clutch free-throw shooting. "We would build a nice lead only to see New Lothrop battle back and cut the deficit in half and at one point cut it to three points," said Head Coach Ryan Cunningham.  "We did an excellent job managing some foul trouble and closing out the game at the free throw line." Down the stretch, Ovid-Elsie would seal the win with made free throws by Francesca Giacobbe (2-2), Alyson Moore (2-2), and Hailee Campbell (2-2). Ovid-Elsie would connect on 12 of 16 tries from the charity stripe while New Lothrop hit 9 of 10. "We talked before the game about how this would be a game of runs and we just needed to come away with the last run," added Cunningham.  "We didn't get rattled which is a sign of a veteran team and our leadership was outstanding." Ava Bates had a game-high 16 points to go along with 4 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists, and 2 blocks while Braeden Tokar added 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists.  But it was the play of senior forward Hailee Campbell that Cunningham praised. "She is one of the most selfless kids I've ever met," said Cunningham.  "She takes on the toughest defensive assignments and does whatever is asked of her to help our team win.  And a lot of times it goes unnoticed, but not tonight." Campbell finished with 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 steals while playing almost all 32 minutes and a great deal of time spent defending New Lothrop's top scorer. Senior Evalyn Cole finished with 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals while Giacobbe (2 rebounds) and Moore each added 2 points, and Ellyanna Carman (2 rebounds, 2 assists) a free throw to round out the Marauder scoring. Ovid-Elsie collected 12 steals on 17 Hornet turnovers and handed out 12 assists on 18 made baskets.  OE shot over 54% from two-point range and added 5 made three-pointers.  The Lady Marauders also held a slight rebound advantage, 24-23. The win moves Ovid-Elsie to 5-0 (3-0 MMAC) while New Lothrop drops to 3-1 (1-1 MMAC).  Next up for Ovid-Elsie will be Chesaning as they come to town for a matchup on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.  

The Ovid-Elsie Lady Marauders traveled to Montrose Tuesday night for an MMAC matchup which saw OE turn away the Lady Rams, 70-19.  Ovid-Elsie used a 31-point third quarter to propel the team to victory. "I thought we got off to a good start but then got a little stagnant on offense in the second quarter," said Head Coach Ryan Cunningham.  "Our effort in the third quarter was outstanding both offensively and defensively." Ovid-Elsie held quarter-scoring advantages in each stanza (18-7, 9-3, 31-7, and 12-2) but it was the third quarter that put Montrose away. Ava Bates led all scorers with 20 points and added 8 rebounds while Evalyn Cole scored 19 points to go along with 4 assists and 5 steals.  Ellyanna Carman added 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals while Lillian Bates knocked down two triples en route to her 8 points.  Braeden Tokar filled the stat sheet with 6 points, 6 assists, and 2 steals while Hailee Campbell added 4 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals.  Francesca Giacobbe and Tava Kvalevog rounded out the Marauder scoring with 2 points each. "We were a little thin tonight numbers-wise because our kids can only play three games a week," noted Cunningham.  "It was great to see each kid who dressed get into the scoring column and contribute." Ovid-Elsie shot 49% from the field and 80% from the foul line.  The Lady Marauders also knocked down 8 three-pointers and out-rebounded the Lady Rams 22-19.  OE handed out 19 assists on 27 made baskets while also collecting 23 steals on 36 Montrose turnovers. Friday night Ovid-Elsie (4-0, 2-0 MMAC) will host New Lothrop (3-0, 2-0 MMAC) for another conference tilt.  Game time is slated for 5:30 p.m.

The Ovid-Elsie Lady Marauders traveled to Ottisville-Lakeville Friday night for an MMAC showdown.  Ovid-Elsie would come away with the win, 63-20. Evalyn Cole led all scorers with 15 points to go along with 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals while Hailee Campbell added 10 points and 5 boards. "Our pressure was a bit too much for them to handle tonight," said Head Coach Ryan Cunningham.  "We were able to turn them over early and often which led to a big lead by the end of the first quarter.  I'm really happy with how our kids are executing our game plans." Ovid-Elsie jumped out to a commanding 20-4 first-quarter lead and followed it up with a 14-8 effort in the second quarter to lead 36-12 at the half.  Another dominant third quarter (21-5) made it a running clock before Lakeville would outscore OE 6-3 in the fourth stanza.  Ovid-Elsie led by as many as 45 points. "We still have some things to work on before heading into next week's conference action," noted Cunningham.  "We need to do a better job on the glass - that's the one thing I thought we didn't do well tonight." Lakeville out-rebounded Ovid-Elsie 33-31 on the night which included 13 offensive rebounds.  However, the Lady Marauders were able to collect 18 steals on 24 Falcon turnovers and handed out 19 assists on 25 made baskets.  Ovid-Elsie shot 45.5% on the night including 56% from two-point range while adding 5 made three-pointers.  Ovid-Elsie also shot 8 of 11 (73%) from the foul line. Tava Kvalevog and Ava Bates (7 rebounds, 7 steals) each added 9 points, while Francesca Giacobbe and Ellyanna Carman (4 assists, 2 steals) each chipped in with 5 points, Dannika Campbell 4 points, and Braeden Tokar and Lily Bates with 3 points each. Tuesday night Ovid-Elsie (3-0, 1-0 MMAC) will travel to Montrose (1-1, 0-1 MMAC) for another MMAC tilt before hosting New Lothrop (2-0, 1-0 MMAC) next Friday night.  Both games are slated for 5:30 p.m.

The Ovid-Elsie Lady Marauders picked up their second win in three nights, defeating the Ithaca Yellowjackets, 59-22. "We opened up strong again tonight and built a quick lead," said Head Coach Ryan Cunningham.  "When we're able to score a couple of quick buckets, our confidence just builds and we started getting after it." Ovid-Elsie (2-0) would outscore Ithaca (0-1) in each stanza - 20-8, 15-4, 8-4 and 16-6. "Defensively, we did a great job stopping their pick-and-roll game," added Cunningham.  "Our kids played hard and helped each other out which limited their top scorer from getting going." Senior Ava Bates recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds while fellow senior Hailee Campbell added 10 points while collecting 4 steals and handing out 3 assists.  Braeden Tokar added 9 points while Dannika Campbell and Evalyn Cole (8 assists, 4 steals) each added 6 points.  Francesca Giacobbe and Ellyanna Carman chipped in with 4  points each, Lilian Bates 2 points, and Isabella Phillips 1 point to round out the Marauder scoring. Ovid-Elsie out-rebounded Ithaca 27-18 and handed out 20 assists on 24 made baskets.  The Lady Marauders shot 49% on the night including 61% from two-point range while adding four three-pointers.  Ovid-Elsie also collected 18 steals on 26 Yellowjacket turnovers. Friday night the Lady Marauders will travel to Lakeville to open up league play.  Game time is slated for 5:30 p.m.  

The Ovid-Elsie Lady Marauders picked up an opening night win defeating Charlotte, 65-42.  Ava Bates had a team high 15 points including 3-3 point field goals. Ovid-Elsie opened up the game with a 16-2 run that included four quick points from Ellyanna Carman.  The Lady Marauders would finish the first stanza up 21-5 and lead 36-13 at the half.  OE also won the third quarter 20-12 before surrendering the fourth quarter 17-9. "It was a great opening night win for us," said Head Coach Ryan Cunningham.  "We were able to play all 15 girls and saw some great contributions from a lot of kids." Evalyn Cole had a solid, all-around game with 11 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 7 steals while Danikka Campbell added 9 points.  Braeden Tokar (7 rebounds, 6 assists) and Hailee Campbell (7 rebounds, 3 assists, 6 steals) each added 7 points while Francesca Giacobbe added 5 points in her debut.  Carman finished with 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals, Lily Bates 3 points, and Aly Moore and Tava Kvalevog 2 points each. Ovid-Elsie connected on 9 of 12 from the charity stripe for a solid 75% and outrebounded Charlotte 34-21.  The Lady Marauders also collected 24 steals on 35 Oriole turnovers while shooting 40% on the night which included 6 triples.  OE also handed out 21 assists on 25 made field goals. Next up for the Lady Marauders will be Ithaca who will travel to OE on Wednesday night for a 7:00 p.m. non-conference tilt.  Wednesday night will also be the Lady Marauders annual "Tribute to Service" night.