By Mark Blentlinger
Schoolcraft girls basketball team lost game one of the 2019-20 season to the visiting Edwardsburg Eddies, 43-31. The Lady Eagles have not looked back since, taking on all competitors and showing each rival they mean business. They are leading the SAC conference Valley division with a 7-0 record and an overall record of 8-1.
A couple of noteworthy games that have tested the Eagles have been against Hackett Catholic Prep and Niles. The Irish were able to key on some of the Eagle top players and keep the score close, although the Eagles came out on top in a low-scoring game, ending 29-26. Leading scorers were Adrienne Rosey with 11 and Gabi Saxman with 8.
The Vikings of Niles came to town with hopes of showing the Eagles that they were here to hand the team its second loss of the season. The ladies were not going to back down in their own house.
At the end of period one, the Eagles were trailing 7-15. At the break midway through the game, the Vikings were still leading 24-22. In period three, the Eagles were able to find their stride and put some space between the home and visitor sides of the scoreboard, going on a 16-4 scoring streak. The Vikings were not done and out-scored the Eagles 13-9 in the last remaining eight minutes, but the effort was too little, too late. The Eagles came out on top, 47-41. Leading scorers were Anna Schuppel, 17 points and Saxman, 12. In the very next game at Galesburg, Saxman, a Western Michigan University commit, was able to accomplish something few players do in their high school career. With a three-point shot from the top of the key, Saxman was able to lock in 1,000 points scored in her four years of playing basketball in Schoolcraft.