Marine City, St. Clair moving on in district play

The Marine City and St. Clair girls basketball teams each picked up a win in the first round of the 2022-23 MHSAA District tournament.

Both teams played in the Armada High School gym Monday night, Marine City first against Algonac. The Mariners held a 14-7 lead by halftime and maintained their steady edge until the buzzer, winning 34-25.

Jade Blanchard led the way with 17 points on the night (including three 3-pointers) while Paige Nelson chipped in with five. Josalyn Dietlin led the team with 10 rebounds.

Ella Stephenson managed 12 points in the loss to lead the Muskrats, while Melissa Brackley added seven. They finish their season at 5-14 overall.

As for Marine City's season, it's extended another day as the team will face Marysville on Wednesday, March 1 at 5:30 p.m. in Armada.

Both teams now are 18-4 on the year and have become familiar rivals in postseason play. Last year's district final matchup was decided by a late, five-point margin in favor of the Vikings.

On the opposite side of the bracket, St. Clair topped Richmond 47-31 in the second game of the night.

A one-point lead early in the second quarter was extended rapidly as halftime neared. The Saints went on a 13-3 run with much credit to their high-pressure defense. They led 23-11 at the half.

Allie Komarowski led St. Clair in the win with 16 points, while Tabitha Furlin and Alexa Vickers each added eight.

Elizabeth Kocher led the Blue Devils with 15 points on the night as the team finished its season with a 3-19 overall record.

St. Clair (15-6) will play Armada (13-8) Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

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For in-game updates and other news, follow Calli on Twitter @ newberry_calli

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