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Tigers, Hurons ready for important NSL matchup

The Hillman and Rogers City girls basketball teams have been playing at a high level this season.

Both teams are 8-1, both of them are immensely talented and both of them have garnered attention in this season’s Associated Press Class D poll.

Tonight they’ll get the chance to test just how good they are as they play at 7:30 p.m. at Hillman High School.

The game will likely take on a playoff-like atmosphere even though the postseason is more than a month away. The game features two ranked teams, the area’s two top scorers and serves as an important game in the battle for the North Star League’s Big Dipper title.

“These are the kinds of games you want to play in,” Rogers City coach Duane Pitts said. “It’s one of those games where you’ve got to do a lot of things well.”

Behind an experienced group of veterans, the seventh-ranked Tigers have won eight straight since being edged by Cedarville in their season opener. With their dynamic backcourt of Vanessa Schook and Lyndey Ryba leading the way, the Tigers have handled their opponents with ease, with each win coming by double-digits.

Schook leads the area in scoring with 18 points per game and Ryba averages 12.8 per game.

For as talented as Hillman is however, the Tigers know they’ve got to keep things simple against the red-hot Hurons.

“The main thing (this week) is just trying to fine-tune the same things we’ve been working on all year,” Hillman coach John Kuzewski said. “We just need to play our game on both ends of the floor.”

The No. 3 Hurons won their first eight games before being tripped up by Inland Lakes on Monday. Prior to that, Rogers City stormed its way to the top of the league standings with a dynamic duo of its own.

“The girls have bought into our system and they know the hard work they have to put in to compete,” Pitts said.

Though she’s just a sophomore, Taylor Fleming has established herself as one of the area’s best athletes and has been a force for the Hurons inside. She averages 16.1 points per game along with 10 rebounds and junior Kayla Rabeau is alongside her as a team leader with 12.9 points per game.

“They’re good athletes and those two help us get going,” Pitts said.

One key to victory for either team will be attempting to contain the other side’s shooters. Aside from Ryba and Schook, Hillman has Morgan Armon and Kristen Kenyon among others and Hannah Fleming and Jayna Hance are among those who provide the Hurons with a similar threat. Whoever can get some key defensive stops at the right times will likely come away the winner.

“Defensively, the main thing is putting pressure on the ball and finding ways to limit their space,” Kuzewski said.

The two teams will meet again in February, but a victory tonight would almost certainly one team a leg up in the standings. The two teams currently have a three-game lead in the Big Dipper over their next closest competitors, Alcona and Whittemore-Prescott.

Hillman, which finished 10-0 in league play and won the Big Dipper last season, got the better of Rogers City twice.

James Andersen can be reached via email at sports@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5694. Follow James on Twitter @ja_alpenanews.

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