BIG RAPIDS - In a physical battle of teams with lofty postseason aspirations, the Ludington Orioles held off a late rally to eliminate the Hart Pirates in a division two district semifinal on Wednesday night 42-37.
The teams swapped the lead late in the third quarter, with the Pirates briefly moving in front 26-25, only to see a late basket from Emma Jane McKinley give the Orioles the lead back heading into the final quarter of play.
Ludington built a couple of five-point leads in the fourth, but the Pirates kept battling back, pulling within a point with just over two minutes to play at 37-36.
From there, the Orioles were able to get a couple of clutch baskets and a free throw to salt away the victory.
Peyton Welch and Madelyn Kenyon led the Ludington offensive attack with 13 points each. Addi Hovey paced the Pirates with a 20-point effort in defeat.
Ludington (17-7) will meet Reed City in the district final at Big Rapids High School on Friday night. Hart sees their season come to a close with a 17-6 overall record.
