Brown helps Bobcats hold on against Wildcats

Bowling Green Juniors Andrew Herringshaw, left, and Vitto Brown, guard Northview Junior Conner Hartnett, left, and Senior James Racicot.

Bowling Green maintained its winning record with a 78-67 victory against Northview in a Northern Lakes League boys basketball game Friday night.

Bowling Green junior Vitto Brown led his team with 28 points, followed by freshman Lamonta Stone and senior Tyler Dunn with 13 points, respectively.

Senior James Racicot led the Wildcats with 16 points, followed by junior teammates Conner Hartnett (15 points) and Deon Valentine (11 points).

"I knew that I had to move the ball around a lot," Brown said. "I knew they were going to focus their energy on me."

The Bobcats (8-6, 6-3) started the game with an 11-4 lead, but two shots at the line from Hartnett and a shot from sophomore John Wendt closed the gap to three points.

Bowling Green came back strong in the second quarter with six points from junior Evan Gardner, giving his team a 12-point lead. The Bobcats finished the half leading 39-22.

Northview (3-10, 1-7) started off the second half with two points from junior Brandon Villolovos. The Bobcats maintained their lead through the rest of the third quarter finishing with a 13-point lead.

Six points from Racicot in the beginning of the fourth gave the Wildcats a glimmer of hope. Northview closed the gap to seven points.

"This is a group of kids that is not going to quit until the end," Northview coach Terry Shadle said.

Bowling Green ultimately held onto its lead and finished out with an 11-point win.

"We have to finish games better," Bowling Green coach Von Graffin said. "We had some empty possessions, I'm not sure they were bad possessions, just empty."