Goodrich - For not having played for two full weeks, Grand Blanc sure didn't show any rust.  The Bobcats jumped on Goodrich early and didn't let up until the game was out of reach late in the fourth quarter.  The Bobcats put 24 first quarter points on the board, behind 4 first quarter three pointers.  Grand Blanc's first three buckets were from beyond the arc.  Bobcat guard, Adrian Hunter had 3 of those 4 first quarter treys and 11 points on his way to a dominant 29 point showing.  His ability to distribute and score was a big reason behind the Bobcats' 70-55 win to start the New Year off with a bang.

Goodrich was able to catch their footing in the 2nd quarter but still found themselves down by 13 at the half.  Whenever they would start to put together a run, the Bobcats would drill a three, many of them as a result of pressuring the ball, leaving an open shooter in three point land.  The Martians' Matt Christensen had a decent half himself, with 7 points, including 2 threes.  The 6'5" Jake McGinnis was having a solid game on the inside with 6 first half points.  Hunter had help on his side as well.  Danny Birch was finding the range from three point land as well, Birch finished with 14, 10 in the explosive first half.  After a Sean Dyer bucket and a Aaron Jackson free throw put the Cats up by 19, the Martians went on an 8-0 run the finish the half.  The effort was enough to wake the crowd up and give Goodrich some momentum for the 2nd half.  Whenever it seemed Grand Blanc was going to run away with the game, Goodrich would rally with a few points and keep it within striking distance.

The third quarter played out with similar results to the 2nd quarter.  Both teams slugged it out with each other but Goodrich actually lost a little ground, slipping behind by 15 at the end of quarter number three.  Andrew Patrick dumped in 6 points in the third for Goodrich, his play was one of the bright spots for Goodrich on the night. 

The Martians needed a miracle in the fourth quarter and it looked like it was one in the making but Grand Blanc stiffened up and took back control after Christensen had nailed a three pointer and free throw to cut the lead to 9 at 59-50.  Grand Blanc was able to stave off any further damage by stifling the Martians with tough defense and hitting free throws when given the opportunity.  Goodrich was unable to convert on many inside shots down the stretch, most of which were contested.  After cutting it down to 9, the Bobcats went on an 11-5 run to finish out the game.  Hunter, Aaron Hans and Serra were clutch down the stretch hitting on their free throws. 

Goodrich played even up and toe to toe with the Bobcats ..... after the first quarter.  It was that 24-9 first quarter that made all the difference however.  Both teams had been off for two weeks but Grand Blanc looked they had played just a few days ago and totally in sync.  Goodrich did a good job of putting pressure on the ball but when the Cats broke the press, it left an open 3 point shooter with the opportunity to make them pay.  Give credit to Grand Blanc for cashing in on their open looks. 

For Grand Blanc, it's now time to enter the thick of the Big Nine season, beginning with Flushing on Friday.  It's early but Grand Blanc looks to be up there with Powers, challenging for the title.  Flushing could be the X Factor while Carman-Ainsworth will need to prove that their stumbles early were just that and not a sign for things to come.  For Goodrich, Hamady is up next but after that they run into a stretch of games where they will be favored in almost each and every one.  Montrose is playing well of late but it looks to be the Martians that are the early frontrunners, especially with how tough they played Grand Blanc, a school more than three times their size in terms of enrollment.