Emily VanVliet and Hillary Curry were too much for the No. 3-ranked Gobles Tigers to handle in the second Class C Regional semifinal at Brandywine Tuesday night.

Grandville Calvin Christian defeated the previously unbeaten Tigers 40-31 to advance to Thursday night’s championship game against No. 2-ranked Brandywine, a 54-28 winner over Schoolcraft in the first semifinal.

VanVliet scored 10 of the Squires’ 17 first quarter points as Calvin Christian opened up a 10-point first quarter advantage on the Tigers,

Gobles (23-1) spent the rest of the night chasing the Squires (19-4), but never quite catch them.

Calvin Christian, which has not won a regional championship in more than a decade, led 23-17 at half and 31-25 heading into the final quarter.

Gobles kept it close, but was unable to get it down to a single possession.

Squires’ coach Adam Rhodes said that his team did not look at the Tigers’ record and only concerned themselves with the opponent.

“What I told my girls before the game started was that I felt we were equally as good as they were,” Rhodes said. “They kind of had the record and everything, but I thought our schedule prepared us for games like this and opportunities like this. And, Emily VanVliet.”

 

CALVIN 40

GOBLES 31

Gobles 31

Haley Rock 2, Cameren Davis 3, Sharyena Hunt 9, Lindsey Hansen 1, Courtney Pasek 4, Hailey Baxter 2, Mollee Nason 2, Ellen Doyle 8. TOTALS: 9 13-26 31

Calvin Christian 40

Hillary Curry 11, Maddie Curry 0, Morgan Howerzyl 0, Rachel Hofman 5, Kendra Kunst 0, Morgan Buursma 2, Emily VanVliet 22, Jessalyn Katje 0. TOTALS: 14 10-20 40

 

Gobles     7    17    25    31

Calvin    17    23    31    40

3-point baskets: Gobles 0, Calvin Christian 2 (H. Curry, Hofman). Total fouls (fouled out): Gobles 17 (Hunt), Calvin Christian 20 (none). Varsity records: Gobles 23-1, Calvin Christian 20-4