After a challenging early part of the season, the Brandon girls basketball team is making its mark in the Flint Metro League.
Brandon junior Mariah Andre converted four free throws, her only points of the game, in the final minute to lead the Blackhawks past visiting Lapeer West 37-33.
Brandon is now 5-7 overall and 4-1 in league action, good for a first-place tie with Linden. Lapeer West fell to 7-3 overall and 3-2 in the league, tied for second with Fenton.
The game was typical of many Flint Metro games, with plenty of defense and low scoring. That was especially true in the first quarter, where both teams scored four apiece.
Things were no different after a half of play, as the Blackhawks and Panthers were deadlocked at 15 apiece.
However, the Blackhawks had just enough gas in the tank at the end to finish the job. Brandon converted 12-of-17 free throws (70.6 percent), while West made 8-of-12 attempts from the charity stripe (66.7 percent).
Senior Jessica Jennings and junior Brooke Schaefer led the Blackhawks with nine points apiece, while sophomore Savannah Stedman contributed seven points.
On Sept. 12, the Blackhawks pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 42-30 win against visiting Oxford. Brandon had a slim 25-23 lead heading into the final frame before outscoring the Wildcats 17-7 the rest of the way.
Stedman led the Blackhawks with 17 points, while senior Melissa McCarty added eight points.