The Marquette Senior High School boys basketball team defeated the Alpena Wildcats 69-57 in their season opener on Friday night.

Marquette got off to a fast start, leading 9-2 after the first quarter. However, Alpena was able to settle down and tie the game at 20-20 in the second quarter. Marquette regained the lead before halftime, taking a 25-22 advantage into the break.

Alpena kept things close in the third quarter, tying the game at 33-33 at one point. However, Marquette was able to pull away in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Wildcats 25-16 to secure the victory.

Connor Cameron led Alpena with 17 points, including two 3-pointers. Easton Srebnik added 11 points for the Wildcats.

Jacob MacPhee led Marquette with 19 points. He scored seven points in the opening half and helped the Redettes pull away in the fourth quarter.

Despite the loss, Alpena coach John Pintar was pleased with his team's effort. "All things considered, I was super pleased with how we competed and played tonight," he said. "This is a massive improvement from last season, and I thought our defensive effort was excellent."

Alpena will look to bounce back from the loss when they travel to face Petoskey on Tuesday. Marquette will host Sault Ste. Marie on Wednesday.