Newaygo Tops Shelby in Non-League Boys Basketball

Miles Wormmeester's five blocks set the tone as Newaygo defeats Shelby 44-33.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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The Newaygo boys basketball team defeated Shelby 44-33 on Wednesday night. Miles Wormmeester led the defensive effort for Newaygo with five blocked shots, while PJ Stephens scored a team-high 14 points with four 3-pointers. Isaiah Miedema and Cooper Sipperley also contributed offensively for Newaygo with nine and eight points, respectively. Leighton Belasco paced Shelby with 12 points and six rebounds, and Eli Kelley added six points and four assists.

Why it matters

This non-league matchup provided an opportunity for both teams to gain momentum heading into the final stretch of the season and district tournament play. Newaygo is looking to build on a recent uptick in team effort, while Shelby is seeking to improve its shooting and overall performance.

The details

Newaygo's Miles Wormmeester set the tone defensively with five blocked shots, disrupting Shelby's offense around the rim. PJ Stephens led the Newaygo offense with 14 points, including four 3-pointers, while Isaiah Miedema and Cooper Sipperley added nine and eight points, respectively. For Shelby, Leighton Belasco scored a team-high 12 points and grabbed six rebounds, and Eli Kelley contributed six points and four assists.

  • The game was played on Wednesday, February 12, 2026.

The players

Miles Wormmeester

A player for the Newaygo boys basketball team who set the defensive tone with five blocked shots.

PJ Stephens

The leading scorer for Newaygo with 14 points, including four 3-pointers.

Isaiah Miedema

A Newaygo player who scored nine points in the game.

Cooper Sipperley

A Newaygo player who scored eight points in the game.

Leighton Belasco

The leading scorer for Shelby with 12 points and six rebounds.

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What they’re saying

“Our team effort has been more consistent as of late. Hopefully, we keep it up and get more positive results going into districts.”

— Rick Zoulek, Shelby Coach (LocalSportsJournal.com)

“The bottom line is you have to take good shots and make shots.”

— Rick Zoulek, Shelby Coach (LocalSportsJournal.com)

What’s next

Newaygo (3-16, 0-8) travels to Big Rapids on Friday for a CSAA-Red game, while Shelby (5-13, 2-7) visits Hesperia for WMC-Rivers action on Friday.

The takeaway

This non-league matchup provided an opportunity for both teams to evaluate their progress and identify areas for improvement as they approach the final stretch of the season and the district tournament. Newaygo's strong defensive effort and balanced scoring, coupled with Shelby's continued search for consistency, will be key factors as they look to build momentum heading into the postseason.