Young Hudsonville girls hoops team continues growth with regional semifinal win

Hudsonville defeated Forest Hills Northern, 54-39, in Monday's Division 1 girls basketball regional semifinal at Zeeland East.

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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Hudsonville's young girls basketball team, led by head coach Jeff Tubergen, continued its impressive growth this season with a 54-39 win over Forest Hills Northern in the Division 1 regional semifinal. The Eagles, who have three freshmen and four sophomores on their varsity roster, overcame an early-season slump to capture a district title and now advance to the regional final against Grand Haven.

Why it matters

Hudsonville's success this season highlights the development of their young roster, which includes several underclassmen who have stepped up to lead the team deep into the playoffs. The growth of this team over the course of the season has been remarkable, and their regional semifinal win showcases their potential for the future.

The details

In Monday's win, Hudsonville was led by senior guard Ryan Vanderbeek's 17 points, while sophomore forward Ella Haarsma contributed 9 points, 6 rebounds and strong defense on Northern's star player, Abby Sietsema. The Eagles also got key contributions from junior Lakelyn Weber (15 points, 7 rebounds) and freshman Kendall Baker (4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals).

  • Hudsonville ended the 2025 calendar year with a 51-48 loss to Allendale as part of a seven-game stretch that saw the Eagles go 2-5.
  • Hudsonville entered the playoffs on a five-game winning streak and captured a district title with a pair of dominant wins over Jenison and Coopersville.

The players

Jeff Tubergen

Hudsonville's second-year head coach who has guided the team's impressive growth this season.

Ella Haarsma

Hudsonville's sophomore forward who played a key role in Monday's win with 9 points, 6 rebounds and tough defense on Northern's star player.

Abby Sietsema

A senior all-stater for Forest Hills Northern who led her team with 17 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks, but was held in check compared to the teams' previous meeting.

Molly Sietsema

Abby's younger sister, a sophomore at Forest Hills Northern, who was limited to 7 points after scoring 14 against Hudsonville in the regular season.

Ryan Vanderbeek

Hudsonville's senior guard who led the team with 17 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists in the win.

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What they’re saying

“All season, practices were about trying to get them up to this level, and I do feel like we're playing the best we've played all year. These last few games, we've put up more points than we had, our defense has been better, and we just all of a sudden are hitting our stride.”

— Jeff Tubergen, Hudsonville head coach (mlive.com)

“It's incredible the amount of growth they've had. Our freshmen are turning it over less... The youth, I feel like if they grow more than the upperclassmen sometimes because they're newer to it, and they have to kind of figure it out, so there's been a lot of growth.”

— Jeff Tubergen, Hudsonville head coach (mlive.com)

“We just wanted to try to make it hard for them. They're very good players. They find a way to score even when we're playing our best defense, and you're not going to shut them down completely, but at least we can try to contain them a little bit, so that was definitely the plan.”

— Jeff Tubergen, Hudsonville head coach (mlive.com)

What’s next

Hudsonville (18-7) advances to play OK Red foe Grand Haven (22-3) in a rematch of the Eagles' 54-39 and 55-51 losses to the Buccaneers earlier this season.

The takeaway

Hudsonville's young and talented girls basketball team has continued to improve throughout the season, showcasing their potential for the future. Their regional semifinal win over a strong Forest Hills Northern squad demonstrates the team's growth and ability to compete at a high level, even with several underclassmen playing key roles.