Hurons win battle with Tigers in classic district championship game
Two teams determined to not have their seasons end went toe-to-toe in Hillman Friday. Playing before a loud house, the Hurons came away district champions with a 64-60 win over the Tigers.
Rogers City survived a tough press by the Tigers, that had been so effective in a district semifinal win over Posen Wednesday.
With the Hurons leading 58-48 with 3:53 left in the fourth quarter after a driving basket by Alex Collins, Hillman used its press and hustle to come back. A 3-pointer by Hillman’s Brendon Rouleau and a steal and layup by Evan Crane caused Rogers City coach Derek McLennan to call timeout.
The Hurons responded with a 3-pointer by Jacob Catalano and a coast-to-coast drive by Collins to stretch the lead to 63-53 with 2:10 left in the game. But Hillman was not finished yet. Cuyler Schultz had a steal and bucket, Ty Muszynski nailed a 3-pointer and Crane had another bucket off a steal. Suddenly, with 32 seconds left in the fourth quarter, it was a 3-point game.
Forced to foul, Hillman put the Hurons on the line three times for six free throw attempts in the closing 30 seconds, and the strategy nearly worked. Much to the dismay of Huron fans, the players connected on just one of those six tries, but Rogers City held on for the win in an exciting finish.
The key to the win was a balanced scoring attack led by senior Jase Wenzel and junior shooting guard Catalano with 19 points each. Birthday boy Collins celebrated his 18th with a career-high 17 points. Justin Romel added seven points, all in the second half, and Charles Allen had two points to round out the scoring.
The spirits were lifted by the return of junior forward Isaac LaLonde, who checked in midway through the first quarter and contributed five rebounds and three assists. LaLonde had missed every game since an ankle injury in December, and was able to play significant minutes in the district championship game.
Muszynski kept the Tigers in the game with 21 points, including six 3-point bombs. Crane added 16 points for Hillman, with 14 coming in the s
Rogers City (15-8) now plays Harbor Springs Harbor Light (18-4) in the regional semifinals set for 7 p.m. at Rogers City. Regional finals will be at Cheboygan March 6.
