In the end SE leaned on their junior studs of Brandan Kearney and Percy Gibson and the duo delivered.   Gibson’s basket, off a spin move, were the only points scored in the fourth quarter, which tied the game at 35-35 and forced the first overtime.  Gibson later tied the game at 39-39 in the second OT, while “BK” gave SE the lead with a baseline drive and basket.

King controlled the scoreboard for most of regulation.  Holding a 14-13 lead after the first quarter and 25-23 lead at the half.  King outhustled SE and appeared to be the more physical team.  However Kearney kept his Jungaleers within reach.  He logged 10 points and 3 assist at the intermission.

In the third quarter King put their focus on containing Kearney and slowing down SE’s offense.  Anthony Cannon drew the assignment of face guarding the 6-6 Michigan State commit.   A Cannon tip back gave King their biggest lead at 8 points late in the third.

Three points from Gibson and a 3-pointer from Carlos Carter to end the quarter had the score board reading 35-33 heading into the fourth.

King decided to hold the ball, as SE sat back in their zone, for the first four minutes of the fourth.  After a forced turnover Gibson tied the game with 3:50 on the clock.  King again held the ball for the last shot but again turned it over.  With 9 seconds left Ed Brown took the final shot for SE, as Kearney was double teamed, but his 3-pointer rung out.

King had their chance to win the game at the end of the first OT as Cannon was fouled with 0.9 on the clock.  He missed the front end of the 1-and-1 forcing the second OT.

Gibson and Kearney controlled the second OT.  Both started the OT with baskets and Gibson’s pair of free throws gave SE the 43-40 lead.

Gibson finished with 16 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 blocks.  Kearney finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assist, and 4 steals.

SE also got strong performances out of guards Carlos Carter and freshman Kenyatta Singleton.  King knows how to lock up defensively and brings a ton of ball pressure.  Both Carter and Singleton handled it well and took care of the ball.

This was an obvious heartbreaker for King.  They surprised everyone this season and won all year long with their defense.

Mott jumped out to an early lead as a CJ Olaniyan basket made the score 8-2.  The Pilots were able to fight back by patiently swinging the ball around to find the open looks against Mott’s 2-3 zone.  A 3-pointer from Jim Novak gave DeLaSalle a 20-15 lead.

DeLaSalle stretched their lead to 22-17 at the end of the first quarter and 32-26 at the half.

Mott was able to speed the game up to their likings in the second half and retook the lead.  Mott controlled a 55-51 lead with less than a minute in regulation but the Marauders were unable to close out DeLaSalle.  After missing four straight free throws the Pilots hit the big shot to force overtime.

Overtime was all DeLaSalle.

Against a team as well coached and disciplined like DeLaSalle you got to hit shots down the stretch, especially at the charity stripe.  Mott left the door open and DeLaSalle took advantage.

Mott is a young team and will bounce back strong next year.  They will have some voids to fill as they loose 6-5 Olaniyan and 6-7 Joseph Asbury, but they return 2012 guards Tommie Bell and Victor Sharpe.  Both had strong games against the Pilots and are D-1 prospects.

Sterling Johnson and Bryant Mitzner led DeLaSalle with 15 a piece.  Novak chipped in 14 points.

The Jungaleers took an 8-0 lead early and Ed Brown’s 3-point pull up gave SE an 11-4 lead.  Baskets from Chris Jenkins and AJ Hord cut into the lead for U of D.  But a 3-pointer from Carlos Carter and another from Brown put SE back up 19-8 with 2:48 left in the opening quarter.

U of D made their run late in the second quarter.  A Jenkins bucket cut the lead down to 3 points.  Cameron Fowler then added two steals that led to easy buckets and a 28-26 Jesuit lead with 2:10 remaining in the first half.

In the third quarter SE relied on the strong play of their junior core.  Kearney took over on the perimeter while Percy Gibson battled in the paint.  Gibson opened the third with consecutive “and 1’s”, while Kearney’s runner in traffic gave SE a 47-38 lead.

Se held an 8-10 point lead for most the second half.  Kearney’s rebound and long outlet to Brown gave SE a 62-52 lead with 2:30 left in the game.

But U of D quickly stormed back.  A 3-pointer from Horde and a “and 1” from Jenkins cut the lead.  Jenkins scored again by slipping wide open on an out of bounds play to make the score 62-60 with 36 seconds remaining.

After both teams traded baskets U of D was forced to foul Kearney with 8 seconds remaining.  Kearney sunk both.

Ed Brown was hot all night for SE and led the way with 27 points.  Kearney filled up the stat sheet with 14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assist, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.  Gibson added 10 points and 10 rebounds with Brown adding 11 points.

U of D was led by freshman AJ Hord’s 17 points.  Sophomore’s Jenkins and Fowler added 15 and 10 respectfully.

A Chris Jones 3-pointer gave Heritage an early 9-2 lead.  Consecutive baskets from Trey Zeigler got the Oilers going and the two teams stayed close for the remainder of the half.  Eric Cummings 3-pointer gave Mt. Pleasant their first lead at 17-16.  The Oilers led 27-24 at the half.

A 9-2 run to start the second half, which was highlighted by a Travon Cotton two hand slam, put Heritage back in the driver’s seat.  Heritage took a 41-35 lead after Lavario Smith stole the ball and posterized an Oiler reserve with a one hand slam while being fouled.

Zeigler then closed out the third quarter with a pull up jumper and hitting four of four free throws to keep Mt. Pleasant with in 45-41.

Heritage used an 8-3 run in the fourth quarter to get the distance they needed.  Mt. Pleasant was able to get within four points late but the Hawks were able to knock down their foul shots late to hold on.

Heritage’s key for success is their balance scoring attack.   They were led by Cotton’s 15 points, but AJ Thomas added 14, with Smith adding 13 and James Johnson adding 12 points.

Zeigler led Mt. Pleasant with 24 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assist, 5 blocks, and 2 steals.   His cousin Matt Strickland added 17 points.

Powers built their biggest lead at 45-26 with 6:11 left in the third only to see Fenton storm back.  The Tigers cut the lead down to 3 points five times late in the fourth quarter, but like an experienced team would, Powers was never rattled and made the big baskets down the stretch.

Pat O’Brien’s 3-point play gave Powers a 60-54 lead late in the game and Fenton wasn’t able to threaten again.

Fenton seemed overmatched early on as Powers got back to back 3-pointers from O’Brien and Demarco Sanders to go up 8-2.  But consecutive baskets from Dylan Hickoff and Ryan Hickoff keyed a 7-0 Fenton run to pull even.  Powers then got baskets from every one of their starters to key a 10-0 run and take a 20-11 lead into the second quarter.

A 17-foot jumper from Javontae Hawkins gave Powers a 22-11 lead and it looked like Powers was ready to pull away until 6-8 Charlie Herzog had a bone to pick with his former team.  A much improved Herzog was blocking shots on one end and finishing baskets on the other end to keep Fenton within reach at 36-26 at the half.

Powers opened the third up with a 9-0 run to go up 45-26.

Then the remainder of the third quarter belonged to the Hickoff twins.  The bothers took turns scoring, one would hit a jump shot and the other would follow it up with a drive to the basket.  Dylan’s 3-pointer cut the lead to 53-50 with 5:55 left in the game.

Fenton was just one player short of contributing and they just might have stolen this game.  The Hickoff twins continue to impress and play like D-1 bound guards.  They were too much for Powers and filled up the stat sheet.  They both registered double-doubles in points and rebounds, 17 points for Ryan and 12 points for Dylan, to go with a bunch of steals and blocks.

Props to Herzog, who is much improved and gave Powers problems inside with his height.  He added 12 points and 6 blocks.  The former Charger had a point to prove to his former team and he made it.

Herzog was having his way until Powers switched up and put Hawkins on him, Hawkins then used his athleticism to slow Herzog down.  It wasn’t Hawkins best scoring night, he had few touches, but he did all the little things in this game that won’t show up on the stat sheet.

Offensively Powers got a balanced scoring attack out of Sanders (19 points), O’Brien (17 points), Patrick Lucas-Perry (12 points), and Pierre Brackett (12 points).  Brackett had a solid game, His midrange jumper was falling and he was able to split the Fenton zone and get to the basket.

In two games last week the six foot point guard scored 50 points, including 29 against a tough Buena Vista team.  He followed that up with 21 point performance against Lake Fenton.  Morris (AKA Man-Man) is averaging a team high 16 points per game.

But scoring is just one of many of Morris’ great attributes.  His court vision and basketball I.Q. is off the charts for any player, let alone a freshman.  He see’s the floor so well and understands the “right” way to play the game.

“From what I’ve seen he’s the smartest player I’ve coached thus far. The thing that has impressed me is the day after his best game he was the first kid in the gym.  He’s always the first kid on floor, and first kid to start doing his individual drills.  Even though he’s a freshman he’s the leader of our team.  He does all the intangible things.  He’s the easiest kid to coach,” states Beecher Coach Mike Williams.

Morris has such a handle on the out come of a game because of the way he plays the game.  He goes just as hard on the defensive end as he does when the ball is in his hands.  He can fill it up from anywhere on the floor and has a smooth shot whether it’s from downtown or a midrange pull up.

The future is bright for this talented freshman who is a pure gym rat and is willing to do whatever it takes, as well as put in the hours, to better his game day in and day out.

“He’s way ahead of schedule.  The sky is the limit as far as potential.  He has a skill level well beyond his years, and once his body catches up to his skill level it’s going to be interesting to see how good he actually can be,” adds Williams.

Morris is one of many talented players from the 2013 class.  Some of those other names have received much more publicity in their early careers…but understand when the dust settles Man-Man will be right there.

MS Championships Brochure

After a Kearlsey turnover, Fenton regained possession with 1:11 to play.  The Tigers milked the clock down 7.4 before calling timeout to set up the final shot.  The play was designed for Dylan Hickoff, who was quickly double teamed but was able to find Szczepanski for the game winner.

Fenton was forced to play catch up all night as Kearsley used their inside muscle to take control of the game early on.  Kearlsey jumped out to an 8-3 lead on the play of power forward Capus Robinson.  Fenton then took a big hit when Ryan Hickoff picked up his second foul early in the first quarter and was forced to sit the remainder of the half.

With Ryan on the bench twin brother Dylan picked up the slack.  Dylan got hot from outside and his third 3-pointer from the corner gave Fenton a 13-11 lead.

In the second quarter Kearlsey went back inside to 6-5 Capus Robinson and 6-4 Kyle Robinson.  The pair helped Kearlsey build their largest lead at 35-25 with 1:40 left in the first half.

In the second half Fenton went to a zone trap and the Hickoff brother were able to utilize the length.  A pair of steals followed by a pair of big blocks (1 from each brother), led to Fenton fast breaks.  Ryan Hickoff’s lay-up tied the game at 46-46.

In the fourth quarter the teams battled back and forth with neither team able to get a lead larger than two points.  Until the final seconds when Szczepanski came up big!

Dylan Hickoff led Fenton with 19 points, with Tyler Hamilton adding 16 points.  Capus Robinson paced Kearlsey with 19 points.

In front of a sold out gym it was Devonte “Dedo” Jackson who took the stage first.  The four year starting point guard fearlessly attacked the heart of Beecher’s defense and rung up 10 points and 4 assist in the opening quarter as the Knights jumped ahead 21-13.

But the Bucs quickly answered back and staged a run of their own.  Consecutive baskets from Antuan Burks and freshman Monte Morris cut the lead to six points midway through the second quarter. BV was able to regain the game’s momentum by crashing the boards.  Offensive rebounds allowed the Knight’s to get second and third scoring opportunities and grab a 33-22 halftime lead.

Beecher relied on their defense and the play of Morris to fight their way back and for the most part it worked as they managed to cut the lead to seven points three times in the third quarter.  When his team needed points Morris answered and scored at will.

But while the Bucs were running their full court press they lost track of junior scorer George Goodman, who made them pay for it. Back to back “and 1’s” from Goodman gave BV a 44-28 lead late in the third quarter.

Beecher fought to stay close and trailed by nine points with five minutes to play.  Morris continued to stay hot and put up a scoring frenzy scoring 21 in the second half.  He did his best to keep Beecher in the game but in the end there was just too much Goodman and Jackson for the Bucs to handle as BV pulled away late for a 78-62 win.

These two teams put up a fight and I am expecting both of them to make long tourney runs and I like both of their chances to advancing to the Breslin Center.  BV does have the tougher road with a possible match-up with Melvindale ABT in the quarter-finals.

Jackson is such a tough match-up defensively because very few players can stay in front of him.  He attacks the paint and once he gets there anything can happen.  He started the game aggressively and it helped his team take control of the game as they were able to hold on.  Jackson finished with 17 points, 8 assist, and 3 steals.

Teammate Goodman also had another big outing with a 23 point performance.  The jump shot wasn’t falling early so Goodman found other ways to score by getting to the basket and the charity stripe.

Despite the loss Morris showed out.  The freshman is legit.  He unselfishly deferred and set up teammates early, but when scoring was needed in the second half he took control.  He finished with an outstanding 29 points, 6 steals, and 5 assist.

Last night the first half was dominated by Hamady.  They dictated the game’s high pace with their full court pressure and trapping New Lothrop every chance they had.  An 11-0 run gave the Hawks a 13-4 lead, leaving the Hornets all shook up and playing hot potatoe with the ball.

Hamady built an 18-6 lead before New Lothrop finally settled down.  Amber Sammons scored New Lothrop’s first 9 points, all while playing with 2 fouls.  New Lothrop was able to cut into the lead at the half trailing 14-24.

Hamady kept their foot on the petal and built a third quarter lead that grew to as many as 13 points.  In the final quarter the Hornets refused to fold and slowly chipped away at the lead.  Shots started to fall and it seemed as if the tides were turning.  A Sammons basket cut the lead to five with 2:36 to play.

Arlesia Morse answered back with a midrange jumper and Porsha Fluke’s steal and basket paced a 7-0 run as Hamady held on.

Both teams could certainly make a tourney run and advance to the Breslin where a tie breaker game would take place.

New Lothrop struggled early in the game but was then able to settle down and run their offense, which they do so well.  They played catch up all night and it took its toll late in the game.  Sammons led the Hornets with 14 while Monica Confer added 12 points and 8 rebounds.

Hamady is once again loaded with talent.  Morse and Fluke played key roles on last year’s team but this year you can tell that they are on another level with the confidence they play with.  Morse led with 11 points and 8 rebounds.  Fluke finished with 9 points and 5 steals.   Day’na Holmes and Kathryn Thomas added 10 and 8 points.