Troy holds on to beat Royal Oak, 39-33
TROY » In general, the margin for error in the Oakland Activities Association’s Red Division is slim enough, but it’s even slimmer if you’re a team struggling with inexperience.
Both of Friday’s combatants fall into that category this season.
Troy had to hold off a late charge from Royal Oak — which trailed by as many as 14 points — to chalk up its second divisional win, making 7 of 12 free throws in the final 96 seconds to hold on, 39-33.
“Definitely not an off night (in the Red). Every team in the league is well-coached. All the girls are disciplined. … So it’s always fun. No one’s ever out of any game,” said Troy coach Julius Porter. “I honestly would rather win a close game right now with my girls, because that’s going to allow us to grow more so than a big win. … I’d rather play in that game every night than a 20-, 30-point win.”
The Colts (3-7, 2-3 OAA Red) led 7-0 and 9-2 after one quarter, pushing the lead to 14 points in the third quarter before the Ravens (2-7, 1-3) ended the frame on a 7-0 run to cut it to 27-20 entering the fourth. Royal Oak would eventually get it down to four points (31-27) on Emilee Austin’s jumper with 3:30 left, and down to just three (34-31) as late as 1:13 remaining.
“So many teachable moments. We’ve got a lot of youth, a lot of kids that are playing their first year up on varsity,” Royal Oak coach Brian Sopata said. “So these
teachable moments of like, ‘OK, maybe the next time we’re in that situation we’re just a little bit better.’ The thing about this division, every team has got a player that you better be aware of, often the case is, way more than one.”
Royal Oak was in the bonus early in the fourth quarter, and used 15 free-throw attempts to score all but four of its points in a 13-point final quarter.
“We’re such a work in progress right now. So what I love is just how there were a lot of chances for this thing to turn the other way and we never let that happen, and we kept fighting. Scoring is something — we’re real challenged there right now. And so finding ways to score — getting to the free throw line, that works,”
Sopata said.
“I just think you saw the first half, we’re this team that is still growing — we’re learning every day trying to get better. … I felt like we needed to make one or two more plays in that first half and just build off it. We started to do that in the second half, which is great. But it’s hard to come back. And then at the end, we’re trying to extend the game and they did a good job of getting the ball to Kendal (Zeiter) and Charlotte (Sobotka) — those two kids can knock down free throws.”
Zeiter came into the fourth having scored 18 of Troy’s 27 points, and added three more with a trio of splits from the line. Sobotka hit three of four freethrow attempts in the game’s final 55 seconds.
“Very nerve wracking, especially when the game’s like a three-point game and you have to make those free throws,” said Sobotka, who finished with seven points.
Her first two free throws in the fourth came as part of a sequence where Avery Allen split two from the line with 1:09 left, but Mia Valiotis tied up the rebound, and the resulting possession for Troy allowed them to get Sobotka to the line, her two makes stretching the lead back out to six, 36-31.
“I preach 50/50 balls every day in practice. We have to have every 50/50 ball — and I know we won’t, but if we have that mentality, we’ll get 75 percent of them. So we preach, getting floor burns, first player to the floor, tying that ball up understanding where the (possession) arrow is. Coming out of the timeout at the end, I tell them we got three timeouts in the arrow,” Porter said. “Those are teaching moments where I know they may not know but it’s an opportunity to learn and advance their basketball experience.”
These two programs have only played four times over the last decade, when both were residing in the OAA White (2015-16 to 201718), with Royal Oak winning four of the five matchups, and the last four straight.
The Ravens have been up in the Red since 2018-19, while the Colts returned to the league’s top division this season for the first time since 2012-13.
“I just feel like you have to be on with everything to pull out a win in the Red. Usually like one one or two things are off you might be able to make it up but you have to basically be on for everything,” Zeiter said. “I think we’re just working on communication a lot. And as it’s getting better, we’ve been doing better.” Her coach agreed.
“Definitely was (going to be) a challenge. We knew that coming in. We had a lot more senior guards and experienced players last year, and we probably have six freshmen and sophomores combined playing JV and varsity for us. And so it’s tough every day keeping them engaged. And, you know, coaching them not to be hard on themselves,” Porter said. “Basketball is basketball. Our goal is to elevate the intensity in practice, just try to simulate a game that’s gonna be held in the Red. It’s all about the speed of the game. Because the game doesn’t change, the level of the height of the hoop doesn’t change, the length of the court doesn’t change. So for us, it’s building the culture and establishing a program so that way we can remain in the Red every year, regardless of our experience.”
Quinn Blackwell, Reagan Blackwell and Austin all had eight points for Royal Oak, which returns to action next Thursday at Southfield A&T. Troy visits West Bloomfield next Thursday.