Big Reds turn the tables in hoops win
Sometimes a loss can play dividends down the road.
“I don’t think we win this game if we hadn’t lost to Grosse Pointe South like we did,” said Chippewa Valley coach Corey Smith after the Big Reds got a 3-point basket from Devin Lilly with 20 seconds remaining Monday to defeat Roseville 57-56 in a Macomb Area Conference Red/White Division basketball game.
“They persevered. We lost this identical game to Grosse Pointe South. Tonight was the reverse of that. Playing in that game prepared us for this one. Devin Lilly stepped up and made some huge shots.”
Chippewa Valley trailed 56-52 after a putback by the Panthers’ Deonta Russell-Johnson with 1:16 left in the fourth quarter. It was the last of 10 points RussellJohnson scored in the quarter. Lilly hit a pair of free throws to cut the lead to two points. After both teams came up empty at the free-throw line, Lilly got the ball on the right side of the arc and swished a jumper to give the Big Reds the lead.
“We needed this,” Lilly said. “This is a big boost for our confidence. It shows we can overcome any challenge that we’re faced with. Our goal is to win a MAC championship and a game like this will help us.”
Lilly, who finished with a gamehigh 21 points, was at a loss for words to describe his game-winner.
“I don’t even know,” he said. “I made a few during the game. It came to me in the clutch, I just hit it and we won the game.”
Lilly agreed that the loss to
South stung the team.
“We were up by 15 and lost,” he said. “That just fired me up. We definitely could have won that game. Coming into this game we had to do our thing and come out
with the ‘W.’”
Roseville coach Hassan Nizam is hoping Monday’s game can have a similar positive effect on his team.
“The learning lesson was this is what happens when you don’t make free throws and layups,” he said. “You’re susceptible to defeat. We left a lot of points on the board. We put in a lot of time and effort and these kids play their hearts out, so it doesn’t sit well when you don’t finish.
“Defensively, we made some good adjustments and held them down. The point of emphasis in the locker room after the game was finishing plays. We’re not an easy team to beat and unfortunately, we’re helping our opponents beat us.”
Roseville lost to Eisenhower by two points earlier in the season and the Panthers went to double overtime before edging New Haven. Nizam said Roseville missed more than 45 free throws in those three games.
“I think we’ll be a really good ball club come district time, but now we have to figure out how to separate in games and how to close games,” Nizam said. “When we watch the film we’ll learn a little more — control the controllable, shoot the free throws and when you turn it over you can’t give it right back. We’re going to get back in the lab tomorrow and learn from this.”
There were eight lead changes and six ties in the game and neither team ever had more than a fivepoint lead.
“I was grabbing everything from the bag of tricks and nothing was working,” Smith said. “(Roseville) did a great job game-planning
against us. I thought we had it figured out but I was wrong. Their defense is pretty incredible. They’re even faster and stronger on the ball than I expected.
“We’re at a serious size disadvantage but my guys down low have heart. We make the best of what we have.”
Cephus Harris finished with 15 points for the Big Reds and DJ Johnson added 12.
Derrek Bolton led Roseville with 14 points.
STEVENSON 59, DAKOTA 51
Stevenson’s Mak Manciel led all scorers with 23 points. Stevenson had seven players score and shot 79% from the free throw line, including nine of 10 in the fourth quarter.
“I’m proud of the defensive effort we put in as a team tonight,” coach Ryan Joseph said.
Ethan Mair led Dakota with 21 points. Josh Hines scored 11 and LJ Lyons 10.
Stevenson (2-1, 3-1) plays Roseville at home Wednesday, while Dakota (3-1 in the division) entertains New Haven.
ROMEO 57, NEW HAVEN 47
Tim Kewley had a double-double with 14 points and 18 rebounds and Josh Skelly scored 12 points to lead Romeo in the MAC Red/White game. Blake Woodward and Luke Rolfs scored nine points apiece for the Bulldogs, who improved to 3-1 and 4-1 with their third consecutive division victory.
UTICA 73, ANCHOR BAY 59
Utica was led by Rory Montreuil with 20 points and 12 rebounds, Francis Manni with 15 points and seven rebounds, Kevin Kekic with 14 points and Jason Azar with 15 points, four assists and four steals.
Anchor Bay was led by Dylan Gira with 18 points and Ryan Greenberg with 15. Utica is 1-3 overall and Anchor Bay is 0-4 overall.
L’ANSE CREUSE 76, ST. CLAIR 48
Sophomore Caron Williams scored 17 of his 32 points in the second half when the Lancers outscored St.. Clair 39-20 on the way to the MAC Blue/ Gold victory. Sophomore Donovan Weatherly and junior Luke Jungwirth added 12 points each for the Lancers. St. Clair was led by junior Cameron Bleasdale with 13 points and sophomore Carter Boullard with seven. L’Anse Creuse is 3-1 in the division and 4-2 overall. St. Clair is 1-2 and 1-3.
PORT HURON NORTHERN 67, SOUTH LAKE 55
Tyler Jamison posted a triple-double with 24 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists and Port Huron Northern raised its record to 4-0 in the MAC Blue/ Gold. Ryan McNeill had a double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds and Cass Dobrowolski added 15 points and eight rebounds. South Lake’s Artez Weathington scored 25 points and Isaiah Jolliffi had eight. The Cavaliers are 1-2 and 1-3.
LAKEVIEW 68, HAZEL PARK 36
Lucas Shock tossed in 18 points to go with four assists and four rebounds to keep the Huskies (40, 5-0) undefeated on the season. Andrew Messina added 12 points and Paul Petit chipped in 10 in the MAC Bronze/Silver game. Chris Felcyn snatched eight boards. The Vikings (1-1, 1-1) got 13 points from Matt Diaz and 10 out of Ky’Linn.
STERLING HEIGHTS 32
Antonio Johnson made six free throws in the final minute and scored 15 points to lead Clintondale to the MAC Silver/Bronze Division basketball victory Monday night. Marcus Manni led Sterling Heights with 10 points. Clintondale is 1-2 in the division and 1-3 overall. The Stallions are 0-3 and 0-3.
Girls basketball
LUTHERAN NORTH 43, ARMADA 32
Senior guard Rachel McClelland scored 13 points and had seven rebounds and three steals and senior forward Grace Schomaker added 11 points to pace visiting Lutheran North in the non-league game.
Bowling
MAC RED DIVISION
In boys matches Sunday, Dakota defeated Stevenson 25-5; Eisenhower defeated L’Anse Creuse North 16-14, and Lake Shore defeated Chippewa Valley 20-10.
Shane Legeret topped 500 pins with 280-222/502 and Jaden Denyes had 201205/406 to lead Dakota. Evan Wypij rolled 150247/397 for Stevenson.
Nolan Horne had 246235/481 and Carter Milasinovich 243-211/454 for Eisenhower. Anthony Zyrek had 216-268/484 for L’Anse Creuse North.
Ben Augustitus had 221245/466 and Tyler Furton 187-217/404 for Lake Shore. Kaleb Schultz had 246-200/446 for Chippewa Valley.
In girls matches, Dakota defeated Stevenson 30-0; L’Anse Creuse North defeated Eisenhower 28-2, and Lake Shore defeated Chippewa Valley 29-1.
Dani DeCruydt topped 500 pins with games of 278 and 225 for a 503 series
that paced Lake Shore. Gillian Connaire had 145151/296 for Chippewa Valley.
Jillian Lipinski had 213-211/424 and Alexis Girard 232-180/412 for Dakota. Marissa Feil had 158145/303 for Stevenson.
Madison Straetmans had games of 221 and 244 for 465 and Kayla Mazure had 247-184/431 to lead L’Anse Creuse North. Erin Vanderbrink had 230-200/430 for Eisenhower.
In the sixth MAC Red boys meet, Dakota defeated Chippewa Valley 29-1; Eisenhower defeated Stevenson 18-12 and. L’Anse Creuse North defeated Lake Shore in a rolloff after a 15-15 tie
Connor Rogus had 234247/481 and Kevin Moore 214-255/469 for Dakota. Kaleb Schultz had 206170/376 for Chippewa Valley.
Jacob Matheson had 217-225/442 and Nolan Horne 192-171/363 for Eisenhower. Evan Wypij had 256-184/440 for Stevenson.
L’Anse Creuse North’s Charles Hackler had 235213/448 and Anthony Zyrek 214-193/407. Lake Shore’s Ben Augustitus had 227229/456.
In girls matches, Dakota defeated Chippewa Valley 28-2; Stevenson defeated Eisenhower 21-9 and L’Anse Creuse North defeated Lake Shore 26-4.
Allyson Sand of L’Anse Creuse North bowled games of 243 and 265 for a 508 series, and teammate Kayla Mazure had 224202/426. Dani DeCruydt had 213-216/429 for Lake Shore.
Alyssa Ricci 167-235/402 and Alexis Girard 202189/391 for Dakota. Alex Sheldon rolled 178-147/325 for Chippewa Valley.
Stevenson’s Jenna Rohloff had 236-170/406 and Ali Pike 189-177/366. Eisenhower’s Sydney Kelley had 176-203/379.