STEP BY STEP
Utica’s ‘crazy’ tournament run continues in regional final against undefeated L’Anse Creuse North
Lina Rea has been on the Utica varsity basketball team since she was in the ninth grade.
She’ll probably never forget the Chieftains of her junior year.
Rea and Ava Hallam, who sank two 3-pointers, scored six points apiece in the fourth quarter to help Utica rally for a 39-38 victory over shorthanded Stoney Creek in a Division 1 regional semifinal game at Chippewa Valley on Monday night.
“It’s crazy,” Rea said after Utica rallied from a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter and posted its sixth victory of the season. “We’ve come such a long way since our first practice.
“I knew we could do it. We never stopped fighting. We had to step up on defense, and that’s exactly what we did.”
The Chieftains were one of four Macomb County teams to qualify for regional finals. L’Anse Creuse North, Lutheran North and Eastpointe were the others.
Stoney Creek, the OAA White Division champion that entered the game with one defeat, had eight players in uniform against Utica.
Four of the Cougars’ top six players didn’t participate because of planned family activities, coach Kellen James said.
Stoney Creek started three juniors and two freshmen and had a bench that consisted of one junior and two sophomores.
“I told my kids that I have nothing but respect for them for the effort they put out tonight,” James said. “We had kids who played more in this game than they did all year. They competed.
“We’re young, and we exceeded expectations, but we’re not finished. We lose only one senior. The kids are hungry.”
Junior Sydney Laprairie led the Cougars (15-2) with 19 points.
Stoney Creek led 34-27 when junior Riley Binfet made a 3-pointer with 6:58 left in the game.
Then Utica made its move.
Rea had consecutive baskets to cut the Cougars’ lead to 34-31 with 5:07 to play, and Hallam tied the score when she sank a triple from the left wing with 4:32 to go.
Rea made a steal and drove for a lead-changing basket with 4:09 to go.
Neither team scored for almost two minutes, but Hallam, shooting from almost the same spot where she made her earlier 3-pointer, sank another triple for a 39-34 lead with 2:12 to go.
Utica takes a 6-11 record into Wednesday’s 7 p.m. championship game against undefeated L’Anse Creuse North.
“Our record doesn’t tell the whole story,” Utica coach Tom McDonald said. “We played really good teams, we had some kids out for a little bit, so some scores got ugly. Now we’ve got everybody back.”
Utica had eight seniors on its 2020 team.
“This whole thing has been gradual step by gradual step,” McDonald said.
McDonald and Rea said the Chieftains are happy to keep practicing, even in a season when COVID-19 protocols dictate habits.
“With the extra time, we keep getter better,” McDonald said. “It’s been great.”
Rea said her teammates are her best friends.
“We’re going through all of this together,” she said.
L’Anse Creuse North advanced with a 57-39 victory over Lakeview.