Port Huron Northern tops Lake Shore, clinches MAC Blue title
Tyler Jamison was exactly where he wanted to be — at the foul line, with the game and a championship hanging in the balance.
The versatile 6-foot-5 junior’s two free throws with 47.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter gave him 28 points for the game and lifted Port Huron Northern to a one-point lead, and the Huskies went on to defeat Lake Shore 49-47 to clinch the MAC Blue Division basketball championship.
“It’s a great feeling,” Jamison said after the Huskies improved to 9-0 in the division and took a two-game lead over secondplace Lake Shore with one game to play. “It’s starting to materialize — all the hard work is paying off.”
Jamison split two free throws with 1:39 to play, but he was confident of making the pair in his last trip to the stripe.
“At the end of the game I want the ball in my hands,” he said. “I knew that the next time I was at the line they were going to go in.
I just had that confidence.”
Port Huron Northern’s second victory in a week over Lake Shore gave the Huskies their first division championship since winning the MAC Gold when Jamison was a ninthgrader in 2020.
Luke Maher, whose free throw with 20.8 seconds left put Port Huron Northern ahead 48-46,
finished with 10 points.
Evan DeLong’s free throw with 7.9 seconds to go capped the scoring after Davon Pearson’s free throw pulled Lake Shore to within 48-47 with 11.8 seconds left.
The Shorians took a 38-37 lead into the fourth quarter and led 46-42 after Pearson’s basket with 3:27 to go, but turnovers and a missed layup down the stretch cost the home team.
“Senior guards have got to make plays,” Lake Shore coach Mike Jackson said. “They can’t go down the stretch and have turnovers. It’s as simple as that.”
Port Huron Northern battled back behind two free throws by Maher and one by Jamison.
“I think defensively, we were great,” Jamison said. “Very sound. We weren’t giving them anything.
Jalen Awosika scored 18 points and Jalen Jackson 11 for Lake Shore.
Port Huron Northern is 11-3 overall. Lake Shore, 7-2 in the Blue, is 13-3 in all games.
Boys basketball
DAKOTA 60, STEVENSON 47
Tymias Williams had a dou
ble-double with 18 points and 16 rebounds plus four assists and Michael Umeh had 14 points and seven rebounds to spark Dakota to the MAC Red victory. Zach Alindogan scored 14 points for Stevenson. Dakota is 6-3 in the division and 9-5 overall. Dakota plays at L’Anse Creuse North 3 p.m. Saturday.
Girls basketball
PARKWAY CHRISTIAN 51, MERRITT 11
Caroline Schlaf had a double-double with 17 points and 11 steals plus eight rebounds to lead Parkway Christian. Ava Szacon scored 10 points and Tamerah Peterson had six steals and four points.
UTICA 36, STEVENSON 33
Utica’s Lina Rea scored 16 points and completed a double-double with 10 rebounds in her first game since scoring a career-high 34 points against L’Anse Creuse North. Ana Cvetkovski made three 3-pointers for her nine points as Utica improved to 5-3 in the MAC White and 12-3 overall. Sydney Hewer (four triples) had 12 points and Lauren Niemens 11 for Stevenson (1-5, 7-6).
DAKOTA 49, PORT HURON NORTHERN 9
Tamia Tounsel and Hannah Toutant scored 10 points apiece to lead Dakota to the MAC Red Division victory. May Franzoni had seven points and Samone Andrews six as the Cougars raised their record to 7-1 in the division and 13-3 overall. Port Huron Northern is 1-7 and 4-11.