EVERY SECOND COUNTS
Trevor Smith Jr.’s 3-point play lifts Stoney Creek past Groves, 63-62
ROCHESTER HILLS >> After leading for nearly all of Friday’s basketball game with Birmingham Groves, Stoney Creek found itself trailing in the final 10 seconds.
Down 62-60 with nine seconds of the clock, Stoney Creek coach Steve Norgrove didn’t need to use a timeout or think too hard about what to do. He just gave the ball to Trevor Smith Jr.
The fourth-year senior guard took the ball coast-to-coast and scored on a lay-in, while also drawing a foul with just 2.1 seconds on the clock.
Out of a time out by Groves, Smith calmly knocked down the game-winning free throw to give the Cougars a 63-62 victory.
“When we have such a dynamic guard, we are going to bring the ball up the floor and not give the defense a chance to set up and see what we have. We can call a time out if we have to, but (Smith) is a four-year varsity player. He’s very skilled, so if the game is going to be decided, we are going to let him decide it,” Norgrove said.
Groves (3-3) trailed by as many as 13 points in the game, but nearly was able to pull off the comeback win. A shot just inside half court by senior Daniel Lee hit the back of the rim at the end of regulation.
“(Stoney Creek) made the plays that they needed to make at the times they needed to make them,” Groves coach Benny White said. “That’s a veteran team that knows how to not beat themselves. We play hard, but we still struggle with being able to play with consistency on both sides of the floor.”
Smith helped set the tone early, but did so with his passing. The Cougars (5-1) would score on their first four possessions, with three of the scores coming off the passing of Smith. Senior Zac Jones hit a pair of 3-point- ers to put the Cougars up 10-4.
“What I really appreciate about Trevor is that, over the year, he has really developed. When he first got here, he was so unselfish and his teammates really appreciated that. Now that he’s older and has had to shoulder the load a little more, his teammates are very supportive of him,” Norgrove said. “Our guys love him and feed off of him. We are a very unselfish team in general, and Trevor is the biggest facilitator of that.”
Groves would fight back to get the score to 12-11, but Stoney Creek answered with a 14-2 run that extended into the second quarter and put the Cougars up 26-13.
Throughout the third quarter, Groves would continue to try and chip away at the lead, but the Cougars would find ways to hold them at bay.
In the fourth, Smith started the quarter with back-to-back lay-ins to put Stoney Creek up 55-43.
“Trevor is probably the best player in our conference,” White said of Smith. “From head-to-toe, he is just able to facilitate and make plays for his teammates. But, he also knows when to get to the basket.”
The Falcons finally got on the roll they needed thanks to the shooting of Aaron Dubose. The junior knocked down four 3-pointers in the final frame. The last one came with 45 seconds remaining to put Groves up 61-60.
“Aaron hit some big shots to get us back in the game,” White said. “We did some really good things in the fourth, but the guys have to learn that we have to come out and play hard from the start. We have a tendency to come out and start slow and we have to change that, especially in these tough league games that come down to a few plays.”
The Falcons added a free throw from Nick Lurz with nine seconds on the clock, which set the stage for the final play.
Stoney Creek had no hesitation in the game-winning scenario, as Smith and his teammates didn’t look frazzled being in desperation mode.
“We don’t panic. We have a lot of experience and our guys don’t panic. (Groves) took the lead very late in the game and we didn’t have to call a timeout or anything. Our guys knew exactly what to do. David Angel went and gave Trevor a screen and Trevor did the rest,” Norgrove said. “Our guys just did what they were supposed to and executed. As a coach, it’s great to see them handle those tense moments so calmly.”
Smith finished with a game-high 25 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter. Alex Reiter added 16 points, while the Cougars knocked down eight 3-pointers as a team.
Dubose finished with 21 points to lead Groves, while Daniel Lee scored 20. Lurz added 10.
Following Friday’s win, Stoney Creek will look to avenge its lone loss of the season on Sunday when the Cougars host Troy at 3 p.m. Their first meeting was a 78-70 win for the Colts in double overtime.
“Every night is a great challenge this season,” Norgrove said. “There’s not much time to prepare between games so you just have to stay focused on what’s in front of you. I am looking forward to playing Troy again. They are a great team and it should be another great game.”