Hurons play Onaway Tuesday in district basketball tournament

Missed opportunities haunted the Hurons Tuesday as Boyne City avenged an early-season loss by taking a 72-69 double overtime win over Rogers City. “Tonight we executed some things real well. But some other things we didn’t do well. We didn’t handle the ball well in the last minute of regulation,” said coach Karl Grambau.

“We let them score about eight points without the clock moving and then they end up tying it. On the bright side, you couldn’t ask for a better game before the tournament.” Rogers City will play in the Onaway district tournament Tuesday, taking on the host team at 7:30 p.m. Whittemore-Prescott takes on Inland Lakes Monday at 7 p.m. The winner plays Hale Wednesday at 6 p.m. The winner of the Rogers City vs. Onaway game plays the winner of the Mio and Alcona game November 17 at 7:30. The district championship game is Friday, November 19 in Onaway.

IN TUESDAY’S GAME, Boyne came back in the closing seconds of regulation to tie the score. With 10 seconds left in regulation, Huron senior point guard Sara Dove hit the first free throw and missed the second. The Ramblers grabbed the rebound and quickly advanced the ball, hitting a buzzer-beater to knot it up at 60-60.

In the first OT, Ashley Fleming hit a layup to give the Hurons a 62-60 lead and Dove’s free throw made it 63-60 with 2:21 left. With each team pressing the length of the court, the Hurons broke the press as Dana Fairbanks fed Fleming for a bucket and a three-point lead. Then Dove came up with a steal, one of several she had on the night, and was fouled. But she missed both free throws. On the other end, Tiffiny Krueger picked up her fourth foul, leading to a free throw for Boyne. The teams exchanged turnovers before the Hurons had another chance at the free throw line. Senior guard Jess Konieczny calmly hit two charity tosses to extend the lead to 67-63 with 34 seconds left in OT. Again Boyne came back with a quick hoop and immediately called time out to set up the press. It caused a Huron turnover and a foul on Krueger, her fifth. Megan Hanson and Becky Bruning had already fouled out for RC. Two free throws tied the score at 67-67 with six seconds left. Dove nearly ended it as her desperation 25-foot runner nailed the back of the rim and bounced out.

THE SECOND overtime started the same as the first, with the Hurons taking a lead on Fairbanks’ rebound shot at the 2:53 mark. But that would be all the Hurons’ scoring on the night. Boyne hit an open 15-footer, then added two free throws to move ahead at 71-69. Konieczny gave her team a chance with a steal. She passed to Fairbanks, who was fouled. But both free throws missed the mark. The Ramblers hit a free throw on the other end to end the scoring. The Hurons hit 15-of-34 from the free throw line. Fleming added to her total as the all-time leading scorer in RCHS basketball history by scoring 34 to lead all scorers. Dove added 11 points with seven of those coming from the free throw line. Konieczny and Bruning each scored eight. EARLIER IN THE contest, the Hurons struggled in a sluggish first quarter, trailing 12-6 after the first eight minutes. In the second quarter, Boyne built a 20-8 lead with 5:

30 left in the quarter. The Hurons went more than five minutes without scoring. Then the Hurons cut into the lead on baskets by Konieczny, Fleming, and Krueger. Bruning scored inside to make it 22-16 with eight seconds left in the half. Fleming’s 16 points in the third quarter helped the Hurons take a 36-33 lead heading into the final quarter. The Hurons host Inland Lakes, a 57-55 loser to Bellaire Tuesday tonight (Thursday).

LAST WEEK the Hurons lost to Cheboygan, 50-41. The Hurons led 24-23 at the half before the Chiefs rallied in the second half. Fleming scored 17 points and Dove added 16 points.

THE JV SQUAD lost 54-34 to Boyne City Tuesday. Boyne jumped out to a 15-6 lead after the first quarter and 28-10 at halftime. The Hurons had trouble on the free throw line, hitting only 4-of-24 chances. Jenny Fleming led the team with 17 points while Heather Kowalski added nine. The JV lost 58-33 to Cheboygan last week. Cheboygan led 17-6 after the first quarter and 30-14 at halftime. Fleming had 12 points while Kowalski and Simone Kapala had six each.

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