RC bounced from tournament by Bulldogs
Inland Lakes erased a six-point Huron halftime lead to take a 55-53 win Tuesday. The loss in the opening game of the district tournament in Mio ended the season for the Hurons at 5-16. Rogers City built a 16-7 lead in the first quarter, breaking a 7-7 tie when senior forward Chris Paschke hit two shots from the free throw line with 3:43 left in the frame.
DEREK MCLENNAN followed that with a rebound and a basket, then Charley Smolinski stole a pass at halfcourt and hit a driving shot. Justin Wilbert capped the drive by draining a triple from the right corner with 45 seconds left in the quarter. The Hurons led 16-10 at the end of the first eight minutes. Rogers City’s lead reached nine at 32-23 with 1:10 left in the second quarter after two Bret Karsten free throws.
Bulldog center David Weick, who finished with 27 points, hit a basket and a free throw then scored on a rebound shot to narrow the gap to 34-28 at halftime. Weick, who fouled out in the Hurons’ win over the Bulldogs in the team’s second meeting of the season, kept out of foul trouble in the game, and was a load on the boards. His nine points in the quarter, most coming on put-backs, helped the Bulldogs take a 44-40 lead coming into the fourth quarter.
THE GAME would come down to the final few possessions. After the Bulldogs built a 51-43 lead, their largest of the game, it was the Hurons’ turn to come back. The Huron press caused a turnover, which led to a basket for Smolinski. Then, facing triple-teaming inside, Weick had a the ball taken away by Paschke, who drove the court, hit a driving shot, and the free throw to follow, making the score 51-49 with 3:40 to play. Two Inland Lakes free throws took the lead back to four points, but then the Hurons answered. A great pass from Chris Santini led to a fast-break basket for Wilbert. Then a turnover on the Bulldog’s end led to a basket for Karsten, tying the score at 53-53 with 1:09 left.
The teams traded turnovers, setting up an inbounds play with 25 seconds left ending up in the hands of Weick underneath the basket for the winning shot. Paschke and Karsten each had 17 points to lead the Hurons while Smolinski added eight.
“They hit a lot of second shots which kept them in the game,” said Huron coach Karl Grambau. “We played a pretty good first half and got up on them. They kept c
IN THE REGULAR season’s last game Friday, the Hurons avenged an earlier 20-point loss with a 55-51 win over Newberry. Santini turned in a great defensive effort, getting three steals on three consecutive possessions in the first half and scoring 12 points. Paschke paced the team with 17 points. The JV squad finished the year at 13-7, under first-year coach Nick Rethman, with a 50-48 win over the Indians. The difference came at the free throw line as the Hurons hit on 12-of-23 while the Indians only connected on 3-of-12. Evan Vogelheim had nine in the win.
ALTHOUGH STARTING the season 0-9, the varsity Hurons played better in the second half of the season, highlighted by wins over Alpena on the Wildcats’ home court, and a win over Newberry in the season’s last game at home. The game marked the last one for seniors Smolinski, Paschke, Steven Krajniak, and Isaac Momrik.