Hurons win for the first time in four tries at Posen, 37-34, with a 10-0 fourth quarter run

Posen?s three-game home winning streak against Rogers City came to an end Tuesday as the visiting Hurons erased a 12-point third quarter deficit with a 10-0 fourth quarter run. The final score in front of a packed PHS gym was 37-34. ?I think it was important that we play really good team basketball. We knew nobody could get it back on their own,? said Rogers City coach Karl Grambau of the hole his streaky Huron club had to dig out of. ?It had to be a combined effort of everyone to cut into that lead.? Posen?s offense struggled in the second half after building the double-digit lead.

After Nick LaTulip converted an offensive rebound just past the midway point of the third quarter, Matt Styma was the only Viking to get the ball in the hoop during an eight-minute stretch from the third to the fourth quarter. Coach Steve Hentkowski said his boys did not take enough shots. ?It was a lack of hustle on our part on the boards and a lack of execution on offense. We quit shooting the ball,? Hentkowski said. ?We have to learn how to reverse the ball a lot quicker and get the shots off. Rogers City did a better job in the second half.? The rematch between with Rogers City (6-4) and Posen (4-6) is March 3 in the last regular season contest before the district tournaments. The Hurons have a pair of home games coming up against Newberry Friday and Hillman Tuesday. Posen hosts Hillman tomorrow (Friday) and then travel to Mio Tuesday.

AFTER ROGERS CITY took a 4-2 lead early in the first quarter, Posen went on a 14-2 run, which was capped by a buzzer beater off the glass by Matt Szczerowski. A total of eight points was scored in the second quarter, as the defenses stepped it up a couple notches. Posen?s ?D? was a little better as they blanked the Hurons for nearly five minutes going into the break. The score at halftime was 20-10. ?We came out in the first half and we shot a lot of threes. We really didn?t shoot any in the second half,? said Grambau. ?We came out with the idea of wanting to establish the inside game.? Szczerowski scored the first points of the second half to give Posen a 12-point lead, 22-10.

Rogers City outscored the Vikings the rest of the quarter, 12-7, by continuing to play tight defense and with better ball movement on offense. The score at the end of three quarters was 29-22 in Posen?s favor. ?We made some baskets, and when you make baskets, you play better defense. I thought we really did a job of getting the ball inside,? said Grambau. The Hurons started the fourth quarter by scoring the first 10 points, while blanking Posen for five minutes. Points in the 10-0 run came from Wilbert (two field goals), Karsten (field goal, two free throws), and Justin Senff (one field goal).

The Posen fans finally found something to cheer about when Hincka stole the ball and converted a lay up off a steal. He was fouled on the play and, after making the shot, the score was tied at 32. Karsten put the Hurons up for good on a perfectly executed give-and-go play. Karsten got behind a defender and streaked to the basket for the lay up at the 1:40 mark, making the score 34-32.

WITH THE Rogers City fans chanting, ?Let?s go defense,? the Vikings made a bad pass, and on the other end Chris Santini made a pair of key free throws for a four-point advantage. Hincka would score the next bucket and Posen would have possession of the ball again on a turnover. Hincka?s drive to the basket

along the baseline was met by a group of Huron defenders and the shot didn?t make it to the basket. Andy Tulgestke made one-of-two free throws with 7.3 seconds left to put the Hurons up by three. Posen had one more shot at the tie and overtime, but Szczerowski?s off balance three attempt went to the left of the hole. The only player in double digits was Richie Kroll with 10 points. Karsten had a team-high nine points. Hincka scored five of his eight points in the fourth quarter and also collected six rebounds. Szczerowski had nine boards to go with his eight points. Scott Kowalewsky had a game-high 11 rebounds.

IN THE JUNIOR varsity game, Posen defeated Rogers City 53-38. Paul Kroll led the Viking attack with 26 points, while Derek King put in 13. Scott Grulke had 12 points against Posen and nine points in a 59-35 loss against St. Ignace. The RC JV is 3-7. The Posen varsity dropped its rematch at Au Gres 53-50. Hincka finished with 19 points. Szczerowski had nine points, while LaTulip put in eight.