Posen?s second half defense turns game around against county rival Rogers City

Posen used a 12-0 run at the start of the second half to take away all the momentum owned by host Rogers City in the first half of Tuesday?s game. With a variety of defenses, and 18-second half points from Jordan Hincka, Posen (9-2) won the first round of this friendly-hardwood county rivalry, 53-45. Hincka would finish with a career-best 27 points. The Vikings have won seven straight, while the Hurons (5-4), have dropped four of five since a 4-0 start. In front of a nearly packed RCHS gym, the home squad gave the local fans plenty to cheer about, opening the contest with a 12-4 run in the first six minutes. Scott Kowalewsky, who had a career-best 24 rebounds, capped the run with a strong put back on a play that looked like he wanted to dunk the ball.

ROGERS CITY was winning the battle on both ends of the floor, but Posen kept it close with a couple of three pointers late in the first quarter. Hincka hit one from NBA range and was followed by Brandon Hentkowski. The score was 14-12 heading into the second quarter. Posen took its first lead on a Hincka lay up three minutes into the second quarter, but Scott Grulke heated up from downtown. His high-arcing shot found the mark twice in the final minutes of the first half. The Hurons lead was as many as seven. Andy Tulgestke made sure it was five as he hit a jumper in the closing seconds of the second quarter. The RC lead could have been 10 or better, but a few easy shots did not fall through. Posen stepped up its defensive effort in the third quarter, allowing only five points. They outscored the home team, 14-5. ?They were getting to too many loose balls in the first half,? said Posen head coach Steve Hentkowski. ?(And) they were getting too many second chance opportunities on the boards. I told them that we had to get a lot more aggressive on the boards. ?I kept mixing up the defenses. It was very difficult for Rogers City to get into an offensive flow.?

THE POSEN defense kept the pressure on in the fourth, and during the first five-and-a-half minutes, allowed only a lay-up by Bret Karsten. Rogers City was by no means out of it down the stretch as Kowalewsky?s bucket with 1:17 got Rogers City to within seven. The Vikings were a little sloppy with the ball and the Hurons came away with a steal and a chance to cut the lead to five, but failed to convert. ?We had a fast start, we started well, but you?ve got to give Posen credit. They regrouped and came back and we had problems with their defense in the second half,? said Huron coach Karl Grambau. The Hurons had several players in foul trouble in the second half, including their outside threat, Grulke. The free attempts showed a strong advantage for the visitors. Posen went to the line 21 times, while Rogers City got four attempts.

?Tonight the difference in the game was at the free throw line,? said Grambau. Posen had a season low 12 turnovers. ?Rogers City is a very good offensive team,? said Hentkowski. ?That is the second best team we have played this year. Cedarville was the number one. This was definitely a battle.? Kowalewsky had a team-best 14 and was followed by Grulke with a dozen. Posen?s Nick LaTulip had 12 points and 11 boards. Brandon Hentkowski put eight points, but added seven steals and seven assists.

THE ROGERS CITY JV improved to 7-2 overall on the strength of 24 points by Devon Ferris. The final in the game was 70-43. The Hurons now have won six in a row. Ferris was one of three players with double figures. Justin Idalski finished with 13 and was followed by Kevin Fairbanks with 12. Tyler Krajniak led Posen with 12. Aaron Romel put in eight, while Brandon Beach had seven. The Vikings slip to 5-6 overall.

LAST FRIDAY, the Hurons suffered a narrow 69-62 defeat to rival St. Igance at RCHS. Rogers City trailed 46-40 with 4:26 left in the third quarter before a 10-2 run gave the Hruons a 51-48 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Grulke, who finished with a career-high 28 points, had all ten points in the rally, three of the baskets on lay-ups set up by long passes from Karsten. St. Igance tied the score at 62-62 with 3:17 left in the game and held the Hurons scoreless the rest of the way. Other leading cont

ributors were Karsten with 19 points and five assists, Kowalewsky with eight points and 10 rebounds and Cody Wirgau who had eight rebounds. The Vikings shot 61 percent from the field in the first quarter last Friday and played intense defense to win their sixth straight game over an athletic Au Gres squad, 84-62. They defeated Wolverine two nights before, 71-39. Jordan Hincka led the scoring attack against Au Gres with 19 points and was followed by Nick LaTulip with 18. Nick Idalski nailed four three pointers in the contest, three in the second half, on his way to 13. LaTulip had a career-best 25 against Wolverine.

IN THE JV contest with St. Ignace, the Huron JV won its fifth straight game, a 63-52 win over the Saints. The JV Hurons led 16-6 after the first quarter but the lead shrank to 41-38 heading into the final quarter. Justin Idalski scored 21 points while Erik Meharg had 12 and Kevin Fairbanks added 10. The Posen JV split their two games last week. They lost to Au Gres, 58-48, but knocked off Wolverine, 62-32. Scott Couture was the leading scorer against Au Gres with 12, while Jake Delekta had 10. Against Wolverine, Tyler Krajniak, Aaron Romel, and Tyson Klecha each had 10 apiece.