Huron girls’ lose in second round of district play

by Richard Lamb, Advance Editor

The Huron girl?s basketball team bowed out of the district tournament ending a two-game winning streak at the tail end of the season. Rogers City lost to Lincoln-Alcona 47-25 March 4 in Rogers City after the Hurons earned a home game with a win at Oscoda earlier in the week.

The turnover bug bit the hometown team, as they committed at least seven in each quarter, finishing with 35 on the game. ?Unforced turnovers were a big concern tonight. Maybe playing before the home crowd the girls were nervous, I don?t know. I told them in the locker room that they tried and gave it 100 percent. That is all I can ask out of them,? said coach Paul Stempky.

Alcona jumped out to an early lead, setting the pace with a tough pressing defense. The visitors led 6-0 before Greta Grambau scored the first Huron points with 5:16 left in the first quarter. Grambau set up Leann Knopf for a basket, but the Tigers answered with a long pass for an easy shot on a defensive lapse by the Hurons.

Logan Schuiteman?s bucket in the closing minute made the score 14-9 at the end of the first quarter. Trailing 18-9 with 2:08 left in the second quarter, the Hurons finally got on board as Amanda Lenard hit a jumper. Rogers City trailed 18-15 after a defensive-minded second quarter of action.

ALCONA SCORED the first six points of the second half before sophomore Shelby Schleben connected on a set shot just inside the free throw line. Again the Hurons had gone the first six minutes of the quarter without scoring, allowing the Alcona lead to grow to 25-17 with 2:09 left. Six straight points by the Tigers to close the quarter made the score 30-17 at the end of the third quarter.

Sara Carpenter?s two free throws, Grambau?s baseline jumper and a driving shot from Lenard would be all the Hurons could manage up to the 5:40 mark of the third period. Turnovers haunted the Hurons in the final frame, as they gave the ball away 11 times to a tight defense thrown up by the Tigers. That led to a 9-0 run over the next five minutes that closed out the Hurons? chances.

Sophomore Erika Kuznicki, who with Schleben came up to varsity for the tournament, hit a set shot in the paint for the final Huron tally. Grambau?s eight points and Lenard?s seven points paced the Hurons. The Hurons finished with a 3-19 record, but improved their play as the season progressed. They were 1-18 heading into the final regular season game before winning that and the first round of the district tournament in Oscoda.

?I told them I was impressed by the way they worked. They easily could have given up when they were 1-15 or 1-16 and they didn?t,? Stempky said. ?They came out and they played hard. The final score didn?t come out the way I wish it could have but sometimes it doesn?t go your way.?

STEMPKY SAID THERE is a strong nucleus likely to return for next season. Prospects for next year include the probable return of eight juniors who all saw significant playing time, including Heather Leutzow, Jordyn Lamb, Greta Grambau, Amanda Lenard, Leann Knopf, Logan Schuiteman, Sara Carpenter and Sam Hall. Katie Tulgestke, a starter as a sophomore, should be recovered from a knee injury that caused her to miss the entire season this year.

?I think really good things cou

ld happen out of this team,? Stempky said. The key to the improvement could be work the players do over the summer on their own. Finishing strong were seniors Anna Wickersham and Alysha Cornett, who missed the last few games with an injury.

WICKERSHAM CAME into her own as a starter this season, battling a late-season knee injury to come back and start in the last week of the season. ?Anna gave it all she had tonight and all season long. That is the kind of competitor she is. Even with her knee the way it was, I knew she was only going at half speed, she still gave it everything she had,? Stempky said.

?Anna never missed a practice and she was one of the team leaders. We are going to miss Anna.?

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