Double OT win Tuesday snaps losing streak
by Richard Lamb, Advance Editor
It took two overtime periods for the Huron girls (5-4) to end their four-game losing streak with a 56-53 win over the Alcona Tigers Tuesday. Fans were treated, or tortured, to two overtime games as the junior varsity game also went to the Hurons in an extra frame. The varsity, coming off a disappointing showing in a loss at Newberry last Friday, left it all on the floor against Alcona. Rogers City (RC) trailed 16-11 at halftime, but ran off 12 straight points to end the quarter with a 29-22 lead. Coming out of the locker room with determination in their eyes, Rogers City?s press keyed the comeback.
?I told them we had to finish and they escalated that to say let?s keep playing as a team. It really was all them in the third quarter wanting to do more,? said Huron coach Emily McLean. She said the halftime routine in the locker room included some music to get the girls fired up. SENIOR FORWARD Logan Schuiteman started the run with two free throws then scored again after Greta Grambau stole the inbound pass and fed Schuiteman for a hoop at the 1:59 mark of the third quarter.
Then Katie Tulgetske stole a pass and found Grambau under the basket to give the Hurons the lead. A press helped ignite the team. ?They feed off of the press. I tried a zone but I learned quickly that this is not a zone team,? McLean said. ?Putting them into a press and a man-to-man got their feet moving and got them playing as a team.?
In the fourth quarter, the Lady Hurons held on as much as a seven-point lead, after a free throw by Grambau at the 7:01 mark gave RC a 32-25 lead. Then Alcona, working the ball inside to center Megan Miller, cut into the margin. Miller?s basket over Huron center Leann Knopf, who was playing with four fouls, cut the lead to 36-35 with 2:40 left in the fourth.
Alcona tied the score at 39-39 on a rebound shot with 1:10 left in regulation. After Tulgestke?s driving hook shot with 29 seconds gave the Hurons a two-point lead, Alcona tied the score. The Tigers rebounded a missed free throw and called timeout. With 13 seconds remaining, Alcona drove the length of the court, got the ball to Miller inside, and who drew a foul on Knopf.
WITH NO TIME showing on the clock Miller sank both free throws to send the game into overtime (OT). In the first OT, Sara Carpenter, in for Knopf, scored off an inbound pass from Grambau and hit a short shot. After an Alcona miss, Carpenter was fouled and hit two free throws for a four-point lead. Alcona came back with four quick points to tie it again. Each team hit a free throw in the closing seconds to send it to a second overtime. At 50-50, Grambau snared a rebound and appeared trapped in the corner. Meanwhile Miller, who disa
Alcona nailed a three-pointer, but Tulgestke?s two free throws iced it for the Hurons. Grambau led the Hurons with 19 points and Schuiteman scored 15 and Carpenter added eight. ROGERS CITY suffered a 61-32 loss in Newberry Friday. Newberry led 17-10 at the end of the first quarter and 28-19 at halftime. Knopf led the Hurons in scoring with 10 points. Rachel Marsh scored 24 for Newberry to lead all scorers.
The Huron junior varsity (6-2) took a 51-43 OT win over Alcona, after trailing 22-20 at halftime and 29-26 at the end of the third quarter. A pressing defense and good passing on offense were keys to the win for coach Karl Grambau?s charges. Nikki LaLonde scored 13 points in the game and Brooklyn Idalski added 11, with eight coming in the fourth quarter. Lindsay Claus added seven in the win. LAST FRIDAY in Newberry, the JV Hurons fell behind 8-4 at the end of the first quarter and trailed 20-4 at halftime. Newberry came away with a 36-19 win. Rebecca Meredith?s four points were high in the low-scoring effort. The teams host Cheboygan Friday while the boys? teams play in Cheboygan. The girls play in Posen Monday and the Huron and Viking boys square off Tuesday in Rogers City.