Lady Hurons top Inland Lakes in district opener
by Richard Lamb, Advance Editor
All season long the Huron girls? basketball team has made a habit of coming from behind. Why should the first round of the district playoffs be any different? Rogers City never led until the 2:33 mark of the fourth quarter when senior center Leann Knopf hit a put-back shot from close range. That gave the Hurons a 28-27 lead as Rogers City defeated host Indian River-Inland Lakes 30-29. The Hurons were set to host Oscoda Wednesday (after press time) with the winner to take on the winner of the Alcona vs. Whittemore-Prescott game played earlier this week. The finals will be staged at Alcona High School Friday at 7 p.m. (Watch our Web site at PIAdvance.com for updates after Wednesday?s game).
ROGERS CITY met the wrath of an Inland Lakes team, which lost to the Hurons twice during the regular season. The hosts used that fire to hold the Hurons scoreless until the 2:29 point of the first quarter when senior guard Greta Grambau hit a layup after a steal. Sara Carpenter set up Jordyn Lamb on a pretty give-and-go and then Logan Schuiteman nailed a jumper from the elbow moments later, off a pass from Katie Tulgestke, as the Hurons finished strong in the first quarter. After one quarter, the score was tied 6-6.
After ties at 8-8, 10-10 and 12-12, Inland Lakes scored six straight to lead 16-12 heading into halftime. Each team played tight defense, but neither could convert on the free-throw line. Rogers City made just 3-of-14 while Inland Lakes hit on 4-of-14 from the line for the game. Grambau, Knopf and Amanda Lenard each had baskets in the second quarter. IN THE THIRD quarter, the Hurons fell behind 19-12 before Schuiteman scored off an in-bounds pass from Grambau at the 4:50 mark of the third quarter. Three-point specialist Sam Hall drained one from the right wing, in front of a small, but vocal Huron cheering section, to pull the Hurons close at 20-19 with two minutes left in the frame. With each team pressing in the fourth quarter and fans cheering on their teams, the Hurons rallied to tie the score at 24-24. Grambau?s long two-pointer followed by a steal and bucket from Knopf knotted things up with 5:20 left in the fourth. Inland Lakes took the lead on a three-pointer, then Grambau was fouled attempting a long three-pointer on the ensuing possession. She missed the first, then swished the next two to cut the lead to 27-26 to set up a tense finish.
Lenard missed the front end of a one-and-one, but her cousin Knopf snared the rebound and hit the shot to give the Hurons their first lead of the game. Knopf would foul out moments later on the other end trying to make a steal. Inland Lakes made two free throws off the Knopf foul to take a 29-28 lead with 2:33 left. Feeling the pressure, the teams traded turnovers down the stretch until Schuiteman battled for a rebound and banked in a shot with 1:25 left f
COACH EMILY McLean earned her first district win as a coach, but there were some doubts along the way. ?We didn?t have that big run. Sam?s three kind of put some spark into us but we never really had a big play to get us going,? McLean said. ?I?m very proud of them. They didn?t give up. I never really lost faith in them, I was just a little nervous.? Schuiteman?s nine points and nine rebounds led her team in both categories. She added three steals. Grambau added eight points and four steals while Knopf had six points, six rebounds and three steals on the night.
IN THE final regular season game last Saturday, the Hurons trailed 20-4 in the early stages but rallied for a 44-40 win over Rudyard. Grambau had 13 points, Hall scored 11 and Schuiteman added nine. Emily Jeffreys led Rudyard with 19 points. The junior varsity, coach by Karl Grambau, ended its season at 10-8 after defeating Rudyard 41-29. Nikkie LaLonde scored nine points while Becky Talaske added eight and Rebecca Meredith scored seven in the win.