Posen gets top-ranked Tigers in title game

Only one Presque Isle County basketball team remains alive in the state playoffs. The Posen boys overcame a nine-point second half deficit to defeat Wolverine in a Class D district final at Onaway.

Foreign exchange student Giulian Pittet hit a 3-pointer with 1:43 remaining to give the Vikings their first lead of the second half, 47-46. Freshman Avery Werth extended the lead with a baseline drive and the Vikings hung on for the win down the stretch.

Leading 51-48, Wolverine had a chance to tie the game after senior Michael McNeil was fouled on a 3-point attempt with four seconds remaining. He could not convert.

Freshman Avery Werth came up with some big fourth quarter shots for the Vikings in Wednesday's win. They play Hillman Friday at 6 p.m. at Onaway High School. (Photo by Peter Jakey)

Junior Travis Sharpe scored 14 of his 16 in the second half to give Posen a chance to win.

The Vikings now face Hillman in the district title game, after the top-ranked Tigers knocked off Onaway, 77-53, in the other semifinal game.

The Cards rattled Hillman midway through the first qu

arter, but the Tigers used pressure defense to force turnovers and go on a 10-0 run. The score was 18-8 at the end of one and 36-21 at halftime.

Onaway’s leading scorer Joe Sigsby played in the contest, but still was not 100 percent. He missed the final games of the season with strained knee ligaments. He fired in a 3-pointer to cut Hillman’s lead to nine with 1:37 left in the first half, but Hillman answered with an 8-2 run to close out the second quarter. The Cards never got close again.

Pat Dunn ended his final game in an Onaway uniform with 21. He was seven-for-nine from the free-throw line.

Hillman, who was ranked sixth in the final Associated Press polls, meets Posen for the third time this season. The game will be back in Onaway at 6 p.m.