Thunderbolts to be first Huron opponent in tournament
Doing it the hard way, the Hurons pulled out a 50-42 overtime victory against Hillman Tuesday. Hillman had not lost since Rogers City beat the Tigers six weeks ago, and the Tigers gave the home team a run on this night.
?It was a great win for us, and especially great for our seniors in their last home game,? said Huron coach Karl Grambau. Seniors Trace Kieliszewski, Branden Kania, and Cody Hurst suited up for the last time on the home court, as did junior Aaron Smuda, whose family will move to Ohio after the school year ends. Grambau gave the four special recognition before the game. The win comes before Monday?s district tournament game against Mio in Alcona. Hurst started for the first time this season, as he recovers from a September knee injury, suffered in the Whittemore-Prescott football game.
AFTER FAILING to score until the game was six minutes old, the Hurons used two hoops from junior forward Tim Cercone to pull to within three at 11-6 as the first quarter expired. Sophomore guard Charley Smolinski started off the second quarter with a three-pointer, then each team went into a cold spell. Junior center Kyle Greene stopped the drought nearly three minutes later with his second basket of the night off an inbound play, a part of the game, which has worked well all season for the Hurons. When Hurst?s steal and pass set up Cercone?s layup to give Rogers City a 13-12 lead, Hillman?s Cory McDonald went to work. McDonald hit two three-pointers and a layup to bring the Tigers? lead to 20-15 at halftime.
THAT SET UP an exciting second half. Rogers City scored 20 points, 10 by Greene, in the third quarter, but couldn?t gain any ground on Hillman. Driving shots by Greene and Cercone at the five-minute mark cut the Tiger lead to two at 27-25. Then Hillman ran off the next nine points on the strength of timely offensive rebounding by the Tigers. Isaac Momrik set up Greene for a jumper with 50 seconds left in the quarter to cut the Tiger lead to eight.
SET ON GETTING the ball inside, the Hurons did just that often. Greene hit a pair of driving layups, then connected on one of two free throws to tie the game at 36-36 with 4:50 left in the fourth quarter. Hillman snagged another offensive rebound and hit the follow to take a brief 38-36 lead. After a turnover, Greene grabbed a rebound and delivered a long outlet pass to a streaking Cercone to again tie the game. Momrik?s two free throws with 1:05 on the clock gave the Hurons their first lead since the second quarter. Hillman missed on its offensive end, then the Hurons turned the ball over again and Hillman called time out. Smolinski stepped in front of a Hillman pass, and then passed to Hurst who was fouled with 14 seconds left. Hurst hit the first free throw, but missed the second. Rushing the ball up court, McDonald found himself covered tightly, but out of time. He doubled-pumped, then launched a shot from the hip that found nothing but net as the clock expired. At 41-41, the game headed into OT.
ON THE FIRST possession of the OT, the Hurons reversed the ball around to Hurst in the right corner and the senior hit his first field goal of the season, a three-pointer to give the Hurons the lead for good. Greene paced the attack with 28 points while Cercone
THE JUNIOR VARSITY defeated Hillman 50-27 Tuesday and lost 76-66 to Newberry. Tuesday the Hurons got out to a 20-8 halftime lead and increased it after each quarter. Clay Hilla scored 15 points while Bill Lince added 10. In Newberry, the Indians started quickly with a 21-10 lead in the first quarter and led 34-18 at halftime.
Hilla scored 23 points, Chris Paschke scored 14, Justin Senff had 14, and Justin Wilbert had 10. The Hurons close their regular season with a game at Inland Lakes Friday, February 28.