Hurons open district tourney with win on the home floor; lose to Inland Lakes in district semis

Huron junior post-player Ashley Fleming scored a game-high 36 points against visiting Onaway Monday evening to put Rogers City in the district semifinal game against Inland Lakes and put an end to their county rivals? season. The Hurons would lose 42-38 to the Bulldogs Wednesday. Inland Lakes takes on Alcona in Friday’s district finals.

Fleming already is the all-time career scoring leader (1,214 points), and if she hadn?t sat out the fourth quarter of the Hurons? 54-31 win, she probably would have had the single-game scoring records for both the boys and girls. She sat on the bench icing her leg. Rogers City coach Karl Grambau wanted his top scoring threat ready for Inland Lakes who defeated Rogers City by 30 last Friday.

The Hurons took a commanding 17-4 lead into the second quarter against Onaway, and Fleming had all 17 Rogers City points. Jenna Vogelheim hit a jumper to end Fleming?s scoring streak, yet extending the orange and black to a 15-point advantage over the Cardinals. After Onaway senior Michelle Ellenberger hit a jumper off the glass for two of her team-high eight at the midway point of the first stanza, Rogers City went on a 17-0 tear. The Cardinals could neither stop Fleming?s post moves, or make the needed moves on offense, to generate any kind of offense.

?They did a good job keeping us away from the basket,? said coach Justin Ansel. ?We were happy to get the win because we knew Onaway was going to play hard,? said Grambau. ?We?re a little beat up right now. ?

THE EARLY moments showed that both teams were adjusting to the tournament, win-or-you?re-out atmosphere, with turnovers going both ways. Fleming and Ellenberger traded baskets before the run that put the game away for RC. ?It started out defensively, just not being able to stop Ashley,? said Ansel. ?There was a lob pass in. We were giving too much space.? Onaway found themselves in a 30-10 hole by halftime. Following Vogelheim?s jumper, Tiffiny Krueger hit a deuce and Fleming went on another personal streak, scoring the next nine Huron points. She capped off the second quarter with a typical layup inside for point number 26.

The Cards had a quick halftime speech from Ansel and spent most of their time shooting around during the break. It seemed to help as Onaway scored the first five points of the third quarter, but unfortunately for the Cardinals, Grambau wasn?t ready to sit Ashley yet. Fleming hit a pair of field goals to counter, and in one of the plays of the game, Fleming was in the open court with two defenders between her and the basket. Fleming won the battle to increase her point total to 32. Shannon Mason hit a three-pointer to make the score 36-18, but in transition, it was Ashley and Lindsey running the fastbreak against one Cardinals defender.

ASHLEY PASSED the ball to Lindsey to put the lead back at 20. The next time down the floor, Ashley knocked down another field goal to make it 34 points. She made it 36 when sister Lindsey returned the favor t

he next time down the floor, passing the ball to Ashley for her final points of the game. That gave the Hurons their largest margin of the contest at 26, 44-18. With less than a minute left in the third, Grambau had Ashley on the bench. ?Ashley is really focused,? said Grambau. ?She has one goal. She wants to play another basketball game. She knows that if we lose a game the season is over. She doesn?t want the season to end.? Rogers City started the fourth quarter with a 46-22 lead, but went on a scoring drought until just past the four minute mark when Jess Konieczny shot the first of four straight free throws.

The final bucket of the night brought the Huron players watching from the bench to their feet as Cassy Brege dished a pretty pass to a wide open Kristy Curtis. The Cards edged Rogers City in the final quarter, 9-8, but the end result was well in hand long before the fourth quarter started. Tiffiny Krueger finished the game with six points, while Ellenberger and Christy Kowalski both had eight for the Red Birds.