Hurons overcome early turnovers to top Cards

With colds and the flu going around in the sub-zero temperatures, the Hurons survived another kind of bug–the turnover bug in the early going to pull out a 64-55 win over Onaway Tuesday. They will have a few days to get ready for their next game, a rematch with Alcona. The homecoming game has Alcona (6-6), a 43-40 loser to Mio Tuesday, up against the Hurons. Rogers City (7-5) hopes to avenge a double-digit loss to the Tigers earlier in the season. Huron coach Karl Grambau is looking for a better effort against the Tigers the second time around.

?We have to move the basketball better, step up and play better defense,? he said. ?We are expecting a big crowd for homecoming and they should be the sixth man for us.?

THREE EARLY turnovers led to six Cardinal points Tuesday as the visitors pulled out to a 6-2 lead in the early-going, prompting Grambau to go to his bench early. The Cards were aggressive on defense, and rolled to a 12-5 lead with 3:06 left in the first quarter. Huron junior center Scott Kowalewsky came back with an offensive rebound and a put back to start a 7-2 rally over the last two minutes. Onaway led 14-12, heading into the second quarter.

A CALMER Huron team took the floor in the second period, scratching back to take the lead on a Scott Grulke jumper from the left corner with 4:58 showing on the clock. Bret Karsten followed that with a steal and a lay-up, and then Andy Tulgestke pulled down one of his 10 rebounds on the defensive end, and then assisted on a Grulke lay-up on the other end in the 8-0 Huron run. Onaway came back with two straight baskets but had no answer for Kowalewsky underneath. The junior center established position and his teammates found him with good passes. A Cody Wirgau assist set up two of Kowalewsky?s season-high 22 points.

Rogers City led 31-27 at halftime, after Cardinal Scott Tribisondi?s three-pointer with 11 seconds left in the half. Tulgestke, who had a solid game with 10 rebounds and seven assists, to go along with seven points, patiently drained a three as time ran out in the quarter to give the home team a 47-39 lead. The

Hurons used an effective press to spark turnovers by the Cards. With just over three minutes on the clock, Karsten came up with a steal then hit a driving runner to give the Hurons their biggest lead, 60-49, with 3:11 left in the game. The Huron bench players provided a spark, a fact not unnoticed by the coach.

?I thought that everyone who came in there did a good job for us,? he said. Kowalewsky added 13 rebounds with his 22 points while Karsten had 15 points and seven assists. Grulke had 12 points in the game. The Hurons made just one-of-five from the free throw line while the Cards connected on 3-of-11.

IN THE JV CONTEST, the junior Hurons, coached by Mike Grulke and Karl Momrik, won their ninth straight game by a 75-31 count. Jordan Zempel?s 12 points led a very balanced attack, a hallmark of the team this season. Devon Ferris and Justin Idalski each had 10 points while Trent Hayhoe and Justin LaLonde each scored eight. Rogers City led 20-8 after the first quarter and 39-21 at halftime. A 25-4 swing in the third quarter put the game out of reach. Last Friday?s game with Rudyard was cancelled due to the weather and will be played Saturday, February 24 with the JV game tipping off at 5 p.m.