Posen advances to Class D?s sweet sixteen
Posen advances to Class D?s sweet sixteen The Posen Vikings are headed to the regional championship game for the second time in three years following a 58-52 win over Mackinaw City in Tuesday?s Class D semifinal game at St. Ignace. The Vikings built an impressive double digit first half lead and rode out a bumpy fourth quarter when the Comets started landing three pointers. Mackinaw City made five in the fourth quarter, their best quarter of the night, but it just was not enough to overcome a 15 point Posen lead halfway through the third. Juniors Nick LaTulip and Jordan Hincka sparked the scoring with 25 of Posen?s 30 first half points. Hincka nailed four three pointers in the first half, three in the second quarter, and would finish with a game high 24 points. LaTulip did most of his damage from the free throw line, going five for eight in the first half. He also added three field goals.
MACKINAW CITY had trouble finding the scoring touch from downtown in the first two quarters. With 6? 7? LaTulip down low, the Comets were content at shooting from outside and only got a pair to fall, and missed a bunch. On most of the trips down the floor, the Vikes got the rebound and limited Mackinaw to one shot. LaTulip owned the rebound category with a career high 21 boards. ?We knew we had a good size advantage on them and we wanted to take advantage of it,? said head coach Steve Hentkowski. The playoff-winning streak improved to three games, after a miserable season-ending final at home against Rogers City, and now they?ll be back in St. Ignace playing for a regional title Friday at 7 p.m.
On the 40th anniversary of the 1967 squad?s regional championship, the Vikes will be looking to win their third regional trophy in four decades. The opponent, if a monumental upset did not occur Wednesday, will be Class D?s number one rated team: Cedarville. The Trojans easily got by Posen in the two regular season games. Against Mackinaw City this season, Cedarville had the running clock in the second half of their only meeting of the year. ?We are hoping we play against Engadine,? said Hentkowski, jokingly. ?This is the game we wanted to get to, so we?ll be hoping for the best.?
POSEN WAS on the attack in the first quarter in building a 10-3 lead. It was 17-7 when Hincka dropped in a three ball late in the first quarter, and he was just warming up. Halfway through the second, Hincka?s second trey of the quarter put the Red and White up by a dozen, 23-11. A pair of free throws at the end of the first half by LaTulip gave the Vikings their biggest lead of the night, 30-16. After the break, Mackinaw City put more pressure on the ball and limited the Vikes to only one outside shot in the third quarter, a three pointer by Nick Idalski. The Comets continued to chip away
In the closing minute, Brad Haske drove the baseline for a lay up, LaTulip delivered a block on the other end, and Hincka and Hentkowski went four-for-four from the free throw line. LaTulip finished with 17 points. Hentkowski had seven points and was four-for-four from the free throw line in the fourth quarter and added four rebounds and five assists. Haske chipped in nine boards.
THE VIKINGS didn?t let the home team take home the district title as they defeated host Johannesburg-Lewiston Cardinals, 73-36. The win game gave the Vikings their fourth straight district title, and they did so in convincing fashion. Posen started quickly, jumping out to a 14-6 lead in the first quarter, and finished strong, outscoring the Cards 29-9 in the final frame. Hincka scored 23 points while LaTulip added 19 for Hentkowski?s squad.