Beecher, Powers, Mt. Pleasant win regional openers
BAY CITY -- Two trademarks of great teams include never panicking, and making necessary adjustments. Arthur Hill put both attributes on display against Carman-Ainsworth on Monday night.
After giving up 40 points to the Cavaliers in an uneven first half, the Lumberjacks switched to a zone defense in the second half and gradually began to assert their will. Arthur Hill allowed only 18 second-half points, and used a dominant fourth quarter to pull away from Carman-Ainsworth and earn a 67-58 win.
Certainly not to be overlooked in the Lumberjacks' winning effort was a buzzer-beating shot from Maurice Jones from just inside the half-court line at the end of the opening half. That shot turned a two-point deficit into a one-point lead, and its importance in terms of momentum was not lost on Arthur Hill head coach Greg McMath.
"Aw that was huge, that was huge," he said. "We were kinda flat, they were up by two, and you know, he's just a great player. And great players make things happen. He made it happen for us, and right then the momentum changed, and we were able to come out with the win."
"Coach talked to us in the locker room and told us not to get panicked," added Jones, who tallied 18 points. "Told us we were gonna come out with a win, if we just stayed with what he told us."
"We knew Carman was a tough team," added McMath. "We've played these games all year, that's why we play the schedule we do. So we're used to this, used to hostile environments. Our kids came through."
Elsewhere in Class A, the Mt. Pleasant Oilers continued their match to the state playoffs with a 57-49 victory over Flint Northwestern. Trey Zeigler paced Mt. Pleasant's effort with 28 points and 12 rebounds - despite a stunningly poor 2-for-13 showing at the free throw line - as the Oilers will shoot for a regional title on Wednesday night against Arthur Hill. That game will feature one-third of the candidates for this season's "Mr. Basketball" award - Zeigler and Maurice Jones.
In Class B, the Pinconning Spartans' cinderella ride came to an end at the hands of defending state champion Flint Powers. The Spartans, who shocked both Bridgeport and Carrollton to capture a district title, were upended by the Chargers, 51-41. Next up for Powers is a regional title showdown with Swan Valley on Wednesday night.
Mid-Michigan is also well-represented in Class C, which saw both Beecher and Buena Vista post lopsided victories in their regional openers. The Bucs breezed past Albion by a 69-50 final, and will now meet Hanover-Horton in the regional title game. Meanwhile, Buena Vista crushed Brown City by a 68-36 final, setting up a showdown with Harbor Beach on Wednesday.
But over in Class-D, the party is over for Fulton-Middleton. The Pirates fell to Lansing Christian by a 58-54 final. There was obvious disappointment, but not an ounce of regret.
"These kids are heart broken right now but we're so young that they accomplished things that were even beyond my dreams to start the year," said Fulton-Middleton head coach Todd Walden. "They're just so competitive. They expected to win tonight until the final buzzer sounded. That's just the type of kids they are."
