Senior guard scores 30; Lumberjacks earn 82-68 win
SAGINAW TWP. -- Wednesday's district semi-final at Heritage High School officially confirmed what many had suspected this season: Arthur Hill is better than Saginaw.
Behind another brilliant game from senior point guard Maurice Jones, who scored many of his team-high 30 on dazzling drives to the basket, the Lumberjacks beat the Trojans for the third time this season by an 82-68 score. Saginaw was led by junior forward Tommie McCune - who scored a game-high 32 with Tom Izzo looking on - but his performance was not enough to lift the Trojans. Arthur Hill played a dominant third quarter to turn a one-point halftime lead into an advantage which eventually ballooned into double-figures. Though the Trojans trimmed the deficit to six points in the fourth quarter, they never had quite enough to offset Arthur Hill's suffocating, full-court press.
After surrendering a Saginaw Valley League title and forfeiting a handful of victories due to violating a player transfer regulation, Wednesday's victory was a redemptive one of sorts for the Lumberjacks, who refuse to let the setback mar an otherwise tremendous season.
"Coming into the season we were kinda young," explained Maurice Jones. "But as the season progressed, everybody matured and played their role. But it wasn't a doubt that we were going to win, because we had the heart and the talent to do it."
For Saginaw head coach Lou Dawkins, who suffered the tragic loss of his son, Dorian, last summer, Wednesday's defeat brought a mixture of disappointment and perspective.
"For what all of us have went through, and what we're still continuing to go through...you know, it's a game," said Dawkins. "And that's what I told them inside, it's a game. Yeah, we all want to win...but when you close your eyes and take a deep breath and re-open them, they will still continue to see themselves. So again, we would like to say congrats to Arthur Hill."
The Lumberjacks will meet Heritage for the distict title on Friday night.
In other Class A action, Carman-Ainsworth easily breezed past visiting Fenton by a 78-51 final. The Cavaliers will look to wrap up a district title on Friday night when they host another Flint Metro foe, the Holly Bronchos.
Meanwhile, in Class C, Hamady also took advantage of a home-court setting to get past GAC Blue foe Bentley by a 63-47 final. The Hawks will meet GAC Red rival Beecher on Friday night for the district crown.
