Stoney Creek upsets Rochester for first-ever district win

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

OXFORD — One state tournament hex was ended Wednesday night, while another continued.

Alex Jones’ runner-in-the-lane with 10 seconds left was the difference as Rochester Stoney Creek posted a thrilling 55-54 victory over Rochester in a Class A district semifinal at Oxford High School.

HOLDING COURT: Rochester Stoney Creek's Alex Jones drvies past Rochester's Billy Klotz during Wednesday's Class A district semifinal. Staff Photo | Dan Stickradt

For Stoney Creek, it was the first-ever postseason win for the Cougars (7-14), who will play for a district championship for the first time in school history, facing Rochester Adams at 7 p.m. Friday at Oxford.

Stoney Creek, which opened its doors in 2002-03, was 0-8 in its previous eight district games, including a 30-point blowout loss in the first round last season to Lake Orion and a five-point loss to Romeo two years ago. The Cougars also finished the regular season 6-14 and in the bottom half of the OAA White Division.

“We’ve had a tough season, and I started talking to the guys about when are we going to start maturing and winning games we played in a lot of close games this year, and tonight was a culmination of our perseverance and our guys not bailing out what we were trying to do,” said Stoney Creek coach Steve Norgrove, who replaced the retired Ken Belote after last season. “This was our first win for basketball in postseason play.”

For Rochester, champions of the OAA Blue Division, it was another chapter to the school’s postseason misery. The Falcons were hoping to win their first district championship in 23 years this season, as Rochester has only been to the district finals twice (2001, 2008) since its last district title in 1988 with no success. The Falcons ran into a tournament roadblock once again, falling in the district semifinals for the third straight season.

Rochester (16-6), which posted its most wins since 1999-2000, finished only-8-for-20 from the foul line and 5-of-20 from three-point range. Stoney Creek also out-rebounded the Falcons 17-10 in the second half and 29-26 for the game.

“We needed a lot of things to happen,” said Rochester coach John Pleasant. “The missed free throws, we don’t want to dwell on it too much. The eight offensive rebounds we gave up in the third quarter were just as big of an issue.”

Down 47-42 entering the final quarter, Rochester began to whittle away at Stoney Creek’s lead.

A pair of free throws by Taylor Perry cut the hole down to 51-49 with 5:29 left, and a jumper from Billy Klotz brought the Falcons to within 53-52 with a 1:21 to play and momentum on their side.

Finally, Rochester tied the game at 53-53 with 1:01 left when Klotz split a pair of freebies, but free throws haunted the Falcons all night.

Klotz gave Rochester a 54-53 advantage with 25 seconds left when he split two more from free lunch, but the Falcons were only 6-for-12 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter and 2-for-6 in the final 1:01.

After Blake Wiesemann’s outlet pass to Alex Jones was converted for a layup with nine seconds left to put Stoney Creek back up, 55-54, Rochester attacked the basket on its final possession with Kurt Apostal being fouled and sent to the line with 4.1 seconds remaining.

Apostal missed both foul shots, setting up the controversial final seconds. On the play, Stoney Creek’s Tyler Curtis apparently tapped the ball out of the paint and the ball sailed out of bounds. The clock was never restarted on the play and Stoney Creek was awarded the ball back, still with 4.1 ticks left.

With only five fouls, Rochester did not have enough time to get two fouls, send Stoney Creek to the foul line and get the ball back, giving the Cougars its long overdue postseason victory.

The win also avenged a loss to Rochester on a buzzer-beater last month and a loss to the Falcons in the regular-season finale last season.

“(The officials) thought the ball was off us. … I had no idea, I was hoping for a jump ball,” said Pleasant, who blamed poor play and not officiating on his team’s semifinal exit.

“Defensively in the first half, we weren’t very good,” added Pleasant. “The rebounding in the second half was just as bad.”

It was a typical rivalry game, where neither team could build a lead of more than seven points throughout the contest.

Rochester led 14-13, with Stoney Creek battling back with a 16-13 run in the second quarter for a 29-27 halftime advantage. The Cougars outscored the Falcons 18-15 in the third frame to set up a wild fourth quarter.

Taylor Perry scored a game-high 25 points with 11 rebounds for Rochester. Klotz added 16 points, five rebounds and four assists and Paris Periera chipped in with 10 points, four rebounds and three steals for Rochester.

“It hurts, for sure. But I told the guys that one game does not define their season,” added Pleasant. “They did a lot of things for Rochester that hasn’t been done in a long time.”

Stoney Creek will have to pass through its neighboring other rival Rochester Adams if it is to win the school’s first-ever basketball district crown, boys or girls. The Highlanders swept Stoney Creek this season, including a 30-point blowout last month.

Norgrove felt that even with al-out effort, his Cougars needed a lucky bounce or two at the end to help get them over the preseason hump.

“We wanted to go after their shooters on the perimeter, so we went to a three-two zone,” said Norgvoe. “(Apostal) slipped right him, a credit to him for making a nice cut. Fortunately for us, he didn’t convert. That kid plays hard and I know that’s not an easy situation to be in (on the foul line at the end).”

Curtis finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and three assists for Stoney Creek. Taylor Rawlings added 12 points, nine rebounds, three blocked shots and three assists and Jones made a trio of three-pointers and scored a team-high 17 points for the Cougars. All three are seniors and the only players that saw significant minutes a year ago at Stoney Creek.

Jones scored six of his team’s eight points in the fourth quarter, while Rawlings added the other two points off a steal at midcourt and a dunk that gave Stoney Creek a 53-50 lead with 2:18 to play.

“Alex Jones is our emotional leader and physical leader and the guys really look to him and lean on him. He really stepped up at times tonight and controlled the offense. He controlled what he was doing. He’s played a lot of basketball. He’s a well-seasoned basketball player.

“I’m really proud of our seniors for stepping up,” added Norgrove. “It’s been rough. But we are trying to establish something and this is our first season here as a staff. Now, we get to play for a district championship.”

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Category: High School, Prep Wraps, Rochester, Rochester Stoney Creek