BOYS BASKETBALL: Lahser advances to regional finals with win over upset-minded Athens
NOTE: Have photos or video of this event you would like to share with digital daily www.northoaklandsports.com? Email pertinent information to results@northoaklandsports.com or to Senior Editor Dan Stickradt at Dan.Stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
WEST BLOOMFIELD — Three times before in its 44-year history, Bloomfield Hills Lahser has reached the regional finals. Now, as the school is in its final year before its merger with Bloomfield Hills Andover, the Knights will make a final return trip.
Lahser earned the right via Monday’s 70-61 victory over upstart Troy Athens in the Class A regional semifinals at West Bloomfield High School.
The Knights (18-6) lost in the regional semifinals last season but have not been to the Sweet 16 since 2000. Lahser also reached the same destination in 1976 and 1977, but have never won a regional title.
Rochester and Mr. Basketball finalist James Young will take on Lahser at 6 p.m. Wednesday for the regional championship, also at West Bloomfield.
“I don’t know for sure, but I know it’s been a long time,” admitted Lahser coach Duane Graves of reaching the regional finals. “We’re just glad to be playing for the regional championship. Last year we lost to Lake Orion (in the regional semifinals) where we kind of fell apart.”
Lahser defeated Athens early in the season, although the sophomore-laden Red Hawks are a team on the rise after a subpar regular season. Athens (6-17) ended the regular season at 4-16 but emerged as the Cinderella team in the Class A tournament thanks to its surprising district title run last week.
Athens’ improved play kept the Red Hawks in the running, but the experienced Knights won out in the end.
“The kids played great (in the second half),” praised Graves. “When you’ve beaten a team by 20 points earlier in the season and you have to come back and beat them again, (it’s tough). I’m telling you that Troy Athens team is good. They’re going to be a team to be reckoned with because they’re so young.
DRIVE BY: Bloomfield Hills Lahser junior guard Khalil Gracey slips past Troy Athens sophomore guard Tim Shayoka during Monday’s A regional semifinals. Courtesy Photo | Ken Swart, Swart Photography
Athens coach Dave Scott had mixed emotions following the game. He is sad that his team’s run came to an end, but is excited for a bright future. Athens carried seven sophomores and four juniors this season and will only lose three seniors.
“I thought we played great and we had every intention on going out there and trying to win this game,” said Scott. “We did a good job of staying in this game. They just found a way to pull (ahead) in the second half. I am very proud of the way our team played in the postseason.
“We were hoping to get away with this and play on Wednesday and bring the first regional title for our school back, but it was a growing experience,” continued Scott. “Hopefully it’s something we can build upon. I can’t say enough about the turnaround our kids have had in the last couple weeks. I know we shocked some people.”
The Knights found themselves in a nip-and-tuck game in the first half, where they built a narrow 33-31 advantage at the break. Lahser used 21-14 edge in the third quarter to build a 54-45 cushion and held the Red Hawks at bay down the stretch.
Athens closed to within 68-61 late but ran out of time.
Jeff Koch, Athens’ 6-8 senior center, finished 15 points, four rebounds and three blocked shots. Sophomore Tim Shayoka added 13 points, junior guard Michael Williams followed with13 points, seven assists and three steals and senior guard Ethan Badertscher added 12 points, all coming off three-pointers, for the Red Hawks.
Yante Maten, a 6-9 junior center and Division I college recruit, led Lahser with 24 points, 13 rebounds, five blocked shots and four steals. Junior guard Armand Cartwright chipped in with 23 points and five assists and junior guard Khahil Gracey added 19 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals for the Knights.
Athens led 5-2 early before Lahser gutted out a 16-14 lead by the end of the first quarter. The Red Hawks led by as many as six points (22-16) at the 6:02 mark of the second stanza before Lahser bounced back with a 17-9 run to close the quarter and grab the lead for good.
Maten said that he and his teammates need to have better starts if they are to advance further than any other team in school history.
“We realized we were still playing dry (in the first half),” said Maten. “Sometimes we start out slow and that happened again today. We can’t do that anymore, not in the tournament.”
To submit information to www.northoaklandsports.com, e-mail dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com. To advertise, e-mail advertising@northoaklandsports.com . Follow us on Twitter @LocalSportsFans and more than a dozen other social media networks.
FOR MORE BASKETBALL COVERAGE: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Basketball&x=13&y=12
Have photos or video of this event that you wish to share? E-mail pertinent information to www.northoaklandsports.com Senior Editor Dan Stickradt at dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com or e-mail results@northoaklandsports.com.
Category: Featured Articles, High School, High School (M-Z), Most Recently Updated Stories, Prep Wraps, Top Stories, Troy Athens, Uncategorized
