BOYS BASKETBALL: Morenci holds off Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes to reach ‘D’ state finals
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.Stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFams
EAST LANSING — Nick Robak was placed in a difficult predicament Thursday night.
Convert three free throws with 0.6 seconds left on the clock to earn overtime or see a brilliant boys basketball season come to an end.
The 6-foot-3 senior made his first two foul shots, although his final shot rimmed out and Morenci rebounded the ball to run out the clock.
The result was Morenci, which did not even garner a single vote in the final Associated Press regular season poll, posting a 53-52 upset over third-ranked Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes in a Class D state semifinals at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center.
Morenci (24-2), playing in its very first Final Four, will play for state title at 10 a.m. Saturday, also at the Breslin Center, against top-ranked Powers North Central (26-0).
It was the first and only loss of the season Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes (25-1).
“I cannot put it all on Nick. The game was lost in the first 31 minutes and 59.4 seconds,” sighed WOLL coach Paul Robak. “We had our chances. We didn’t shoot the ball particularly well. I don’t know how many layups we missed and we made only 6-of-14 free throws.”
The pesky Bulldogs, who shot just 39 percent from the floor (16-for-61), converted 14-of-19 free throws in the game and made 7-of-18 three-pointers. Morenci did not field a player over 6-foot-3 but blocked out well and forced the Lakers out of their normal rhythm.
“This, as a coach, is what you hope for. But then again, you wonder if its ever going to happen,” said Morenci coach Jim Bauer. “We found a way to win another basketball game. What an accomplishment it is for these kids. We have never been to the semifinals. The last time we even won a regional was 1954.”
Still, Morenci had to play through an intense final minute before escaping with a one-point win and a berth in the state finals.
“As a coach you tell your kids not to foul but on the other hand you want your kids to play their best,” added Bauer. “We got him in the corner and they said he fouled them. I was already thinking in my head how to regroup our kids if there was an overtime. Thankfully we did not have to play overtime.”
WOLL trailed at the half only one time this season and led just once against Morenci.
“I don’t think we were used to that (coming from behind). I think it may have taken out some of our legs,” noted Nick Robak.
Morenci led 13-5 at the end of the first quarter, 22-15 at the half and 37-34 through three e quarters of play.
Our Lady of the Lakes took its first lead of the game when Robak swished a jumper with 7:08 remaining in the fourth quarter to put Lakes up 38-37. Morenci followed with a 7-0 run for a 44-38 advantage with 3:58 left.
Lakes stayed within six points down the stretch and Robak’s three-pointer with eight seconds remaining cut the deficit down to 53-50.
Following a steal from Andrew Kline, the Lakers got the ball in the corner to Robak, who was fouled trying to launch a game-tying three-pointer. He was unable to bail his team out of the hole.
Alex Thomas led Morenci with 19 points and seven rebounds. Tucker Stover added nine pointers, while Austin Sandusky contributed seven points and five boards and Bobby Black seven points and four rebounds for the Bulldogs.
Robak bowed out of his high school career with a game-high 21 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Clay Senerius added nine points and 11 rebounds and Kline scored 12 for the Lakers, who were making their third appearance in the Final Four and first since 1993.
Category: Basketball, Featured Articles, High School, High School (M-Z), Most Recently Updated Stories, NOS reference, Prep Wraps, Sport, Top Stories, Uncategorized, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes
This was a really intense game. Hopefully everyone will understand what a fantastic season Waterford Our Lady has had and will not define Robak or the team by one free throw.
Here is an article about the team Morenci will be playing!
http://thebleacherdenizen.blogspot.com/2015/03/fulton-vs-powers-north-central-boys.html