BOYS BASKETBALL: Rochester Adams pulls away from Rochester Stoney Creek for district title
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
ROCHESTER HILLS — Defense can often win championships.
It sure has aided Rochester Adams this year.
Members of the OAA Red Division each of the past two seasons, the Highlanders used their experience of playing a brutally-tough schedule to their advantage, and posted on e of its best defensive efforts of the year Friday with a 48-36 victory over visiting rival Rochester Stoney Creek.
The Highlanders defeated the Cougars 66-63 on the same court earlier this season.
Senior guard Spencer Littleson, a top 10 Mr. Basketball finalist, led Adams with 23 points. Classmate Joey Zinitti added nine points and 6-foot-8 senior David Rinke followed with eighth points for the Highlanders (17-5).
“This is our fourth (district) since I’ve been here,” said Adams coach John Hall. “We last won a district in 2011 when we reached the regional finals.”
Adams will face Ortonville Brandon, a 59-36 winner over Grand Blanc on Friday, in the regional semifinals. Brandon captured its first district title since 1993.
Adams led 12-7 after the first quarter and 26-24 at the half.
Stoney Creek outscored the Highlanders 10-7 to earn a 34-33 lead entering the fourth quarter. Adams turned off the lights on the Cougars in the fourth frame, outscoring Stoney Creek 15-2 in the fourth quarter while yielding only two free throws.
“Our defense was great in the fourth quarter. We turned it up and only allowed them to make two free throws,” said Hall. “It was a grind it out type of game, a dogfight for three quarters. We played one of our best defensive quarters in the fourth tonight. We contested everything. They were 50 percent, 6-for-12 (on three pointers) in the first half but only 3-for-23 in the second half.”
Stoney Creek, the OAA Blue Division champions, finished a school all-time best 19-3. Senior Ben Reiter scored 15 for the Cougars.
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