Beecher Survives on Last-Second Shot
March 24, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
EAST LANSING – There wasn’t much for Flint Beecher coach Mike Williams to enjoy as he watched Detroit Loyola shred his team’s 15-point lead over the final 14 minutes of Thursday's Class C Semifinal.
But there was one thing he could applaud; his players stayed up when another team, a much less accomplished or experienced team, might have lost its edge.
Junior Malik Ellison believed the reigning MHSAA champ would still end up advancing to Saturday. And he backed it up with the season on the line.
With the Bucs trailing by two points and five seconds to play, Ellison took a handoff from a teammate of an inbounds pass, and with no way to get to the basket, drilled a 3-pointer from five feet behind the arc to give Beecher a 60-59 win as the final second ticked off the clock.
“In practice we run that play all the time,” said Ellison, who also started on last season’s championship team. “(Coach) gives us a situation, like we’re down two and we’ve got to get a bucket. At first on my pump fake, I was like, should I pass? Then I saw (the defender) jump, got a little angle with my arm, and knew it was going in. I felt it.
“Every day I go in the gym, either the Y or I stay after practice, and it’s shots like that just for times like this. I just pulled it through today.”
Beecher (24-2), ranked No. 2 heading into the postseason, will take on Grandville Calvin Christian in Saturday’s Final at 4:30 p.m.
But the Bucs’ attempt to win a fourth Class C title in five seasons looked to be done when Loyola added the final two points of a 24-8 run on sophomore Pierre Mitchell’s two free throws with 47 seconds remaining.
They made the score 59-55 in the Bulldogs’ favor, and junior Jordan Roland’s bucket with 26 seconds left drew Beecher to only within two. Loyola then missed a pair of free throws with 12 seconds to play, but on the ensuing possession managed to deflect Beecher’s first pass after reaching midcourt out of bounds – setting up the dramatic final five seconds.
After receiving the handoff from senior Aquavius Burks on the wing to the left of the basket, Ellison took one dribble left before jutting back right – he had to a shoot a 3-pointer, as Mitchell gave him no opening to the basket and time was nearly gone. Tilted a bit to the right, Ellison floated a shot that dropped as the clock expired.
“What can I say? Wow. What an incredible ending,” Williams said. “I thought we got a little complacent once we got the lead, and that’s the first time we’ve turned the ball over as many times (18) as we did all year.
“But one thing about this team and what it’s shown all season, is resiliency, poise and composure in the face of elimination. … I wasn’t proud that we gave up the lead, but after we gave up the lead it was all positive in the huddle. (And) Malik said, ‘We’ve got this.’”
Beecher had trailed Flint Hamady by five points with 40 seconds to play in the District opener before winning 68-62. The Bucs then trailed Southfield Christian by 13 points with nine minutes to play in the Regional Final before coming back for a 78-65 victory.
So trailing late wasn’t new, and neither was the atmosphere at Breslin Center, Beecher’s late-season home most of this decade.
“It helps with the coaching staff, and it helps with the players,” Williams said. “I remember coming here back in 2003, and one of the first things I noticed is the ball bounced a little different on this floor. The atmosphere is a little different than playing in a gym. When you come down here for the first time … you noticed in the first half that Loyola had a hard time adjusting to shooting the basketball. They were shooting the basketball a whole lot better once they got adjusted to the depth perception.”
In fact, Loyola did shoot 29 percent from the floor during the first half and 42 percent during the second, while Beecher was more consistent and finished at 48 percent for the game.
Bulldogs senior Ernest Adams and sophomore Keith Johnson especially found their shots over the comeback run, Adams making all three of his 3-pointers and scoring 11 of his team-high 15 points during the stretch and Johnson making both of his 3-pointers over the final 4:10.
“The bigger thing is what has happened all year for us; these guys played for each other,” Loyola coach John Buscemi said. “Once a few (shots) went, everyone got energized – the guys in the game, the guys on the bench. We love each other, we’re a family, and we just feed off of that. And I think we did tonight."
Adams also had 10 rebounds for Loyola (21-6) and Johnson finished with 10 points. Senior Romari Ennis had 12 points.
Burks had a game-high 22 points for Beecher making 6 of 7 shots from the floor and all seven of his free throws. Ellison had 11 points and senior Jamari Thomas-Newell had 12 points.
The Boys Basketball Finals are presented by Sparrow Health System.
PHOTO: Beecher players embrace Malik Ellison after his game-winning shot Thursday. (Middle) Loyola’s Pierre Mitchell works to get a shot up while surrounded by Beecher defenders.
St. Mary's Sharp in Breslin Return, Rides Strong Shooting to Semifinals Win
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
March 15, 2024
EAST LANSING – Orchard Lake St. Mary’s is within a step of finishing off a year-long mission.
With Friday's impressive 82-42 Division 1 Semifinal win over Ann Arbor Huron, the Eaglets find themselves on the doorstep of wiping out last year's disappointment at the Breslin Center.
It's a disappointment that none of the returning players has forgotten, junior Trey McKenney said.
"We've been on a mission all year," McKenney said of playing in Saturday's 12:15 p.m. championship game. "We've taken it one day at a time all year. The last time we were on the biggest stage, we were hurt. Now we just want to get the job done."
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (26-1) fell to Muskegon 65-42 in last year's Semifinal, a game in which the Eaglets shot only 26 percent from the field. It was a complete reversal Friday as they hit 52.7 percent (29 of 55) from the floor, including nine of 18 3-point attempts.
St. Mary’s, which upped its winning streak to 23 games, was in little jeopardy against Huron (22-5). The Eaglets scored 14 of the game's first 17 points, increased their lead to 39-17 at the half and 57-29 at the end of three quarters.
St. Mary’s junior Jayden Savoury said taking last year's playoff run two steps further has been on players' minds all season.
"It's something that's been preached all season," he said. "We came up short last year, and all the accolades and awards don't mean anything because what you remember is a state championship."
McKenney led the team Friday with 20 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Senior guard Daniel Smythe had 18 points and Savoury 14 points and eight rebounds.
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s coach Todd Covert said the quick start was key. Whereas the team made just six field goals in the first half against Muskegon a year ago, the Eaglets shot 50 percent from the floor in the first half against Huron, with seven 3-pointers.
"We tried to get out as fast as we could," Covert said. "We executed well and got the ball into (McKenney and Smythe’s) hands early. We had to be physical to get through their screens on defense. I thought we had a solid effort defensively; we tried to get in the gaps and eliminate space.”
After making the Semifinals a year ago, Eaglets players say they've been aware of having a target on their backs. The team hasn't lost since a 60-55 decision against Detroit U-D Jesuit in the fourth game of the season.
The fact they have typically battled opponents' best showings has actually worked for the team, McKenney said.
"There is a target because of last year's run," he said. "But we don't care. You don't win without having the best players in the state. We embrace pressure."
"We've been No. 1 all year, and people bring their best against us," Savoury said. "We think we have the best team, now we just have to prove it."
Huron coach Mohammad Kasham, whose team had won its MHSAA Tournament games by an average of three points per, said there is little doubt the Eaglets are a power. The game plan included playing a zone defense to offset St. Mary’s perimeter shooters.
"We ran into a buzzsaw," he said. "We picked the worst day of the year to have our worst shooting night. We missed a lot of shots we've made all season. We could never get on a run. We were outplayed and outcoached.
"Give them a lot of credit; they made the shots. We tried to be the best version of ourselves, and we didn't."
Macari Moore had 11 points for Huron.
PHOTOS (Top) Sharod Barnes (0) makes a move into the lane during Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Semifinal win Friday at Breslin Center. (Middle) St. Mary’s Trey McKenney (1) gets up a shot as Huron’s Macari Moore defends. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)