Mount Pleasant’s boys basketball team will be playing in the Class A state semifinals later this week. The Oilers secured their spot in the final four with a 69-39 win over Howell in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Mount Pleasant was up 16-6 after the first quarter, 38-19 at halftime and 54-28 after the third quarter. Jaleel Hogan had 21 points, Aaron Leasher 15 points and T.J. Johnson had 12 points to lead Mount Pleasant.

 

Wayland’s basketball season came to an end Tuesday in the Class B state quarterfinals with a 62-53 loss to Midland. Wayland trailed 9-5 after the first quarter and 29-16 at halftime. Wayland was outscored 37-33 in the second half. Lacey James had 16 points and six rebounds while very Hudson had 16 points while Dilon Aten put in 13 points for Wayland.

 

Goodrich’s season ended with a 39-28 loss to Detroit Douglass in the Class B quarterfinals on Tuesday at Marysville. Goodrich was up 12-9 after the first quarter but trailed 20-18 at halftime and was outscored 19-10 in the second half. Grant Smith scored nine points and Jaylin Fordham had seven for Goodrich.

 

The season is over for Flint Beecher following a 42-41 loss to Pewamo-Westphalia on Tuesday night in Class C quarterfinal boys basketball action. It was tied 11-11 after the first quarter and Beecher led 26-18 at halftime and found itself in a 28-28 tie after the third quarter. P-W had a 14-13 advantage in the final quarter. Amariontez Ivory scored 11 points for Flint Beecher and Tommy Johnson added 10 points and Sammie Tons had nine points for Beecher.

Pewamo-Westphalia rallied in the fourth quarter for a 42-41 come-from-behind victory against Flint Beecher in Class C quarterfinal boys basketball action Tuesday night. It was tied 11-11 after the first quarter and Beecher led 26-18 at halftime and found itself in a 28-28 tie after the third quarter. P-W had a 14-13 advantage in the final quarter.

 

Nick Spitzley scored 18 points while Lane Simon had 11 points and Adam Wesley had seven points for P-W.

Frankfort ended Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart’s season with a 47-44 victory Tuesday night in Class D quarterfinal action at Cadillac. Sacred Heart was down 15-8 after the first quarter, 23-20 at halftime and 30-28 after the third quarter.

 

David Loney had 22 points for Frankfort while Brandon Schaub had 16 points and Connor Bradley had nine.

Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart’s boys basketball season ended with a 47-44 loss to Frankfort Tuesday night in Class D quarterfinal action at Cadillac. Sacred Heart was down 15-8 after the first quarter, 23-20 at halftime and 30-28 after the third quarter. 

 

Brooks Hyble led the Irish with 19 points while Kevin Gamble added 12 points and Ben Goenner had 10. Only four Irish players scored in the game.

 

Cadillac outscored Big Rapids 11-5 in overtime to post a 55-49 victory on Tuesday in a Class B state quarterfinal game at Ferris State. Big Rapids ended its season at 20-5 while Cadillac is 19-6 as it goes to the semifinals Friday night. Big Rapids led 9-5 after the first quarter and 24-23 at half-time but trailed 38-32 after the third quarter. It was tied 44-44 after the fourth quarter. Jalen Brooks had 27 points and 11 rebounds to lead Cadillac while Justin Liptak added five points.

Big Rapids’ boys basketball season for the second straight year ended at 0-5 with a 55-49 overtime loss Tuesday Class B state quarterfinals to Cadillac at Ferris State University.

Big Rapids led 9-5 after the first quarter an 24-23 at half-time but trailed 38-32 after the third quarter. It was tied 44-44 after the fourth quarter. Cadillac had an 11-5 scoring advantage in the overtime. Quinn Tyson had 21 points while Demetri Martin had 12 rebounds for Big Rapids which ended its season at 20-5.

By BUTCH HARMON

OWOSSO – They don’t call it March Madness for nothing.

Trailing by four points with 10 seconds remaining in the game, the Pewamo-Westphalia Pirates stunned Flint Beecher with five straight points to claim a 42-41 victory in the Class C state quarterfinals at Owosso.

“It’s just unbelievable,” Pewamo-Westphalia coach Luke Pohl said. “To accomplish this in this kind of atmosphere is unbelievable. I just told the kids to keep on playing and not quit. My guys just would not quit. I’m speechless. I can’t beleive it. The guys never quit, they just kept believing.”

Trailing 41-37 with 10 seconds remaining in the game, Pewamo-Westphalia’s Kyle Nurenberg drained a three-point shot to cut the Beecher lead to a single point. On the inbounds play, Pirate senior Nick Spitzley stole the ball in the corner off a trap and then drove in for a layup that gave Pewamo-Westphalia a 42-41 lead with 4.1 secondss remaining in the game.

“Coach just told us to keep playing,” Spitzley said. “He told us to keep playing and that our time would come.  We doubled them in the corner and they threw a lazy pass. I grabbed it and went in and laid it in.”

Beecher tried a desperation half-court heave with second seconds remaining but the ball fall well short setting off a wild Pirate celebration.

“I’ve been coaching for 17 years and we finally made it to the Breslin,” Pohl said. “We’ve made it to the quarterfinals twice. This time we finally made it. I’m so proud of these guys. They never quit.”

Pewamo-Westphalia jumped out to an early 7-2 lead in the game before Beecher battled back to tie the game at 11-11 at the end of the first quarter.

Beecher took command of the game late in the second quarter when the Bucs hits three consecutive three-point shots as they went up 26-18 at halftime.

Pewamo-Westphalia began to chip away at the deficit early in the third quarter. Lane Simon scored the first eight Pirate points of the second half to help the Pirates tie the game at 28-28 by the end of the third quarter.

Beecher regained the lead in the fourth quarter and was up 36-31 midway through the fourth quarter before the Pirates made one final charge.

Spitzley led the Pewamo-Westphalia offense with 18 points while Simon added 11 points. Adam Wesley finished with seven points and Nurenberg added four points.