The NFL is trying to trademark the phrase ‘The Big Game.?
They better check with Lake Orion and Clarkston first.
The Dragons and Wolves met in front of more than 3,500 fans at LOHS on Friday night, and, for the second straight year, Clarkston prevailed in a tight district final, this time by a 54-47 score.
‘It’s like a heavyweight fight, two people just standing in the middle and swinging,? Clarkston Coach Dan Fife said. ‘This game is everybody’s best shot.?
‘I think each team saw a little of themselves,? Lake Orion Coach Jim Manzo said. ‘They play a lot like we do and I think, at times, we play a lot like they do. The rivalry is there because of that measure.?
With the score tied at 37, the Wolves took the lead for good by hitting a pair of free throws on consecutive trips, sandwiched around a steal by Kevin Badgley on the defensive end.
Badgley, who limited Lake Orion’s Drew Maynard to 14 points on 5-of-17 shooting, said he wanted the assignment of defending the Dragons? best player.
‘He’s their big time player,? Badgley said. ‘I just wanted to stay in front of him. If he can’t get to the basket, then it’s tough for him to score.?
Fife said putting Badgley on the opposing team’s top player was a move he made after the Wolves 51-43 loss to Orion in December.
‘After the Orion game, we said anybody that’s not a guard, we’re going to put Badgley on them,? he said.
Badgley chipped in eight points as part of Clarkston’s balanced scoring attack. Oliver Kupe and Andy Lyons each scored 11, while usual leading scorers Dan Owens and Bren Bergquist combined for 16 points, all but one of which came after halftime.
After making just four of nine free throw attempts through three quarters, the Wolves made 15-of-18 from the charity stripe in the fourth.
‘That’s a characteristic of Dan’s teams,? Manzo said. ‘They make their free throws down the stretch when it counts.?
Trailing by as many as five in the third quarter, the Dragons tied the game early in the fourth on a Ross Tonyan three-pointer.
Lake Orion re-tied the game on two more occasions in the final stanza, but could never regain the lead. The final score was the largest lead for either team.
Cole Moore finished his career with 17 points and seven rebounds, while Tonyan added 14 points, six assists and five rebounds, and was the team’s best player in the second half while battling a pair of injuries (back and ankle).
‘You saw a senior that didn’t want his career to end,? Manzo said. ‘He really gutted it out.?
Both teams made 18 field goals on the night, with the Wolves doing so on seven fewer attempts (46 vs. 39). Clarkston shot just 1-of-11 from three-point range, but the Dragons weren’t much better at 2-of-15.
Clarkston’s best perimeter shooter, Owens, missed on all five of his long-range attempts.
‘I knew it would be a struggle for Danny because they always do a good job on him,? Fife said.
‘We thought if we could contain Owens, we’d probably beat them,? Manzo said. ‘But they had some guys step up.?
One of those players was Lyons, a reserve guard.
‘That little guy really brings an added dimension to their team,? Manzo said.
‘Lyons has had a tough senior year,? Fife noted. ‘But he really is the key to our team.?
‘You’re not going to be very good unless you’ve got good guard play,? he added.
The Dragons had some good guard play of their own, as pressure defense between the two teams forced a combined 19 first half turnovers.
But Clarkston committed just one turnover in the final quarter and the referees? whistles caught up with LO.
‘We had Joe (Barnes), Ross and Drew in foul trouble,? Manzo said. ‘Our three most experienced kids.?
Clarkston made their free throws count and will battle on against Lakeland in regional play this week at Grand Blanc.
It’s the 14th straight district title for the Wolves, with their last loss coming against Romeo in 1993.
‘It’s amazing,? Badgley said. ‘Knowing that we’ve won so many in a row, you just don’t want to be the team that ends it.?
Clarkston improved to 19-3, while Lake Orion’s season ends at 17-6.
‘It goes to show you how hard it is to win one,? Manzo said. ‘And they’re pretty good at it.?
The coach added that he is still very proud of the season his players put forth.
‘We got bumped up a division and ran the table in our league,? Manzo said.
‘For the eight guys that have been here for two years, we’ve won 36 games,? Manzo said. ‘That’s not too shabby.?
Prior to the Clarkston game, the Dragons routed Oxford 58-28 in a district semifinal on Wednesday night.
Already up by 10, the Dragons used a 15-2 run to close out the first half and take a 36-13 advantage.
Their defense held the Wildcats without a field goal over most of the second and third quarters, a span that saw Oxford miss 20 consecutive shots from the field.
‘I think our defense is getting better and better,? Coach Jim Manzo said. ‘I think we’re playing as a team and we’re playing better at the right time.?
The Dragons made six of their 12 first half three-point attempts, getting two each from Joe Barnes and Drew Maynard and one from both Tom Madigan and Ross Tonyan.
‘We do have some kids that when you leave them alone they can shoot the ball well,? Manzo said. ‘But when the lights go on and you throw the ball up, you don’t know if they’re going to go in.?
Oxford, on the other hand, missed all 18 of their long range attempts on the night.
‘I wish we could have hit some shots,? Coach Steve Laidlaw said. ‘I think the game would have been different.?
‘We shot something like 17 percent,? he added. ‘But hats off to Lake Orion. That’s a nice ball club.?
Maynard scored 17 of his game-high 20 points in the first half for Lake Orion, spending most of the second half on the bench due to the lopsided score.
The Dragons played the entire fourth quarter with a lineup that featured four players seeing their first significant varsity action.
Freshman Anthony Fields, scored nine points for the Dragons and led the unit that featured freshman Derek Coe, Vinnie Booker and Alex Mayo, all of whom scored their first varsity points. Niklas Rippon, who spent the season as Lake Orion’s team manager, blocked three shots in his first action.
‘I thought they played like Orion basketball,? Manzo said. ‘They shared the ball, they went to the basket and it was fun to watch.?
Chris Keenist and Adam Peterson led the Wildcats (5-16) with seven points apiece.