BY WENDI REARDON PRICE
Clarkston News Sports Writer
The Wolves finished the annual Chad Tough Night with a loss but in the end made a big win for the Chad Tough Foundation.
“The atmosphere tonight was great,” said Clarkston Boys Varsity Basketball Head Coach Tim Wasilk. “We had a great crowd tonight. It was a great effort by both teams.”
With nine seconds left in the game, Rochester Adams made a 2-point throw to take the lead, 61-59.
Clarkston fans anxiously paused as senior Wolf Keegan Wasilk made one last throw before time ended. It didn’t make the basket and Highlanders took the game in the OAA Red match up.
“They made a lot of big shots,” said Coach Wasilk. “I thought their point guard did a heck of a job controlling the game on the offensive end. He was tough to guard. He was tough to stop.

“Our guys did a pretty good job,” he added. “Effort wise I was happy with the way we played. We executed really well in the second half in particular offensively. Just didn’t get it done. They made a big play at the end and we didn’t. Sometimes that’s kind of how it works. It’s a little tougher to make big plays at the end of the game. We are going to have a lot of close games this year. It’s something we have become accustomed to a little bit. We have had a couple three point games we pulled out and a couple games earlier in the year we lost that were tight. So we just have to find a way make plays and get it down.”
It was a battle from the start of the game as both teams fought for control of the scoreboard.
The Highlanders finished the first quarter with a 11-9 lead.
Senior Zach Austin tied the score to open the next quarter. Senior Keegan Wasilk sank a 3-pointer and sophomore Brody Kosin scored two points as the Wolves took a 16-11 lead.
Both teams scored 15 more points in the quarter as Clarkston finished the first half with a 31-26 lead.
Rochester Adams closed in during the third stanza and with two 3-pointers from Gunnar Walters, the score was tied 20-20.
What happened next was a 3-pointer frenzy with a pair of field goals from both senior Nate Steinman and the Highlanders, finishing with a 46-46 tie.
Before the third quarter closed, Steinman scored one basket and Kosin had one point from the free throw line to put the Wolves up, 49-48.
Wasilk added it was a good game as the team finishes the second half of the season and prepares for playoffs.
“Anytime you play a tough game like this it puts you in a situation with a game on the line atmosphere, playoff atmosphere game,” he said. “They are all good games. When you are put in this situation it’s great.”
Steinman had 20 points with three 3-pointers and five rebounds. Keegan Wasilk had 17 points, six rebounds and six assists. Kosin had ten points, ten rebounds and three assists.
“Steinman got a little hot in the second half,” said Wasilk. “Keegan had a nice floor game. Brody did some really good things inside and hit some good buckets for us. Zach and Cavanaugh (Diton) were pretty steady for us. We got some good guys off the bench as well. Just have to find ways to win.”
The Wolves (8-3, 3-2 OAA Red) opened the week at Ferndale on Tuesday.
They head to North Farmington on Friday
“It’s pretty tough competitive league games against really good teams in our league,” Wasilk said. “Again, it will be two really good tests for us. They have some big players on their team, well-coached.”
They are home against Birmingham Groves on Monday. JV plays at 5:30 p.m., varsity follows.