Hillsdale Academy boys basketball cruises into region final
MENDON — Inevitably, one Hillsdale County team was to be eliminated from the regional round of the boys basketball MHSAA state tournament on Tuesday. The other would move on and play for a Division 4, Region 30 title.
The Hillsdale Academy Colts earned that bid with a 54-34 victory over Pittsford.
It was an all-around team effort from the Colts, who used a balanced offense to put the Wildcats in catch-up mode early on. Six different Colts scored in the first quarter, and senior Dominic Scharer and his younger brother, Dawson Scharer, had eight and seven points respectively in the first half. Junior Mikey Plemons scored six points.
The Wildcats knocked down two triples in the first eight minutes, one from Anthony Governo and another from Mason Payne. Governo knocked down another triple in the second quarter.
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The Wildcats trailed 30-17 at halftime and Gavyn Carden knocked in a triple to cut the deficit to 10, but the Colts' defense continued to force turnovers and weren't threatened.
Andrew Spigel scored 10 of his team-high 13 points in the second half, while Dominic Scharer had 11, Dawson Scharer nine, Plemmons eight and Jay Jenkins seven.
Carden led the Wildcats with seven points. Governo, Payne and Alexander Logan all had six points. Jake Drawe had five points.
If tough offensive night to end the season on, but the Wildcats as a team made significant strides throughout the regular season that paved the way for a district championship run.
After starting the year 0-3, the Wildcats ended at 15-10 overall and 9-5 in the SCAA East. They lost just one game in January, and their district title run saw them defeat a Jackson Christian team that bested them twice in the regular season.
After two trips to the finals that came up short, the Wildcats managed to win a defensive slugfest against their rivals in Waldron for a district championship. A senior class that includes Gavyn Carden, Legend Gore, Ryan Evener, Bryce Williams, Mason Payne, Landon Governo, Lane Lewis and Brady Hartman also led the football team to their first playoff berth since 2020, and back-to-back winning seasons in their first two years as an 8-player program.
"We will miss this group of seniors," Pittsford coach Mike Burger said. "They are great kids, and we are very proud of them."
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MHSAA Region 30 Championship Preview
Hillsdale Academy (21-4) faces St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic in the Region 30 title game in Mendon on Thursday at 7 p.m.
St. Joseph (18-5) advanced with a 49-43 win over Marcellus Howardsville Christian in a 49-43 final. The Lakers trailed after each of the first three quarters before taking the lead in the middle of the fourth quarter, using free throws to pull away in the closing stages.
The main scoring threats for the Lakers are Owen McLoughlin and Matt Lage. Lage had 50 points in their district title run. McLoughlin led the team with 23 in the regional semifinal. His brother, Eli McLoughlin, will also be a scoring threat.
The Lakers will try to make up for their lack of size with their shooting ability. The Colts have faced teams similar to the Lakers this season, but coach Zach Miller says that at this point in the season every team is battle tested and they'll have to play solid defense against both guards, and limiting turnovers will be a major key.
"We will have to be really solid on the defensive end handling their guards," Miller said. "Rebounding the basketball and limiting turnovers will be keys. We’re excited that we get to play one more game."
The Colts are aiming for their first regional title since 2018, when the team beat Adrian Lenawee Christian 56-49 and proceeded to make a run to the Class D semifinals.
Tickets for all MHSAA postseason tournament games must be purchased online. You can buy tickets at GoFan.
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This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Hillsdale Academy basketball rolls past Pittsford in Region 30 semifinals
