Jacobson, Cherwinski shine in an emotional win for St. Mary over Onaway
GAYLORD ― Gaylord St. Mary boys basketball went into the holiday break on a bit of a losing streak, falling in back-to-back Ski Valley Conference matchups with Bellaire and Mancelona in the final weeks of 2023.
The Snowbirds wasted no time getting back on track in 2024.
Hosting previously undefeated Onaway, GSM battled through an emotional rollercoaster of a game for an eventual 55-44 victory, helping to reinsert the Snowbirds into the conference title race.
Here are takeaways from a battle at Monsignor Kaminski Gymnasium on Wednesday night:
Jacobson shines in critical game for GSM
Wednesday's matchup mas massively important to GSM, for multiple reasons.
The first was obvious; riding a two-game losing streak and falling out of contention for an SVC title, the Snowbirds desperately needed a win against Onaway, one of the final unbeaten SVC teams entering 2024, to stay in the hunt.
However, the game against Onaway took on special importance as an emotional game at GSM last season, one that ended in a Cardinals' victory, has sparked a growing rivalry between the two boys' basketball programs.
"You know, they beat us at our place last year," said Jacobson. "I've been waiting for this game all year."
Jacobson made sure to make that long wait count, leading all scorers with 17 points in the 11-point victory while hitting a late 3-pointer to put the Snowbirds up double-digits and seal the victory.
"I knew the game was over after that. They put their heads down, they called a timeout after that," said Jacobson. "Man, that felt good."
Onaway overcomes slow start early, second-half runs prove costly
What turned out to be a battle of two fast-paced, defensive-minded teams was bound to turn into a game of runs, so it wasn't shocking when Onaway countered an 8-0 GSM start with a 9-0 run of their own.
The first three quarters were mainly a game of matching runs, with GSM ahead by just four points heading into the final quarter. That, however, is when the Cardinals offense went cold.
Onaway still found ways to get stops and force turnovers but just could not turn those opportunities into points on the other end, only scoring eight points in the final quarter as GSM pulled away for a double-digit victory.
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Cherwinski could be a new weapon for GSM
It is no secret GSM came into the season looking for new pieces to fit their puzzle after losing three stars Gavin Bebble, Brody Jeffers and Donovan Blust to graduation. Junior Daniel Jacobson figured to be the leader and the expanded role of senior Rylan Matleski has helped, but the GSM coaching staff has still been searching for more players to lean on if those two are off the floor.
They may have found a new key role player after the performance Lucas Cherwinski turned in on Wednesday night.
The junior had one of his most efficient nights in the post, finishing with 16 points as Onaway struggled to find a matchup for the big man. If he's able to turn in performances like that more consistently, the Snowbirds could have three of the SVC's most dangerous scoring weapons.
Budding rivalry will get February rematch
Last year's Onaway win over GSM came with an emotional back-and-forth between the two schools, and that energy picked right back up this season in the first matchup this season, complete with a fan ejection and at least one technical foul.
With this being the first matchup of the season, however, the teams will get to renew this budding conference rivalry in just over a month when the GSM will travel to Onaway on Feb. 7.
Contact GHT Sports Editor Dylan Jespersen at Djespersen@gaylordheraldtimes.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @dylanjespersen, and Instagram, @dylanjespersen
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Gaylord St. Mary boys basketball beats Onaway in Ski Valley matchup
