Michigan high school boys basketball: Williamston withstands comeback to win Division 2 in OT
EAST LANSING — Unbeaten Williamston boys basketball watched its 17-point lead slip away over the last nine minutes of the Division 2 championship game, sending the action to overtime.
Can a team stay calm and collected when that happens?
The Hornets held on for a thrilling 68-65 overtime win over defending champion Grand Rapids Catholic Central by keeping their composure in the extra session. Williamston (27-0) sank four of six free-throw attempts, getting a go-ahead 3-pointer from Mason Docks and a bank shot from Max Burton.
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“That is the personality of the team,” senior Jacob Wallace said. “It all comes back to Coach (Tom) Lewis and our coaching staff. They do a good job at making sure we keep our heads. A lot of our players get some hype and our team gets some hype, but we really don’t try to focus on that. We have this mentality ‘One game at a time, our record is 0-0,’ and we try to play every game like it’s our last.”
Nothing seemed to rattle Williamston on Saturday night at the Breslin Center, whether it was an early deficit, foul trouble, missed free throws or the Cougars’ fierce comeback.
“When they were making that run on us, our lead was dwindling, we just kept talking about how we needed to stick together, keep trusting each other and not go away from what we do — forcing up shots or being selfish — if we did that, we would have lost that game,” said Docks, who wrapped up his career with a team-high 27 points.
“We knew we had to stay composed the whole time,” Wallace said. “It always came down to how many minutes are left in our season, and the score is at 0-0. It would mean that we had one minute to give it everything we’ve got. I think we all trusted each other and knew that these are the moments that we prepared for in practice, using practice time for last-second moments, what to do in a late-game situation with fouls, and when we’re down, and I think that was key to the way this game finished.”
After Wallace hit a close-range bucket with a minute left in the third, Williamston held a 53-37 margin and Catholic Central’s Mr. Basketball finalist, Jack Karasinski, was on the bench with four fouls.
That’s when the Cougars woke up, summoning some nervous energy to eliminate the 17-point deficit and tie the game at 55 with 2:18 to play. Kaden Brown got hot, starting the string with a deep triple and a dribble-drive lay-up before the third quarter was out. He hit another 3, two free throws and a jumper in the key over the next five minutes. Karasinski returned to drain another long 3-pointer and a transition layup off a steal.
But Karasinski ultimately drew his fifth foul with 1:28 left, after Burton wrestled away an offensive rebound and banked home the follow-up. Although Burton failed to convert the and-one, he put the Hornets up 59-55.
“I have great trust in our guards to make the right passes and plays,” said Burton, who put the Hornets up 67-64 with his overtime basket. “Obviously we didn’t shoot the greatest on free throws (9-for-21), but we made enough to give us a big enough lead and finish it out.”
Brown wasn’t finished. He drove for a layup and was fouled with 47 seconds left. He missed the back end of the two free throws, but the rebound was kicked out to him on the right wing and he drained a 3 to tie the game at 59.
Williamston drew an offensive foul on its next possession, leaving GRCC (25-2) with 4.7 seconds to attempt a regulation game-winner. Brown couldn’t get much past the half-court line before heaving a desperation attempt that bounced high off the backboard.
In the extra period, the Cougars again put the ball in Brown’s hands in a last-ditch attempt to tie. But his 3-pointer at the buzzer well beyond the key heeled out, and the Williamston players finally broke their stoic game faces.
“We took some heavy punches. Most teams would have a hard time pulling that game out,” Lewis said. “We had just enough counter-punch to get that done, and I really don’t have the words to say how proud I am of my entire team.”
Docks scored 27, Burton had 23 and Wallace had 10 for Williamston, which won its first championship since 1940. Brown had 33 and Karasinski finished with 16 for the Cougars.
“There’s a lot of respect between the two programs,” Catholic Central coach T.J. Meerman said. “Tonight was an absolute battle of wills — their will to take over the game, and our will to come back.”
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: MHSAA boys basketball: Williamston beats GRCC in OT in Division 2
