Onaway, Inland Lakes girls survive scares, will meet in district final on Friday
ONAWAY – It’s hard to win in the postseason.
For the Onaway and Inland Lakes girls basketball teams, they found that out on Wednesday night against some dangerous opponents. But in the end, both the Cardinals and Bulldogs did just enough to set up a winner-take-all district final in Onaway on Friday.
Paced by their defense and free throw shooting down the stretch, the Cardinals stamped their ticket to the final with a 33-31 victory over Presque Isle rival Rogers City in Wednesday’s first MHSAA Division 4 semifinal, while the Bulldogs held on for dear life and captured a 36-33 win over a scrappy Burt Lake Northern Michigan Christian Academy squad in the final clash of the night.
In the opener, Onaway (16-8) saw itself in a 31-31 deadlock with a minute to play after Rogers City’s Brooklyn Orr banked in a 3-pointer to tie the game. However, sophomore Marley Szymoniak put the Cardinals in front by making a free throw. While the Hurons (13-9) had one final chance, they couldn’t tie the game and saw their season end in heartbreaking fashion.
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“I think ultimately, the (defensive) pressure ended up getting to (Rogers City),” Onaway coach John George said. “We caused a lot of turnovers, and we ended up pulling it out in the end. We rely on our defense and speed to cause turnovers and hopefully score in transition. We shot well from the free throw line tonight, which ended up helping towards the end there and won us the game.
“Super proud of the kids. We’re resilient.”
Trailing by five, the Cardinals ended the third quarter on a 10-0 run that was capped off by a long-range 3-pointer from Szymoniak.
“It was funny. I actually heard my dad in the crowd, and he was like, ‘Just wait, just wait,’ and I looked up at the clock and was like, ‘OK,’ and I launched it,” Szymoniak said of the shot.
Szymoniak led the Cardinals with 11 points, while Ema DeMaestri also hit double figures with 10. Charlotte Box had seven, Kailyn George added three, and Sydney Peel registered two.
“We came into this game with people telling us that it’s hard to beat a team three times, and we didn’t believe that,” Szymoniak said. “We just came in here and we wanted to win this game. We’ve been working hard for this and knew it was time to turn it up.”
Alivia Freel’s 12 points paced the Hurons, who received nine from Elizabeth Spens and seven from Orr.
Onaway can claim its first district crown since 2006 if it defeats the rival Bulldogs on Friday.
Monthei's late-game heroics lift Bulldogs
If anything was really tested on Wednesday, it was the mental resolve of the Bulldogs (17-6), who could never put away the NMCA Eagles (14-7).
Falling behind by six in the third, the Eagles countered I-L's 8-0 run to start the quarter with an 11-0 spurt to take a 26-23 lead. The Bulldogs fought back with another 8-0 blitz that featured a clutch 3 and inside basket from sophomore Molly Monthei. Holding a 34-33 advantage with just seconds left, Monthei stood tall by knocking down both free throws, while the Bulldogs’ defense made one last stop to earn a hard-fought win.
“I don’t know if we have a player that finishes better at the basket than her,” Inland Lakes coach Daryl Vizina said of Monthei, who scored all seven of her points in the fourth. “Unfortunately sometimes in the games, I think she gets a little too passive. Chloe (Robinson) was fouled out, we needed to make some plays, and she stepped up. If we can get her to play that way, it’ll really help our offense.”
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Brooklyn LaBrecque finished with 11 points for the Bulldogs, Chloe Robinson tallied nine, Elizabeth Furman had three, and Mary Myshock, Taylor Jones and Addison Byrne registered two apiece.
If the Bulldogs want to win a second straight district crown on Friday, Vizina knows they’ll have to play much better than Wednesday.
“Onaway’s well coached. I’m sure they saw this game and saw blood in the water,” Vizina said. “I think it comes down to which team’s going to bring more energy and effort, and if they do, then they’re probably going to blow our doors off, and if we show up and be the team we can be, then I think we’ll be successful.”
Eighth grader Shanna Ferraiuolo scored a game-high 17 points for the Eagles. Alexis Fosmore netted six, Addie Pietrowski had four, Ariel Tucker added three, Katie Schepperly notched two, and Otillia Styburki chipped in with one.
Inland Lakes and Onaway will tip off at 6 p.m. in Onaway on Friday.
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Onaway, Inland Lakes girls basketball teams hold on in semis, will meet in district final
