East Lansing coming home

Trojans punch ticket to Breslin Center

By Nick Brzezinski
11 March 2008

greatlakeshoops.com

Lansing -  Everyone plays all season long to try and get to East Lansing, for East Lansing they will now get to play in their hometown after their amazing Cinderella tournament run continued with a 66-64 victory over Muskegon on Tuesday night.             

In a game that was tight most of the evening it was the free throw shooting of the East Lansing Trojans that punched their ticket to the state semi-finals to play no. 1-ranked Saginaw High on Friday afternoon.             

The Trojans shot 19 for 27 at the free throw line, including 17 of those in the fourth quarter while Muskegon only shot 9-21.             

East Lansing jumped out to a three-point lead after the first quarter and after both teams went on 7-0 runs in the second quarter East Lansing held on to a three-point lead 32-29 at the half. 

The lead would expand to five, 46-41, after three and after jumping out to a nine-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, the clock was the Trojans biggest enemy.

With the Muskegon Big Reds turning up the pressure the Trojans started to turn the ball over and the Big Reds were able to cut the deficit to 60-58 with only a minute remaining.

Brian Spencer was sent to the line for the Trojans with 19.1 seconds and hit the first free throw to make it 62-60 but missed the second free throw.  Charlie Woods grabbed the rebound and got it to Tyreshe Knox who was fouled with 15.2 second remaining.             

Knox made both free throws to take a four-point lead and after Muskegon’s David Hermon made two free throws with 7.9 seconds to go it was now East Lansing’s turn.             

With 7.3 seconds to go Spencer made both to take a 66-62 lead and with no timeouts remaining; Muskegon, even with a made basket, could not stop the clock.  Hermon made a meaningless dunk and East Lansing didn’t event have to inbound the ball as the clock expired and the Cinderella Trojans get to keep on playing.              

Woods led the way with 17 points, Knox 14 points and Tommy Cawood had 12 points.             

Takem Churchwell led the Big Reds with 13 points and Bobby Miller had 11.             

Game Notes          

--Free Throw shooting is the reason one team is playing on Friday and one team is not.             

--For a team that finished fourth in their league, it is truly amazing that East Lansing is now among the last four standing in the state in Class A. 

--I didn’t know much about Muskegon, but they came into the game 23-2 and played with four guards most of the night.  They shot awful from the outside but anytime they drove to the basket they had success. 

--East Lansing got a good taste of what they will see come Friday afternoon: a full-court press.  If they thought Muskegon’s press was good just wait to they see Saginaw High’s press. 

--Junior Eric Smith only had six points, all fourth quarter free throws going 6-6, but he handles the pressure well and the Trojans do so much when better when he is on the floor handling the ball. 

--Everyone thought East Lansing would lose to Lansing Eastern, then Lansing Sexton, then Kalamazoo Central, then Battle Creek Central, and then Muskegon.  However, they just keep beating teams that are more athletic and with better records.              

--Many fans of teams will need a map to find their way to East Lansing, I think most of the fans of the Trojans know how to find the Breslin Center in their hometown.