Underhanded: Controversial shot decides 'B' semifinal

Call mars unbelievable finish

By Andrew Bolton

14 March 2008

greatlakeshoop.com

East Lansing--Well, we saved the best for last.

In the nightcap, Flint Powers faced Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern. From the start, it was obvious that this was to be a barn-burner. There was plenty of offense, turnovers, and physical plays throughout, all leading to a frantic, controversial ending. All that matters is survive and advance, and the Chargers are the ones that will be doing that. They hang on by a final score of 66-65.

The first quarter was a nightmare scenario for the Chargers. Tyler Moreland picked up two quick fouls, relegating him to the bench for at least the rest of the period. Powers would make enough shots to stay in the game, however, though they could have led had they not turned the ball over so much. As it was, FHN would take a four-point lead into the second quarter.

Northern was on the brink of breaking the game open in the second. They took a quick six-point lead, 22-16, and looked poised to put the Chargers away as Powers was playing very sloppy basketball.

However, with Shane Moreland, opposing defenses can never rest.

Shane caught a little fire, hitting two straight triples including one from DEEP that left the Northern student section in awe. He and Pat O’Brien would be the main components of a 12-3 run that would give the Chargers a three-point lead. Northern wasn’t done, though. The Huskies would come back once again behind their senior leader Bryan Huntley. They would recapture the lead, 33-30, going into the break.

Neither team missed a lot in the third.

Northern would go up by four, and Powers would answer, and then Northern would answer again, and then Powers would answer back. Both teams played to a standstill in the third period, though the scoreboard said Northern was up one after those eight minutes. Powers was in a lot of trouble, though, as both Morelands picked up four fouls.

We’ll pick up the action with four minutes remaining in the fourth. The Huskies are up three when Pat O’Brien somehow finds a wide-open Kevin Pickens under the basket for two and the foul. Pickens would miss the free throw, but after a stop Xavier Walker banks in a shot to give Powers a one-point lead. The Huskies then proceed to turn it over. After a couple misses, Patrick Lucas-Perry grabs a huge offensive rebound in traffic and is fouled on the way up. He makes both free throws to put Powers up three. Powers maintains its three-point advantage, 64-61, with under a minute left. After a timeout, the Huskies get a steal and a layup to cut the deficit to one. Both Tyler Moreland and PLP got a split at the line, giving Powers a 66-63 lead and setting the stage for one of the weirdest finishes I have ever seen.

With seven seconds left, the Huskies inbound the ball to Cole Cline, who takes it up the court under heavy pressure. Somehow, he is able to stop, lean in to split the double-team, and launch a one-handed, underhand scoop shot in the direction of the basket that hits the backboard and goes in. The question now is whether the shot was worth two or three. After conferring for a minute, the officials rule the shot worth two points and the game over, giving Powers the one-point win. Was it the right call? Even those who have pictures and video of the shot are conflicted. The conventional wisdom in the press room after the game is that the shot should have tied the game.

Game and Player Notes

–Stat of the Game: Steals: Powers–11           Northern–2

–I was pretty sure it was a two-point shot at first. On his step-through, it looked like his right foot came down well across the line before the ball had completely left his hand. Of course, there is no replay process available like there is in college and the NBA. For stuff like this, replay would be invaluable, although that is a topic for another time.

–Both teams definitely deserved to win, although Northern tried its best to give away the game at the end with a couple crucial turnovers, one coming right underneath their own basket with under 10 seconds to play. It was the mark of the game: neither team turned the ball over too much, but Northern’s came at critical junctures of the game. The coach focused on this instead of the final play in his postgame remarks, and he’s right: it should not have come down to that for the Huskies. Bryan Huntley played a whale of a game, scoring a game-high 21 points and generally being unguardable the entire night. Cole Cline added 13 points and Javontae Ford had 12.

–Powers also tried to give away the game at the end, although they did not succeed. The Chargers went 15-21 from the free throw line for the game, which is a good percentage for a team, but they went 3-6 in the last minute when they were trying to seal the win. They did do a good job fighting through the foul difficulties of the Moreland brothers, who both sat out long stretches of time. Demarco Sanders and Kevin Pickens did a good job of filling in, and Powers was able to keep it close. Of course, it helps when you have Pat O’Brien on your team. He is as complete a player as we have in the state, and he is just a sophomore. Pat had 18 points, five rebounds, and three assists, showing off his entire repertoire with scores coming off the dribble, in the post, or from deep. Shane Moreland added 18 points and five rebounds, while Patrick Lucas-Perry had another great game, chipping in 15 points.