By Wendi Reardon Price
Staff Writer
wprice@mihomepaper.com
INDEPENDENCE TWP. — Lake Orion lost to crosstown rivals the Wolves for the third and last time of the season in a thrilling overtime in the MHSAA Division 1 Girls Basketball District 27 Final at Clarkston High School last Friday, 59-56.
“Everybody stepped on the defensive end,” said Aaron Goodnough, head coach for Clarkston. “We started covering the girls that were going to hurt us.”
“They made a couple more plays than we did,” said Lake Orion Girls Varsity Basketball Head Coach Bob Brydges. “I’m proud of my kids – they battled. They played their hearts, they stood up, they took it like champs. They understood they just made one more play, two more plays than we did – that’s it.”
The Wolves opened the first quarter holding the lead for the first five minutes of play with a basket from senior Ellery Hernandez, a three-pointer from junior Elliana Robak and 1-point from senior Elia Morgner.
With 2:55 left in the quarter, sophomore Kara Veeder scored on a 3-pointer to bring Lake Orion up 8-6, starting a 9-point run for the Dragons.
Clarkston broke it up with one point from Robak on the free throw line before Lake Orion senior Charlotte Peplowski scored on two 3-point shots in the last 30 seconds, bringing the Dragons up 20-7.
Lake Orion held onto the lead throughout the second quarter, ending with a score of 32-19 after Peplowski went 2-for-2 on the free throw line.
“They were on fire in the first quarter,” Goodnough said. “We knew at some point that was going to run out. But, they were getting the shots because of us so that was more my issue. It’s always emotional and to get them to slow down is so stinking hard. We almost needed the halftime just to have them slow down.”
“It was funny for me because we went in a half time the last time when we played them here, we had a big lead at half time against them in that game too. We just couldn’t hold it,” Brydges said. The Dragons opened the third quarter the same way – with Peplowski going 2-for-2, giving Lake Orion a 15-point lead over Clarkston.
The Wolves began to climb out of the hole with baskets from sophomore Brooklyn Covert, Morgner and Hernandez.
With 47 seconds left in the quarter, Robak put the Wolves within two points of the Dragons, who responded scoring four points from Peplowski and freshman Ulara Hill.
Lake Orion added two more points from the free throw line from senior Izzy Wotlinski to open the fourth quarter.
The Wolves responded with five points from Robak and baskets from Covert and Morgner to take a 1-point lead.
Wotlinski shot from the 3-point line to bring the Dragons back into the lead only for Covert to respond with her own 3-pointer.
Lake Orion senior Amelia Guccione tied the game 49-49 scoring one point on the free throw line.
Freshman Bella Flavin broke the tie with 3:42 remaining before Wotlinski tied it again. The duo did it again with Flavin breaking the tie and Wotlinski tying it up again with 39 seconds left, where the score would stay at 53-53, ending regulation.
Goodnough said the press helped in the second half.
“I wouldn’t say it’s something we should have done sooner because our defense was so slap happy. Our plan was fine,” he said. “We knew we didn’t want to let Izzy get to the middle, we let her get to the middle and they kicked outside shots.”
The Wolves took the lead in the first minute and 42 seconds of the overtime period with Robak and Flavin adding four points to the score, both going 2-for-2 on the free throw line.
Veed closed the gap with a 3-point shot with 1:54 left in the period.
With 39 seconds to go, Robak was sent to the free throw line for two successful attempts to put the Wolves up 59-56.
“We took a really good OAA Red champ to overtime on their home court in the district championship,” Brydges said. “Super proud of the kids, appreciate the support from our kids that came out tonight, all of our parents, and fans was great support on our part. It’s always a tough environment here to play in. They were loud – that’s the way it’s supposed to be. Izzy getting that foul trouble hurt us big time. But you know what that kid’s been a warrior for us all year long. It’s just one more play here or there and all you can do.”
Wotlinski led with 22 points. Peplowski scored 17 points and Veeder had 11 points.
The Dragons defeated Avondale in the district semifinal, 57-22 on March 5. Wotlinski led with 25 points. Peplowski had 17 points and Veed had nine points.
Lake Orion finished the season with an overall record 13-11 and 4-6 in the OAA Red.
“My bench is not real deep. I only had four kids from last year returning,” Brydges said. “I had nine brand new kids so it’s a tough situation. We’ll be better next year for it. Now these kids have gotten some experience and understanding how hard it is to win, something like this. And you know what, I expect to be here next year, playing them again.”
The roster includes one freshman two sophomores and seven juniors coming back next year.
“I’m feeling pretty good about where we’re at,” Brydges shared. “It was a real nice run we’ve made these last couple of weeks. We avenged some losses that we shouldn’t have probably had early in the season, but the kids have learned how to play through some of that too and tonight showed it.”
The Dragons graduate three seniors – Guccione, Peplowski and Wotlinski.
“Izzy is the first kid in about almost 20 years to score 1,000 points in a career for Lake Orion – so that’s a big deal for her,” Brydges said. “She’s going to play at Calvin next year. She’ll go play with Chloe Wiegers who was on this team two years ago when we won the district championship. Izzy was a part of that championship – so was Charlotte. Amelia, credit to that kid. She battled her butt off this whole district. She just battled and battled. Unfortunately she fouled out at the end for us. But she battled for us and that’s a kid who’s going to play a college lacrosse.”