All that was missing from Oliver Kupe’s game Friday was a squeegee and cleaning solution. The 6-foot 2-inch forward came away with 19 rebounds for Clarkston as it advanced to this week’s state playoff quarterfinal at Saginaw Valley State University with a 58-31 win over Macomb Dakota at Grand Blanc.
Clarkston faces Saginaw in what would seem more like a home game for the Trojans, but the Wolves? faithful should help neutralize the crowd.
‘Clarkston’s a great athletic community and we always travel well. We’ve got great support. If you go to the coffee shop tomorrow morning, they will be there talking about this from 7:30 in the morning until 10:30. Those guys are always there,? Clarkston coach Dan Fife said.
Both teams were different Friday than last time they met, a 16-point Clarkston win last month. Both teams came off emotionally draining games the night before.
‘They competed much harder this time than last time we played,? Fife said.
‘Honestly, I don’t think (the last meeting) did anything for us. They were a completely different team.
‘With those emotions coming in and that drive’it was really like a scrimmage. It really seemed like both teams were out there going through the motions.?
After falling behind 2-0 in the game’s opening minutes, Clarkston never trailed. The Wolves (21-3) used another strong third quarter to oust Dakota, outscoring the Cougars 17-9.
‘There’s no question the past two third quarters our kids have been very good. Tonight was the best defensively our kids could play. (Dakota’s) a talented team,? Fife said.
Clarkston worked hard to fight against a taller Cougars team and got quality time from its bench players, Fife said.
‘I’m proud of the way our guys competed. We were mismatched (with multiple six-and-a-half-footers). That’s hard for us to guard, but our guys did a great job at help.?
‘Forever, we’ve been pretty much out-sized, so that’s nothing new to us,? he added.
‘In the second quarter we had four subs in at one time and they were giving us good minutes.?
Kupe has become a viable scoring option for the Wolves. Similar to the way he squirms his way into the mix after shots bounce off the iron, Kupe slashed his way to the hoop for eight points.
‘Oliver has really become a force guarding defensively and then on both boards,? Fife said.
Dan Owens had 22 points, including five three-pointers, Bren Bergquist scored nine points and Andy Lyons had 10 for Clarkston.
Glenn Bryant, who caused the Wolves problems with his size in the first meeting, saw limited time Friday because of early foul trouble. Bryant managed a team-high nine points and Kyle Demaster scored seven for Dakota.
‘We wanted to come out and play really aggressive,? Kupe said.
‘Keeping them off the boards was our one way to score and we did that.?
Fife and other Clarkston coaches were on hand to see the Trojans? victory in the regional finals Thursday, to get an idea of what to expect in the quarterfinals. Clarkston also faced the Trojans in a pre-season, four-team scrimmage the day after Thanksgiving.
‘They’re big and good. They’re a tough team. I don’t know what they’re rated, but they’ve got size, quickness and strength,? Fife said.
Consistently scheduling games against the top rated teams in the state to go along with a strong OAA schedule is a strength builder for the Wolves.
‘The more you play the good teams, the better you are. If you don’t understand what it takes, then you never have a chance to get there. You have to let your kids see what kind of talent they have to face, that’s what we’ve always done,? Fife said.
The Wolves lost to Saginaw Arthur Hill in the quarterfinals last season.
While Clarkston was handling things in its match, OAA co-champions Pontiac Northern also earned a berth in Tuesday’s quarterfinals, downing Orchard Lake St. Mary’s.
Look for the results of Tuesday’s game at www.clarkstonnews.com for the results of Tuesday’s action from SVSU.