The big showdown for the OAA III league title never materialized.
In fact, when the final buzzer sounded at Oak Park March 3, Lake Orion had won the league by a whopping three games.
The team then carried that momentum over into district play, which began this week at LOHS with yet another Dragon win.
The Dragons used a pair of lopsided wins to finish the regular season at 17-3 overall.
The week started with a 62-26 rout of Royal Oak Kimball on Feb. 28.
The Dragons dominated the OAA- crossover game from the outset and were led by Drew Maynard’s 19 points.
Marc Thompson added 14 in the win.
That same night, Farmington Hills Harrison downed Oak Park, 71-67, in overtime, to put the Dragons two games ahead of both teams in the standings with just one game left.
That meant LO had already clinched the outright title, which took most of the air out of the matchup with Oak Park.
At least it took some air out of the Oak Park side, but the Dragons, just a win away from breaking the school record, were ready to roll.
The Dragons used a 19-4 second quarter to pull ahead by 20 at the break.
The team had some fun running the open floor in the second half, as they coasted to an 80-58 victory.
‘The kids were pretty motivated to get to 17 wins and break the record,? said coach Jim Manzo. ‘Plus we didn’t want to go into districts with a loss.?
The Dragons had four players in double-digits, led by Maynard’s 28.
Justin Diesbourg chipped in 13, while Thompson and Cole Moore each had 12.
‘It feels great,? Diesbourg said of the league title. ‘We played like a team all season and this is how it shows.?
The Dragons finished with a 10-2 record in the league, three games clear of both Oak Park and Harrison.
‘We were just trying to have some fun out there,? said point guard Ross Tonyan after the team posed with their championship hats. ‘They’re a good team and it was a good tune-up for districts.?
After finishing a 3-17 season just three years ago, the Dragons are flying high. But with a strong regular season comes higher expectations for the postseason.
‘It will put some pressure on us,? Tonyan said, ‘but we’ll give it our all and hopefully win the district.?
Diesbourg thinks that the playoff atmosphere at the LO fieldhouse will help alleviate some of that pressure.
‘The student section has been big all season and we know they’ll be a big help for us in the districts.?
The students were out in full force for the March 6 district opener against Waterford Mott, and Manzo expects the numbers to grow as the team moves deeper into the state tournament.
The Dragons had no let down, using the atmosphere to their advantage in a 71-39 win.
‘Everybody’s record goes back to zero,? Manzo said of the playoff format.
‘We had some nerves early,? he added, noting the team went scorless in the games first three minutes.
But after the slow first few minutes, the Dragons found their groove and exploded for 21 first quarter points and a double digit lead.
The Dragons had a similar outburst early in the second half to relieve what little doubt was left about the outcome.
Maynard again led the way with 20 points, including 11 in the opening quarter, but what Manzo was most pleased with was the production from his bench.
‘If you want to win a championship you can’t just rely on your starters,? the coach said.
Moore led the bench brigade, notching a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds.
‘He really gives us a lift on the glass,? Manzo said of the junior center. ‘For six foot five he’s pretty nimble.?
The victory sets up a rivalry game with Oxford in the district semis on March 8 and a possible final with Clarkston on March 10.
But Manzo and the Dragons are taking the process one game at a time.
We’re not even thinking about the championship game yet,? he said. ‘Oxford is playing really well right now.?
The coach noted that an earlier loss to Lake Orion and a chance to get to a championship game ought to be enough motivation for Oxford and his team is well aware of it.
The game tips off at 7 p.m., with Clarkston and Lapeer East hitting the court at 5:30 p.m.