Dragons start district play tonight at Romeo

By Jim Newell

Review Editor

When the final buzzer sounded at the boys varsity basketball game on Thursday, it was pandemonium in the Lake Orion Fieldhouse.

Fans from the student section swarmed court, embracing the Dragon players to celebrate not only Lake Orion winning its final regular season game, but clinching a share of the league title.

The Lake Orion boys varsity basketball team ended their regular season with a decisive 49-34 win against Birmingham Groves and, with the win, the Dragons are co-champions of the Oakland Activities Association White Division, sharing the title with Bloomfield Hills.

Had the Dragons lost to Groves, they would have finished second in the division.

Bloomfield Hills (16-4 overall, 6-2 OAA White) beat Lake Orion 52-50 on March 1. However, the Dragons had a decisive 14-point victory, 70-56 over the Blackhawks on Feb. 14.

Lake Orion finished the regular season at 14-6 overall, 6-2 in the OAA White.

The Dragons also went on an eight-game win streak from Jan. 4 through Feb. 4, and won 12 of their last 14 games after starting the season 1-3.

In the game against Groves, Lake Orion senior captain Alden Ritt had a record night, scoring 30 of the Dragon’s 49 points. Ritt hit four three pointers, five two-pointers and made eight of his 10 free throw attempts.

Dragon seniors CJ Witt had six points and Trevor Witt knocked down five. DJ Morrow contributed four points, while Nate Havrilla and Blake Leidell each got two.

District play

Lake Orion is in the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 1 District 5 playoff bracket and will face Utica Eisenhower tonight at Romeo High School in the district semifinal.

The Dragons earned a first-round bye, while Eisenhower (13-8) defeated Romeo, 62-32, in the first round of play.

The winner of tonight’s matchup will face either Rochester High School (15-6) or Rochester Adams (12-8) at 7 p.m. Friday at Romeo High School for the district title.