The Lake Orion Baptist boys basketball team wrapped up their 2010 season last Friday, losing to eventual Michigan Association of Christian Schools (MACS) Tournament champion, State Line Christian, of Temperance. The locals fell, 57-40.
The Lake Orion Lions ended their regular season 16-3; finished 7-1 for co-championship of the Fundamental Baptist Athletic Conference. After an opening round bye in the MACS, the Lions downed conference rival, and co-champion Bethany Christian, 44-41 to set up the semifinal matchup with the lads from Temperance (19-8) No. 1 in the tourney.
In the semifinal game, both teams slugged it out, trading baskets throughout most the of the game.
Temperance led at the end of one, 16-12; Lake Orion went into have time with a 25-24 lead; at the end of three, the lead switched back, with Temperance up 38-36 going into the last quarter.
Then, the complexion of the game changed. According to Lake Orion coach Joe Bullen, Temperance employed a ‘stall.?
‘This is what North Carolina successfully used in the 1980s during the NCAA Finals,? Bullen said. ‘Temperance used a two-platoon system. They exchanged the platoons during time-outs. As there was continuous movement on the floor, they continued to have fresh players coming in all the time. Their objective was to wear us down.?
That objective worked. In the fourth quarter, Temperance out-scored Lake Orion, 13-4, to take the game. Temperance went on to beat Bridgeport Christian of Saginaw on Saturday, for the MACS championship.
* * *
Against Temperance, Brad Watterworth had a double-double with 14 points, thirteen rebounds and eight blocks. Treavor Halleck had 13 points, four rebounds, three steals, one block and two assists. James Noruk had three points, three rebounds, one steal and six assists
‘Matt Cameron was hit with three fouls early in the second quarter, which was a bad loss for us,? Bullen said. ‘He had two points, two rebounds and one block.?
For the season, Watterworth had 12 double-doubles and four triple-doubles in 21 games.
Tim Frost led the Patriots with 28 points.
* * *
Against the Bruins, Watterworht had a triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 12 blocks plus one other steal and one assist. Cameron followed with 11points, eight rebounds, one block and one assist. Chris Hojnacki had eight points, five rebounds, three steals, two blocks and one assist. James Noruk had six points, four rebounds, four steals, two blocks and three assists. Halleck scored two, had three rebounds, five steals, one block and five assists.
– Joe Bullen