With a 52-48 loss to Pontiac Northern on Feb. 8 still looming large, Clarkston’s cagers were able to stave off Pontiac Central 49-38 to salvage the week.
After the victory though, the pain of their second loss of the season still lingered. Clarkston is 14-2 (6-2), and now tied for the league lead with Northern.
‘That’s damn near criminal in Clarkston, not being ready for a Pontiac Northern game,? said Clarkston Coach Dan Fife. ‘If they are not ready for the Northern game, that’s a team thing, that includes everybody including me. My job is to make sure they’re ready and prepared and ready to come out and play.?
Northern was able to close out Clarkston from the free throw line; however, against Central the Wolves got to sit in the cat bird seat. Down the stretch senior guard Brad Goodman converted nine of 10 free throws to seal the victory. Goodman finished with a team high 16 points, 13 of which came from the charity stripe.
The victory over the Chiefs also exorcised some demons from Clarkston’s past. Last year the Wolves lost a nine-point lead in the final minute before being beaten at the buzzer.
‘I didn’t really think about (last year) until I heard someone say ‘We’ll beat them in 11 seconds just like we did last year.? It kind of reminded me it’s never over until it’s over,? said Goodman.
Central came out of the blocks quick, scoring the first six points of the contest. The Wolves weathered the blitz and found themselves down 8-7 at the end of the first despite shooting 2-15 from the field. Clarkston kept themselves in the game in the first and on into the second quarter by forcing turnovers, especially by drawing charges.
‘Against other teams, kids would go to the basket strong and we have looked like bull fighters out there? Ole’d them and let them go all the way. When somebody’s out of control you have to make sure you get them, you have to be in front of them and take the charge,? said Fife.
Central coughed the ball up 13 times in the first half, six times on offensive fouls, allowing the Wolves to lead 21-13 at the break.
‘They play smart basketball. You know Clarkston is going to sit there and take those charges. (We have) to pull up and shoot the little short jump shot instead of trying to force it to the basket and we kept trying to force it to the basket,? said Central Coach Albrey Tipton.
After shooting 6-25 in the first half, Clarkston came out gunning in the second half pushing the lead to 31-17 with four minutes left in the third. Unfortunately for the Wolves, Central rallied, steadily cutting into the lead with aggressive play around the cup and spirited offensive rebounding.
Sophomore transfer Dameon Abram, who was ineligible for Clarkston’s 74-59 win on Jan. 23, proved to be a major factor for the Chief’s down the stretch. Abram had 14 of a game high 21 points in the second half. His efforts helped pull the Chiefs to within one, 36-35 with five minutes left in the game.
‘Our effort was there. We are not going to beat anybody on physical prescence or natural ability. It is always going to have to come from effort and from within and I think that has always been the character of our program,? said Fife.
With the Chief’s at the Wolves door, senior Adam Briceland willed home a 15-foot jumper to give Clarkston a three point cushion. Briceland, one of seven Clarkston players stricken with the flu, left school earlier in the day, but still chipped in five points and three rebounds.
On Clarkston’s next possesion, junior Joe Moran made the score 40-35 with 2:42 left in the game. After an errant Central field goal, Brad Goodman was dropped to the floor by an intentional foul, resulting in two free throws and the ball. Goodman poured in Clarkston’s final nine points from the line to seal the game.
‘This is a tough place to play, as is playing two Pontiac teams in a row? two good teams… to win tonight in their gym is a good victory for us. We could have easily folded tent here,? said Fife.
Sophomore Bren Bergquist sucked in 11 rebounds and blocked two shots for the Wolves. Senior Robbie Clark chipped in 14 points and Moran had 12 points.
The Wolves welcomed Troy to the CHS gym on Feb. 15. The Colts nearly shocked the Wolves with some hot shooting in their gym on Jan. 21 before giving up the ghost in a 53-49 Clarkston victory. The Troy-Clarkston game finished too late for this edition of The Clarkston News.
On Feb. 18, West Bloomfield comes calling, looking to avenge their 69-40 denegration at Clarkston’s hands on Feb. 1.