Mistakes become lessons when you learn from them. After Clarkston suffered through Dan Owens? lowest point output away at Southfield Lathrup two weeks ago, there was no one to pick up the slack. Friday at Lake Orion versus the resurgent Dragons, Owens was held to nine points and the Wolves got production out of their bench. Both small forward Oliver Kupe and point guard Andy Lyons filled the void left by the leading scorer, each scoring 11 points to pace the Wolves.
Clarkston put together a 54-47 win against the Dragons for its 13th consecutive district championship and the second straight season they’ve earned a spot in the regionals with a road win at Lake Orion. Clarkston will find themselves in Grand Blanc next week playing against the winner of the Highland/Milford district.
Both teams fought tooth and nail and Clarkston led 29-28 going into the fourth quarter. The stage had been set for a barn-burner.
‘It was hard and physical game and I think each team saw a little bit of themselves. They play a lot like we do and at times we play a lot like they do and that’s why the rivalry is there,? Lake Orion coach Jim Manzo said.
The Wolves (19-3) were impeccable from the free-throw line in the fourth, and they got several chances down the stretch. Clarkston was 15/18 from the charity-stripe in the quarter including Lyons? 6/8.
A pair of Owens? free-throws put the Wolves up 35-30 with 5:20 remaining, but the lead was quickly eroded.
The Dragons (17-6) again clawed back after Clarkston took another five-point lead, 42-37, with a running bank shot from Ross Tonyan with 2:07 left.
Lyons missed two straight free tosses with 1:18 left that could have sealed the deal and put Clarkston up seven, instead the Dragons got a layin from Drew Maynard to pull within three, 46-43.
Clarkston would coast from the free-throw line after several late Lake Orion fouls.
‘Their free-throw shooting. That is a characteristic of their teams, they make them down the stretch when it counts,? Manzo said.
Lyons? presence spurred the victory for the Wolves, Clarkston coach Dan Fife said.
‘You’re not going to be very good if you don’t have very good guard play.
‘We’ve mixed and matched with him and (Julius) Porter and he really is the key for us.?
Manzo anticipated a change when Porter went to the bench in Lyons? favor.
‘He was the difference. He’s the best on-the-ball defender we’ve seen.
‘When Porter went out, I was not happy to see Lyons come in. He adds another dimension to their game,? Manzo said.
Cole Moore led the Dragons with 17 points while Maynard and Tonyan each dropped in 14.
Kevin Badgley chipped in eight points and Bren Bergquist had seven points for the Wolves.
Fife said Lake Orion took the early thunder out of the Wolves? season, handing Clarkston a loss in December.
‘In the first game they were more competitive than us and all we’ve talked about all year was regaining our swagger because they took it from us,? Fife said.
Badgley, Clarkston’s defensive stopper has guarded the best in the Oakland Activities Association and he was charged with stopping Drew Maynard Friday.
‘Badgley has really accepted being that kind of player for us taking the other guy’s man and taking that role on. We needed Oliver’s length to put pressure on Tonyan and try and work him down,? Fife said.
‘Everybody in our league has a player. Anybody who’s not a guard, we’re going to put Badge on them.?
Manzo told his team after the game that their 36 wins in the past two seasons has been quite an accomplishment.
‘We got bumped up a division and ran the table in our league. Everyone said we were good last year because we were in a crummy division and we proved that wrong,? he said.