SAULT STE. MARIE – Grayling’s improbable run in the MHSAA Division 3 boys basketball tournament ended in the state quarterfinals at Sault Ste. Marie with a 70-39 loss to Menominee on Tuesday night.
The game was originally scheduled to be played in Lake City, but the MHSAA decided to move it to keep it an equal distance for both teams to drive.
After holding its tournament opponents to just 35 points a game in winning district and regional titles, the last the team’s first since 1957 (65 years), the Vikings struggled to put the stops on the veteran Maroons.
Menominee had the Vikings in trouble early, exploding out to a 10-2 lead in the first quarter. But the Vikings answered with a 10-2 run of their own to finish the initial eight minutes in a 12-12 tie with the Maroons.
The Vikings could thank senior Matt Pittman for a large part of the surge, as he buried a pair of 3-point shots to put a stop to the Maroons streak and lift Grayling back in the game.
His first long distance bomb made it 10-5, and the second served to even the score and give the Vikings a sense of hope, and confidence.
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t match their speed or athleticism,” said Vikings head coach Larry Mead. “They’re a very good team. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them win the next one, to be honest with you.
“Then, they got some contributions from guys and knocked down some timely shots that allowed them to stretch their lead out in the second quarter.
“We struggled to deal with their pressure, and they really took control of the game in the second quarter and never looked back.”
Grayling briefly took the lead, 15-14 when Ethan Kucharek splashed a 3-point shot from out of the corner. Unfortunately, that was all the offense the Vikings would produce in the second period.
While the Vikings were flustered on offense by the Maroons pressure, Menominee blistered the Grayling defense for a 22-0 run to end the second period which vaulted the Maroons into a substantial 36-15 lead at the half.
“Give them credit and props for their adjustments,” Mead said of the Maroons. “The first quarter we were able to get to them a little bit. They threw away a couple balls, turned it over a couple of times.
“But I think what it really comes down to is their height as well as their speed, we couldn’t match up with. They put two big guys down low against our pressure, and our half-court press. They just found those gaps.
“We made some uncharacteristically poor rotations, and that hurt us. We tried to adjust to it a couple times. We switched between defenses that we thought we could have success with.”
Grayling went scoreless over the first three minutes of the third quarter before Sparty Berry-Skillern drove down the lane for a layup to put the Vikings on the board.
Menominee outscored the Vikings, 25-12 in the third period and rolled into the final stanza with a 61-27 lead that proved just as insurmountable as it looked.
Pittman scored 13 points to lead Grayling, which finished the year 15-10. Caleb Caul and Skillern contributed eight points apiece. Dylan Cragg added four points and Kucharek three.
Menominee senior Brady Radker had a game-high 17 points, while Brady Schultz finished with 16. Aidan Bellisle added another 11.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our group,” said Mead. “They accomplished something that hasn’t been done in a very, very long time.
“They have nothing to hang their heads about. I love those guys and appreciate everything they did to help us bring Grayling basketball back and change the culture.”
Departing seniors for the Vikings include Dylan Cragg, Caleb Caul, Sparty Berry-Skillern, Cameron Ketchum, Matt Pittman and Matt Kuziel.
Menominee improved to 22-3 and will play Ecorse (9-12) in the state finals at the Breslin Center on Thursday at noon.
