Written Saturday February 27th, at 12:48 AM
Hey all, sorry about last week, but it's been pretty hectic with the basketball seasons winding down, ah playoff basketball, fever is in the air and nothing could come what has happened in the last two weeks of the season.
Lets start with the Dragon Ladies. The Ladies came into their final three games of the season after suffering not one but two heartbreaking losses to the two top teams in the OAA Red, Southfield Lathrup 50-48 on Wednesday on a tough fade away jumper, and to North Farmington 49-48 last Thursday Night on a fast break contested lay up.
Everything was perfect for the Dragons to win the game against North Farmington, they held Oakland University recruit Jenna Bachrouche to zero, you heard it right zero points the entire game. Plus add another Courtney Zott moment from last season, when Orion shooting guard Maddi Gagen gave the Dragons a 48-47 lead with 9.6 seconds remaining in the game. However there was one main difference from last year's game, that gave Orion the 55-54 win over North Farmington and this years game. It was the fact that the Raiders scored to win the game as time expired with 2.5 seconds left in the game, and this time the Raiders broke the Dragons hearts yet again as the Raiders stormed the court and celebrated their miraculous win, while the Dragons watched.
Still stinging from the loss to North Farmington, the Dragons suffered yet another tough and painful loss. This painful loss came on Wednesday night at the hands of Southfield Lathrup, only this time it wasn't a contested lay up that would beat the Dragons, it would be a tough fade away jumper that would beat the Dragons, once it hit the net was nothing Orion could have done to defend it, as time ran out. It sealed the win for the Chargers as they stormed the court in celebration and beat the Dragons 50-48, it also broke the Dragons hearts yet again.
Two home losses in a span of six days, wait a minute let me say that again, it was two heartbreaking losses for the Dragons that went down to the final buzzer, and also add the Pontiac loss at Sy Green Gym, which also went to overtime, in which the Dragons had a chance to win that game, that game counts as three heartbreaking losses for this team.
However before the Lathrup heartbreak on Wednesday, the Dragons had a game on Tuesday night at home. They used a balanced scoring attack of Jackie Hood, Alexis Haan, Maddi Gagen, Marissa Secontine, Alyssa Wesley, and Dana Schrauben against the last place in the OAA Red Lakers of West Bloomfield. The six players that were mentioned scored 52 of the team's 56 points, in rout to a 56-31 win over the Lakers. The Dragons defense also limited freshman star point guard Sydney Davis to just nine points in the contest and never let the Lakers play their style of game, at the Green House, unlike the last time these two teams met at West Bloomfield, the Dragons however won that game 59-49, and survived Sydney Davis 28 points.
On Friday in the last regular season game of the season the Dragons traveled to Clarkston for a highly anticipated rivalry game with the Wolves of Clarkston. Clarkston entered the game 6-12 overall and 4-9 in the OAA Red. The rivalry is not only in Girls Basketball, but also in Football, Baseball, Track, Boys Basketball, Softball, etc. Also add the fact that the Dragons beat the Wolves 38-32 at the Green House prior to this match up. Rivalry said Clarkston's long time respective and beloved announcer Dale Ryan, "Just another day in the Lake Orion/Clarkston rivalry" and he was right, it was just another chapter of the Lake Orion/Clarkston rivalry that had to be played out.
It was pretty much an ugly game throughout. Both teams turned the ball over numerous times, the Dragons 26 turnovers to the Wolves 21 turnovers. The first half turnovers was also nightmarish (Lake Orion 14 first half turnovers to Clarkston's eight). The foul situation for the Dragons was also a tough go, the Dragons had three players (Hood, Haan, and Secontine) with two fouls each. However the Wolves had some trouble of their own with their star player Kaliegh Kenny, Kenny also had two fouls in the first half. The Dragons were only up a dismal 12-10 score at the half. The free throw shooting was just a nightmare to watch on both sides, especially in the first half with Orion going one for six, while Clarkston went two for six at the free throw line. For the whole game Orion went two for 11 on the free throw line, while Clarkston went five for 12 from the line, which won't win you a lot of games.
Orion went on a major run late in the third quarter, it turned out to be the difference maker in the game, thanks to a three pointer by Jamie Tasco that began a 16-5 run in the third quarter, and continued throughout into the fourth quarter to eventually close out the game. The Dragons went on and won by an ugly 28-17 victory over Clarkston, sending it's record to 12-8 overall and a tie for fourth place in the OAA Red with a 6-8 division record. Orion Center Marissa Secontine scored eight points to lead the Dragon attack in the victory over the Wolves.
The Dragons (12-8, 6-8 OAA Red) now enter districts with some momentum, as they prepare to host their district, when the Rochester Adams Highlanders (12-8, 9-5 OAA White) come a calling to the Green House on Monday night at 7 PM. Earlier in the season the Dragons defeated the Highlanders 46-33 at Adams. The winner of the Orion/Adams showdown will meet the returning Megan Heiden (who walked out during the Troy game) and her Rochester Falcons (11-9, 9-5 OAA Red) on Wednesday Night at the Green House. The other half of the district features the Oxford Wildcats (11-9, 11-7 Flint Metro League) taking on the Romeo Bulldogs (13-7, 6-4 Macomb Area Conference White) on Monday at the Dog Pound at Romeo High School. Also the Clarkston Wolves (6-14, 4-10 OAA Red) will take on the Stoney Creek Cougars (13-7,11-3 OAA White) at 5:30 PM on Monday Night at the Green House. Earlier in the season Clarkston beat Stoney Creek without their star player Kaleigh Kenny 46-45 at Clarkston, so two rematches on Monday should be interesting.
The JV ladies finished the 2009-2010 season 8-12, while the freshman ladies finished the season 4-13, good season ladies.
The Lake Orion Boys basketball team had a tough two game home stretch to hope to contend for an OAA White Championship, however that dream was broken by both Birmingham Seaholm and Stoney Creek. Then on Friday the team traveled to Troy to face off against the always dangerous Troy Athens Red Hawks.
The Dragon Boys fell in a showdown of titans last Tuesday night, 80-78 in overtime to Seaholm. Derek Schrauben led the charge with 24 points in the loss for the Dragons. Newly Michigan Football recruit Shawn Conway scored 31 points, with six three pointers to lead all scorers, Christian Pino scored 13 points, and Florida International recruit Richaud Pack scored 21 points for Seaholm. The game was tied 69-69 after four quarters requiring the overtime session. Seaholm took the lead for good after a huge three pointer by Pino to give them a 72-69 lead in the overtime session, however the Dragons kept battling back, and even getting back down to one, 79-78 with five seconds remaining in the overtime session but it wasn't enough and Seaholm took home a huge victory over the Dragons, as it moves one step closer to the OAA White championship.
After the tough loss to Seaholm, Orion took on Stoney Creek last Friday Night, a team that has given the Dragons fits everytime they play the Cougars. Earlier in the season the Cougars embarrassed the Dragons 68-49 at Stoney Creek, so everyone thought the Dragons would play a lot better this time around, well not exactly. Things got worse off the get go for the Dragons in the first half, especially in the second quarter. The first quarter the Dragons only trailed 16-12 to the Cougars, but the second quarter it was all Cougars. Stoney Creek went on a 24-6 run, led by their main catalyst in Jake Fortner. Fortner scored 12 of his 21 points in the second quarter, to give the Cougars a shocking and stunning 40-18 lead at the half. In the second half Orion worked it's way back from a 22 point deficit to cut it to five points with 14 seconds left in the game but it wasn't meant to be. The Dragons fell for the second time this season to the Cougars 61-55, what makes this loss worse is that Stoney Creek is the Dragons first round playoff opponent in two weeks at Clarkston.
After a week off, the Dragons had to rebound with a date against Troy Athens. However things did not go well again with the Dragons, they trailed 14-8 early in the second quarter. After a timeout Orion Coach Mike Shafkalis decided to see if they could run a fast pace type of game and bring all sorts of pressure on the Red Hawks, and cut into this deficit. It worked to perfection if your a Dragon fan, and they looked like a new team. The Dragons then went on a 13-3 run to close out the second quarter and take a 21-17 lead at half. The third quarter saw the Dragons go on a 14-2 run to start the third quarter, and take a 35-19 lead. However the Red Hawks had an answer of their own, they went on a 12-2 run of their own, cutting the Dragons lead to 37-31 early in the fourth quarter but it wasn't mean to be for the Red Hawks. The Dragons snapped their two game losing streak, winning 50-43 on the road at Troy Athens, in a game they needed desperately to gain some confidence heading into a big showdown with Rochester Adams on the road on Tuesday night. The Dragons were led by Alex Mayo's 15 points, Derek Schrauben's 13 points, and Ian Monk's eight points.
Orion now stands at 11-7 overall, and 8-4 in the OAA White, now plays second place Rochester Adams on Tuesday night. The Highlanders (14-4, 10-2 OAA White) blew out Berkley 78-48 on Friday night, after getting crushed by Clarkston 60-35 last Tuesday night. The Dragons do own a win over Adams 45-38, at Lake Orion, so this game is going to be interesting in that department. On Thursday they host the Troy Colts (7-11, 3-9 OAA White) for their last Boys Basketball game of the regular season before districts start at Clarkston next week against Stoney Creek. Thursday is also Seniors night as well.
The JV boys record is a mystery after suffering their fourth loss of the season to Troy Athens Friday night. They fell 52-42 to the Red Hawks, now their record is now 14-4 overall and 9-3 in the OAA White. The Freshman boys improved their record to 16-1, and 12-0 in the OAA White with a comfortable 65-40 win over Troy Athens on Thursday Afternoon. Both teams will travel to Adams and play the Highlanders at 4 PM and 5:30 respectably on Tuesday night and then the freshman travel to Troy for their last basketball game of the regular season against the Colts while the JV host Troy on Thursday.
This week should be an interesting one, of course districts start in the girls while the boys wait another week, well see you next week and GO GREEN.
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