Clawson Falls in District Semifinals 58-47 to Cranbrook Kingswood

BEVERLY HILLS – The Clawson boys varsity basketball team looked like it had one more run left. 

But the magic finally ran out for the Trojans in their districts semifinals game against Cranbrook Kingswood on Wednesday night. Clawson’s season ended with a 58-47 loss. 

“It’s tough cause you just see your kids out there fighting for their lives,” Coach Bill Shellenbarger Jr. said. “That’s why we won a conference championship for the first time in sixteen years.”

Despite a 14 point second half deficit, Shellenbarger said his kids never hung their heads or gave up. They fought until the final whistle blew. 

“We’re fighters,” he said.

Clawson wasn't able to cut Cranbrook’s lead under eight points in the fourth quarter. Each time the Trojans (14-7) hit a shot to bring the lead under 10, they would follow it up with a miss or turnover.

“We knock down one or two more shots and maybe the ball bounces a different way, but boy we didn’t have the touch tonight,” Shellenbarger said.

Senior Eric Thompson helped keep his team close with 21 points in the game. He missed some opportunities at the free throw line in the fourth quarter that would have helped cut into Cranbrook’s lead. Thompson shot under 50 percent in nearly a dozen trips to the free throw line in the fourth.

The turning point for the Trojans came much earlier in the game. Cranbrook went on a 10-0 during a five minute stretch in the second quarter. Clawson didn’t score a single point as the score went from 17-13 at the 617 mark to 27-13 with just under 90 seconds left in the half.

Shellenbarger said a combination of poor shooting and missed defensive assignments burned the Trojans in the quarter.

“There was some high ball screening going in that second quarter,” Shellenbarger said. “We weren’t stepping up and shutting it down. That really hurt us late in the first half.”

The teams went into halftime with Clawson down 29-16 and Shellenbarger made some adjustments to try and spark a comeback. Instead of playing two big guys in the front court, the Trojans went to a four guard lineup.

“We had to, when you’re down like that,” he said. “They play four ball handlers and we typically play two posts all game. When you’re down when you have to get up and guard and get some stops.”

Towards the end of the third quarter it started to work and the Trojans flirted with a comeback. They went on a 7-1 run at the end of the quarter and had Cranbrook’s lead cut down to 33-26. A big play from Cranbrook’s leading scorer Steven Morrow helped end the run and put his team back in control. Morrow finished the game with 23 points. 

The season isn’t ending on a downer for the Trojans. Shellenbarger said what his team accomplished won’t be easily forgotten. The team won its first conference title in 16 years this season.

“I’ll never forget what they did this season,” Shellenbarger said.