High School Hoops: Stoney Creek Beats Lake Orion, Advances to District Championship

defeated Lake Orion 55-46 in a hard-fought district semifinal game.

The Dragons (9-13) will go home while the Cougars move on to the on Friday night.

The Hero: The Cougar defense.

Solid play all around from both teams left the game to be decided defensively in the fourth quarter. The Cougars never let up and made the shots they took, forcing the Dragons to foul after missed shots.

The Quote: “I’m very proud of our two freshman (Lauren and Natilie Voss), they played really hard,” Stoney Creek head coach Brad Crighton said.

“I thought our kids played really well,” Lake Orion head coach Steve Roberts said.  “Regardless of the outcome, they played like champions.”

The Bottom Line: This game was the epitome of back-and-forth basketball.

After being down 27-24 at halftime, the Dragons went on a 9-0 streak to start the second half.

The Cougars finished the third quarter strong to be down by one point at 37-36.

Two big free throws by Keri Scipione gave the Cougars a 7-point lead with about one minute left to play.

Key Stat: Gabby Yurik led the Cougars with 21 points, hit two three-pointers and shot 7-8 from the line.

Keri Scipione scored 16 points for the Cougars, including three three-pointers and shot 5-5 from the free throw line.

The Dragons’ effort was led by Marrisa Secontine, who scored 15 points and shot 5-6 from the line.

Who’s next? Stoney Creek plays Romeo on Friday night for the district championship.

“When we play Romeo it’s always a good game,” Crighton said.