Braves Fight Off Wolverines In Defensive Struggle

PERKINS---High school basketball games last 32 minutes in Michigan.

And for the Gladstone Braves and Mid Peninsula Wolverines, it took 31 minutes and 47 seconds before a winner was determined Thursday night in Perkins.

The Wolverines missed a three-point shot with less than 13 seconds left on the clock and the Braves made two clutch free throws seonds later, and Gladstone escaped with a 45-41 win over a determined Mid Pen team.

The Braves stayed undefeated while the Wolverines stayed winless, but after the game, it was hard to tell the two teams apart.

"I think there was only about one or two people on the Gladstone side who thought this was going to be a tough game," Gladstone Coach Dale Hongisto said. "And guess what? I was one of them."

"I've been telling my guys for the last couple of days that 'if you think we're just going to roll the ball out up there, and, no problem, we're going to win by 25? It is NOT going to happen," Hongisto continued. "Credit their guys. They are always well-prepared."

Terry Brower misses go-ahead three-pointer

Mid Peninsula Coach Mark Branstrom was proud of his team's effort. "As far as I'm concerned, that's the best we could do tonight," said Branstrom, who had just eight players, none of them seniors, going up against the Class B Braves. "Gladstone won. But we gave it our best shot, and it was a pretty good shot."

Indeed it was. The Wolverines had the ball in the closing seconds, trailing by two points at 43-41. Freshman Terry Brower, who had drained four three-point baskets earlier in the game, launched an off-balancer 'three' with 12 seconds left. It missed.

Gladstone sophomore Hunter Botruff sealed the deal with two free throws.

"He did the same thing against St. Ignace (a 64-62 win on Saturday)," Hongisto said. "He made three of four in the fourth quarter then, and he made three of four in the fourth quarter today. I will have to take note of that and get the ball in his hands."

"That was tougher than I expected," Botruff admitted. "A win's a win. That's all that counts. We didn't play the greatest. We have to play better against Marquette (on Saturday), that's for sure."

Brower may have missed that last long shot, but he kept his team alive in the third quarter with an inspiring performance. Brower scored eleven of his team's 14 points in that quarter, draining three triples along the way. And he's a freshman.

Terry Brower drains the three for Mid Pen

"He's a very, very good ballplayer," Branstrom said. "That wasn't just a flash in the pan, either. He's the real deal. He just needs confidence. Tonight gave him that. He played within himself tonight. And so did everybody else. We played some great defense."

Mid Pen led, 17-15, after the first quarter. The Braves allowed just one basket in the second quarter, but only managed eight points themselves in that eight minutes.

Hunter Garling scores from Tyler Wells

The Braves led, 23-19, at the half, and then Brower got hot for the Wolverines. His triples gave Mid Pen the lead twice, at 27-26 and 31-30.

Gladstone was always able to make a couple of plays to regain the lead, however, entering the stretch drive.

The decisive push came midway through the fourth quarter, when Hunter Garling blocked two shots on the same sequense. At the end of the second defensive play, Justin Jurek took advantage with a basket that out Gladstone ahead, 43-37.

There was still 3:51 left in the game at that point, and the Braves decided to slow it down, dribbling more than a minute off of the clock.

Gladstone did not score, and the Wolverines managed a basket and two foul shots by Mitch Barron to make it 43-41.

But that last three-pointer went awry for Brower, and Gladstone escaped. Hongisto thought that both teams played well, and his team has nothing to be ashamed of.

"My guys we a little bit down, but you know what? We won," Hongisto said. "That's all that matters. We won. We're 4-0. Maybe it wasn't as pretty as they wanted, but we were in the correct column when the game ended, and that's all that matters."

Mid Pen (0-6) got 16 points from Brower and 12 points from Stone. Gladstone (4-0) got 12 points from Garling, 11 from Botruff, and 10 from Tyler Wells.

Ben Schwalbach three-pointer

Gladstone hosts Marquette in a make-up game Saturday afternoon. The varsity game is set for a 3:00 tip-off.

It will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600), and it will be broadcast live on-line at www.rrnsports.com. The JV game is set for 1:00.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos and videos taken by Nate Bellville, and listen to post-game interviews.

Date	Time	Opponent	Score	Record

12/22	7:15 PM	at Gladstone Braves	47 - 62 (L)

1/8	7:30 PM	Gladstone Braves	41 - 45 (L)

1/27	8:00 PM	at North Central Jets	20 - 69 (L)

3/5	7:30 PM	North Central Jets	34 - 70 (L)