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Wyoming Tri-unity Christian (15-4-0) 12 11 13 12 48
Lawrence (23-1-0) 12 9 21 21 63

Lawrence unleashed

Thursday, March 06, 2008

BY SCOTT DECAMP

 

OTSEGO -- It takes quite a bit to rile up Mike Salvano.

The Lawrence boys' basketball coach has been around long enough to see about all there is to see.  That is, until Wednesday night at Otsego High School, when he witnessed something special for his program. Heck, even the usually unassuming Salvano got swept away by the emotion. Moments after Lawrence completed one of the biggest wins in school history -- a 54-48 Class D regional championship victory over powerhouse Wyoming Tri-unity Christian -- and the teams filed past each other for the customary postgame handshake, Salvano turned to the raucous Tigers fans and waved his arms up and down, yelling, `Let's go!''   ``My frickin' heart was just racing,'' a smiling Salvano said outside the Tigers' locker room a while later, when the adrenaline was just starting to wear off, if only a little bit.  ``Oh, my God. It was actually about 30 seconds (left) and I wondered, `Is there any way (Tri-unity) can eke out six points?'''

Not on this night. Not even for a Defenders program that since 1996 has won three state titles and finished runner-up three other times, including last season.

It's Lawrence's time, and the fourth-ranked Tigers (22-1) can now set their sights on a state quarterfinal matchup against Lansing Christian (19-4). The Tigers and Pilgrims (61-57 overtime winners over Adrian Lenawee Christian Wednesday) will square off at 7:45 p.m. Tuesday at Lansing Eastern's Don Johnson Fieldhouse.

``We came into this game and we weren't going to be intimidated (by Tri-unity),'' said Lawrence senior forward Spencer Whittington, a 6-foot-3, 250-pounder who victimized the fifth-ranked Defenders (20-4) in the paint with game highs of 22 points and 11 rebounds. ``We know that (the Defenders are) a perennial powerhouse, go to state (finals) every year -- we weren't going to be intimidated by them. We know we can play with anybody in the state in Class D.''

According to Salvano, a 13th-year head coach who has been on the Lawrence staff in some capacity since 1977, this is the furthest the Tigers have been in basketball since 1962. That year, Lawrence advanced to the state semifinals. In other words, it's been a long while since Lawrence basketball fans have tasted a victory as sweet as Wednesday's, which was witnessed by a packed-house crowd of approximately 1,500.

``This is the greatest feeling ever, that I've ever had,'' said Tigers senior guard Logan Rowe, whose steal-turned-layup with 39 seconds remaining gave his team a 52-46 lead. ``We won the regionals in baseball (last spring), but this is a lot better than that.''

It was made possible by the Tigers' work on the boards (they out-rebounded Tri-unity 36-28) and the ability of their guards to get into the lane and put the Defenders into serious foul trouble.

The final infractions tally: Tri-unity 26 fouls, Lawrence 10. Three Defenders exited with five, including 6-9 senior all-state candidate Dan Possehl, who finished with six points, six rebounds and four blocks. Possehl was all but negated by 6-9 Lawrence junior Shayne Whittington, however, who had six points, four rebounds and six blocks.

``Danny's just not used to seeing another 6-foot-9 guy, and I thought it affected Danny's play,'' Tri-unity coach Mark Keeler said. Junior Drew Scafe, a 6-5 forward, led the Defenders with 17 points. Junior guard Jared Mysliwiec added 10 points for Tri-unity, but was 4-for-24 from the floor. As a team, Tri-unity was 20-of-64 (31.3 percent) from the field and 2-for-19 from 3-point range.

``When we play defense, we try to play as hard as possible,'' said Lawrence senior guard Adrian Ledesma, who checked Mysliwiec for most of the night, two days after holding Tekonsha scoring star Dustin Orns to 5-for-24 shooting. ``I guess (Tri-unity) hadn't really played anybody who pushed them around,'' Ledesma added. ``It was a real physical game, and as it went on, we got them out of their game and they just got frustrated.''

In a game that featured 11 ties and eight lead changes, the Tigers jumped in front for good when junior Lee Cammire split a pair of free throws with 3:28 remaining.

Seconds later, Possehl picked up his fifth foul, going over Spencer Whittington's back for an offensive rebound.

Lawrence made Salvano's heart race a bit more than necessary in the final 3:05, making only 5 of 12 free-throw attempts. Salvano said missed foul shots have been an Achilles heel all season, and they were again Wednesday, as the Tigers went 14-for-29.

Tri-unity, which had only eight turnovers to Lawrence's 14, was 6-for-8 on free throws.

Ledesma finished with nine points, seven assists and four rebounds for the Tigers, who shot 19-for-48 (39.6 percent) from the field. Cammire had eight points.

``It's a dream come true with these guys,'' Salvano said. ``They just don't know how to lose.