Orchard Lake St. Mary’s defeats North Farmington in MHSAA Division 1 boys basketball championship
EAST LANSING, Michigan — The Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Eaglets (26-1) defeated the North Farmington Raiders (23-3) 63-52 to capture their first ever MHSAA Division I boys basketball state title.
The Eaglets last won a boys basketball state title in 2000 as a Division II team, and they fell short in the Division I semifinals last season.
With six minutes left in the game, OLSM was up 21 points. Over the next four minutes, the Eaglets had trouble beating the North Farmington press, and suddenly with about two minutes left in the game, North Farmington was down just nine.
Junior five-star and Eaglets' guard Trey McKenney got to the free-throw line twice in the final minute, and he ultimately sealed the game.
OLSM head coach Todd Covert said the Raider press made the final moments of the game feel like an eternity.
“That was the longest fourth quarter of my life,” Covert said. “It seemed like there were seven guys out there. When Sharrod [Barnes] comes over and says it’s fast, it’s fast. But, we weathered the storm, and that’s what it’s about. We kept our composure, our sportsmanship, and we got it done in the end.”
McKenney asserted himself from the opening tip, accounting for 11 of OLSM’s 16 first quarter points. McKenney finished with a game-high 32 points, including 14-14 from the charity stripe. McKenney said it’s hard to describe how far he and his team have come.
“They tried to take it from us last year,” McKenney said. “We’ve been going at it every day, just being consistent. I don’t think it’s really sunk in, winning a state championship. It's kind of crazy just being a kid from Flint.”
Junior OLSM guard Sharod Barnes was the next highest scorer on his team, totaling 11 points to go along with four assists. Barnes was also a pest on defense throughout the game, both on and off of the ball.
The Eaglets had trouble finding a basket in the second quarter, which allowed North Farmington to make it a 25-19 game at halftime. OLSM separated itself in the third quarter, outscoring North Farmington 17-7. The Eaglets' defense made it tough for the Raiders to find open shots, and they were able to build a lead because of it.
Senior North Farmington guard Tyler Spratt was his teams’ top scorer throughout the season, but he was held to just six of sixteen from the field on Saturday. Spratt was visibly frustrated on the floor, and he fouled out with about four minutes left in the game.
Orchard Lake St. Mary's vs. North Farmington in MHSAA Division 1 championship game
Download the SBLive Sports app
To get live updates on your phone - as well as follow your favorite teams and top games - you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App | Download Android App
