The Milan News-Leader
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Airport hands Milan 56-52 loss
Big Reds overcome 15-point deficit but late turnovers prove costly
By Jerry Hinnen, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: January 25, 2007
For the second time in two games, the Milan boys' basketball team had a chance to win in the fourth quarter.
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But two key free throws from Airport's Justin Hall and three Big Red turnovers in the final 60 seconds allowed the visiting Jets to escape with a 56-52 win Tuesday night, stretching Milan's current losing streak to five games, all in Huron League play, and dropping the Big Reds to 5-6 overall.
"Our execution (late in the game), offensively and defensively, was not where it needed to be," head coach Jeremy Davies said after the loss. "They're very close.
"But our players have to make plays down the stretch."
Despite a 15-point second-quarter deficit, the Big Reds looked ready to snap the streak after a three-pointer by Greg Irwin put the home team ahead 50-48 with 3:24 to play.
But that would prove to be the last field goal of the game for Milan. Single free throws by Randy Monty and Erik Draves followed a pair of Airport baskets. With 1:39 to play, the game was tied at 52.
The Big Reds rebounded a wild Airport miss, but turned the ball over while looking for a fast-break basket on the other end.
Milan then caught a break as Airport's Joshua Baker missed a pair of free throws. But an Irwin pass intended for Draves was stolen and, in an attempt to steal the ball back, Monty committed a backcourt foul with 23.8 seconds to play.
Hall sank both ends of the one-and-one to put the Jets ahead 54-52. After a timeout, Monty was stopped on a drive along the left baseline and was called for a charging foul, giving the ball back once more to Airport with 13.4 seconds to play. Milan was forced to foul, and with 10 seconds remaining, Baker hit both foul shots to push the Jet lead to 56-52 and seal the victory.
Draves led the Milan scoring effort with 13 points and was the Big Reds' leading rebounder as fellow frontcourt starter Erik Gunderson struggled with foul trouble.
"Erik's gotten better every game," Davies said. "He's had a solid senior season, so far."
Irwin, Monty and Zack McGovern each scored nine points for Milan. Milton Page finished with five points, Gunderson four, Justin Fugate two and Cameron Hynds one to round out the Big Red scoring.
For much of the first half, Milan looked unlikely to be close to the Jets in the fourth quarter, much less in the lead. Airport led 20-11 after the first quarter and held a 29-14 advantage with 4:36 to play in the second.
Draves scored 15 seconds later, however, to spark a 10-0 run capped by back-to-back McGovern baskets that brought Milan within 29-24 with just over two minutes left in the half.
Airport built the lead back to 37-27 in the third before the Big Reds put together a 13-5 spurt over a four-minute span, capped by a pair of Draves free throws with 29.2 seconds to play in the period that cut the lead to 42-40. An Irwin three brought Milan within 46-45 with 5:05 left in the game and barely more than a minute later a Draves' basket gave the Big Reds their first lead since 4-3.
"It's an accomplishment to make a comeback like that," Davis said, "but we can't be satisfied with that.
"We have to play 32 minutes of basketball. We have to play hard from the get-go and really get after it, and that's how we'll get over the hump."
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