The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
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DRIVE TO THE DISTRICTS: OT win seals Milan's winning season
By Jerry Hinnen, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: March 1, 2007
With the Big Reds coughing up an 11-point lead in the final minutes of regulation, the Milan boys' basketball team's 76-63 overtime victory over Napoleon might have been prettier.
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But it could hardly have been more significant. The road win improved Milan's record to 11-8, and guaranteed the Big Reds their first winning season in what head coach Jeremy Davies believed to be more than six years.
"Before the game, we talked about how big this game was," he said afterward. "It's huge. It sets the bar for the younger guys … As a program, it means we're where I want us to be."
Milan looked to have the win sewn up after a Milton Page basket with 3:20 to play gave the Big Reds their largest lead of regulation at 51-40. But a pair of missed Milan lay-ups and 2-of-6 shooting down the stretch from the free throw line opened the door for the Pirates.
Three three-pointers in Napoleon's final three possession — the last coming with only eight seconds to play — capped a furious 17-6 Pirate run and sent the teams into overtime tied at 57.
The extra period, however, was all Big Reds. Zack McGovern scored a basket and a made free throw off steals on back-to-back possessions for three quick points, followed by a Lance Smith jumper. After two Napoleon free throws, Randy Monty scored four straight points to push the Milan lead to 66-59 with 1:41 remaining.
With little choice the Pirates resorted to fouling, and this time the Big Reds converted 10-of-12 to put the game well beyond reach.
"We had the half-court trap called for the beginning of overtime. That got us Zack's steals and we were in good position the rest of the way," Davies said.
Despite entering the fourth quarter without a field goal and with only one point, Monty finished with 16, one point fewer than McGovern's game-high 17. They were joined in double figures by Justin Fugate, who scored a season-high 13 points. Smith finished with nine points, Cameron Hynds seven, Erik Draves five, Page and Erik Gunderson four and Paul Irwin one.
The starting Milan backcourt was uncharacteristically quiet in the first half as both McGovern and Monty went scoreless. But Smith and Fugate came off the bench to help pick up the slack, with Fugate dominating the offensive glass and scoring seven straight Big Red points in the second quarter to help build an 18-9 lead.
"Lance Smith had a great game for us tonight," Davies said, "and I think Justin Fugate might have had an even better game. They made a big difference for us."
The Pirates closed the half on a 13-4 run to tie the game at 22 entering the third quarter. McGovern finally got hot, hitting three three-pointers to put Milan up 33-25 halfway through the period and 39-33 entering the fourth.
Milan, 67
New Boston Huron, 56
McGovern hit five three-pointers and scored 23 points as Milan exploded in the third quarter for a comfortable win on the road Feb. 20 at New Boston.
The Big Reds led 32-24 at halftime before eight straight points from McGovern closed out a 21-point third quarter and gave Milan a commanding 53-32 lead entering the final period.
McGovern was followed by Monty with 19 points, Page and Draves with six, Irwin with four, Hynds and Kyle Crump with two, and Fugate with one.
The win –– combined with a Michigan High School Athletic Association ruling that declared an Airport player ineligible and forced the Jets to forfeit four wins including one at Milan –– improved Milan's record to 10-7 on the season.
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