–The Munising Mustangs Boys play on 1400am GTO Good Time Oldies and WQXO.com with Mike James!
03/16/2015 Negaunee High School, Negaunee, MI – The spring rain had come on a mild March day, when the Munising Mustang boys basketball team played the North Central Jets in exciting playoff action. The Mustang boys had been a dominant force throughout the majority of the season, only having been defeated in one game, and the North Central Jets had been equally dominant. Both of the teams had already won their divisional playoffs, and now the bigger games of the regional playoffs had begun. Munising and North Central had faced-off only one other time during the regular season, and the Jets won the game, thanks to a highly-debatable call from the refs. The opening tip-off was won by the Munising Mustangs, and Garrett Blank nailed a huge three-point shot for the first three points of the game. Speed would be a huge determining factor in who would be able to win this contest, as Mustangs’ announcer Mike James noted. The Jets played with a loose man-to-man defense, and the Mustangs fell back on their trusty full-court press. Garrett Blank fell hard and appeared hurt, however, he was able to get back up and walk it off. With under two minutes left, the Jets had the lead, however, Munising was able to retake the lead by a score of nine to six. Nick Cercone hooped a long three point shot that put the Mustangs further ahead as the end of the quarter buzzer sounded.
First Quarter Score:
Munising Mustangs: 14
North Central Jets: 8
The fans for both the Munising Mustangs and the North Central Jets were out in full force, and the Negaunee High School Gymnasium was filled with cheering fans. “Big” Ben Stasewich looked to continue his excellent season when he had five rebounds and four points in the first quarter alone. The action heated-up as the Jets went on an eight-point scoring run that tied the score at 16-16 with just over five minutes left in the first half. The Jets took the lead when one of their players hit a three-point shot which put the score at 19-16. Munising made some ground up when one of their players hit a two-point jump shot which brought them to within one point of the Jets. The Jets went on a 13-2 run in the second quarter, which brought them to a 23-18 lead, with just minutes left in the first half. Adding to the Mustangs problems, Alex Hill had three fouls, and so he had to be subbed-out to prevent him from fouling out of the game. The Jets’ Bilski had 12 points through the first quarter and half of the second, thanks in part to the numerous fouls the referees had called. With just over one minute left in the half, the Mustangs had cut the Jets’ lead to just four points, but Munising was unable to get any closer to North Central before the end of the first half.
Second Quarter Score:
Munising Mustangs: 24
North Central Jets: 28
Halftime was a welcome reprieve for the Munising Mustangs, as the first half of play had been filled with fast-paced action, and both teams needed the rest. Nick Cercone had seven points in the first half, and he looked to help the Mustangs make a comeback by continuing to put points onto the board. Munising’s ball movement was fantastic in the third quarter, which allowed the Mustangs to overtake the Jets by a score of 30-28. Andy Cooper had a great would-be steal when he was able to knock the ball away from a key Jets player, but Cooper was called immediately for a foul, much to his chagrin. The large number of fouls continued to be a problem for both teams into the second half of play, and the fans continued to chant their encouragement. The referees seemed to be leaning in favor of the North Central Jets when Ben Stasewich was fouled hard, but he was called for traveling instead. With one minute left in the third quarter, a Jets player hit a hook-shot which put North Central ahead by a score of 36-34.
Third Quarter Score:
Munising Mustangs: 34
North Central Jets: 38
The last quarter between the Munising Mustangs and the North Central Jets was sure to be the most action-filled quarter yet. The fervor in the stands wound to a roar as the two teams fought for the honor to play downstate, and the palpable tension was made worse by the fact that the score had remained so close throughout the game. North Central had moved ahead of the Mustangs by two points with five minutes remaining in the game that would decide the Mustangs’ season. With a time of just over two minutes left in the game, the score remained tight, but the Jets had the advantage by a score of 43-39. With 1:30 remaining, the crowd noise was nearly deafening, and the Mustangs fans cheered their hearts out, hoping to inspire a Mustangs comeback. Despite the immense effort put into the game by Munising, they were unable to surpass the North Central Jets score and win the game.
Final Game Score:
Munising Mustangs: 44
North Central Jets: 48
