‘A’ FOR EFFORT: Northville battles tough Clarkston to final buzzer
Northville junior guard Carly Pelon splits a pair of Clarkston defenders during the first half of Friday’s game.
Playing a talented team nicknamed the Wolves on Friday the 13th — with nighttime skies illuminated by a full moon — wasn’t the ideal scenario for Northville’s girls basketball team.
The hustling Mustangs, however, brought their A game and pushed Clarkston to the brink before suffering a 53-51 setback on a Wolves three-point bomb with just 33 ticks left on the fourth-quarter clock.
Northville, whose roster is populated by just three seniors, led for over 90% of the game, but succumbed to Clarkston’s 34-point second half that was aided by a few too many Mustang turnovers.
The Mustangs’ balanced attack was paced by sophomore Sophia Fraas (14 points) and junior guard Carly Pelon’s 12 points. Senior reserve guard Sara Bambenek contributed 8 points on 4-for-4 shooting, while sophomore guard Peyton Sivier added 7.
(To check out highlights from Friday’s game, click here.)
Mustangs’ aggressive defense was key
Northville’s all-out defensive effort held Clarkston star Elliana Robak (who has reportedly been offered by Oakland University) to 10 points.
The Wolves’ primary weapon was senior Elia Morgner, who scored a team-high 15 points, including a deep-corner triple with 33 seconds remaining that gave the visitors a 53-51 lead.
The Mustangs turned the ball over on their next possession, but earned a second chance to tie the game or win it when Sophia Knapp forced a jump ball with 9 seconds left.
Knapp’s potential game-winning three-point shot just before the buzzer missed the mark, and the Wolves escaped with a narrow victory.
‘Effort was … unbelievable’
“Our effort tonight was unbelievable,” said Northville Head Coach Shaun Dicken. “The girls were diving the floor. Obviously, there’s room for improvement offensively, but on the defensive end I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
The play of the night unfolded with 1:35 left and Northville facing a daunting 49-44 deficit. Junior Harper Lee, who hadn’t scored all night, drained a corner triple while getting fouled in the act of shooting by Robak. (Watch Harper Lee sink a long three while getting fouled by clicking here.)
Lee buried the ensuing free throw to bring the Mustangs to within 49-48. Fraas’ driving layup on Northville’s next possession gave the hosts a 50-49 lead; however, an Ellery Hernandez free throw and Morgner’s clutch three sealed the win for Clarkston.
“That’s a really good team,” Dicken said of Clarkston. “They have three really good guards, at least one of which will be playing college basketball.
“Sophia Knapp, who is just a sophomore, did a great job defending (Robak). Offensively, Carly Pelon was tough to stay in front of tonight.”
‘CHANGE IT’
Northville has embraced the motto “CHANGE IT”, which is printed on the back of its warm-up jerseys.
“There’s a lot that goes into it,” Dicken said of the motto. “We want to change our record from last year, and also change the way people view us around the league and the state.
“Our line-up tonight was mainly three sophomores and two juniors, so we’re young. The girls have been working hard to get better day in and day out.”
Northville, which finished near the bottom of the KLAA West Division last season, can feel good about the way they hung tough with Clarkston, which lost to KLAA power Hartland by just two points earlier this month.
Led by Fraas’ 6-for-8 effort from the free-throw line, the Mustangs swished a commendable 13 of 18 shots from the charity stripe.
Friday’s game was part of the KLAA/OAA Challenge.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
