GREEN DAY! Novi pulls off epic upset of No. 3-ranked Wayne
Novi’s Chase LeFevre drives hard to the basket Friday night against Wayne.
Equal parts gritty and pretty, Novi’s stunning 66-64 upset of No. 3-ranked Wayne Memorial in Friday night’s KLAA championship game proved anything is possible when you believe and execute.
Champions of the KLAA West Division, the Wildcats overcame a nine-point halftime deficit and outscored the East Division champion Zebras 40-29 over the final 16 minutes to capture their first KLAA conference crown in at least a decade.
Poised and relentless during the tension-packed final moments, Novi seized the lead for good when Michael Schave’s last-minute three-point shot from the left wing found nothing but net, breaking a 61-all deadlock.
(To check out video highlights of Friday’s thriller, click here.)
Schave’s clutch trey came seconds after Wayne’s Jaylohn Allen drained a triple with two minutes to force the short-lived tie.
Boosted by balance
Novi’s balance was a huge factor in the upset.
Led by Aaron Lauer’s 18 points — the senior kept the Wildcats in the game early with three first-quarter threes — four Wildcats scored in double figures.
Schave finished with 14, Chase LeFevre scored 13 and Brendan Lynch added 12.
The bulk of Wayne’s offensive output came from their superstar backcourt of juniors Allen and Carlos Medlock Jr., who combined for 55 points.
Early lead was an omen
Novi exploded out of the gates to take an 11-4 lead before the Zebras turned the tide with a 31-15 run to end the first half.
Novi’s Colin Edwards knocked down two three-point shots while Eric Milt played stellar defense while contributing a bucket.
The highlight-reel play of the night came in second quarter when Wayne’s Austin Tory threw down an alley-oop pass from Medlock Jr. to cap a strong run by the Zebras. (Watch Tory’s monster slam by clicking here.)
Now 19-3, Wayne’s only two setbacks before Friday night came against state-ranked Birmingham Groves and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s.
Novi will take an 18-4 record into next week’s MHSAA Division 1 district tournament that it will host.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
