Was Northville’s 37-34 win over Mercy an upset? ‘D’efinitely NOT!

 Was Northville’s 37-34 win over Mercy an upset? ‘D’efinitely NOT!

A trio of Mustangs — Lyza Koski, Carly Pelon and Peyton Sivier — converge on Mercy’s Naimah Kellum.

Facing a storied basketball program like Farmington Hills Mercy — whose roster, by the way, is stocked with five players who live in Northville — used to be a daunting task for the Mustangs.

After Friday night’s 37-34 Northville victory, the victors’ image on the high school hoops landscape is certainly shifting away from perennial underdog status.

Poised, committed to defense and undaunted by the Marlins’ roster that is populated by next-level players — including returning 6-foot first-team All-State forward Aizlyn Albanese –Northville earned its no-fluke triumph the old-fashioned way: with smothering defense, relentless rebounding and clutch shooting down the stretch.

(To check out video highlights from Friday’s game, click here.)

Peyton Sivier drew a foul on this second-quarter drive to the hoop
Peyton Sivier drew a foul on this second quarter drive to the hoop

Powered by five three-point swishes from sophomore Peyton Sivier – she’s a sophomore? Wow! — and pivotal defensive efforts from Sivier (a clean block on a Mia Retzbach drive that would have given Mercy a last-minute lead) and a slick swipe by junior Carly Pelon to help seal the non-upset, the Mustangs scored the final four points to lock down their second-straight victory over Mercy, which opened the season with lopsided victories over Warren Regina, Howell and Birmingham Marian.

Peyton’s place

Sivier, who ran down the court after each one of her made triples with a “Cool Hand Luke” calmness, led the winners with 17 points.

Sophomore Sophia Fraas was equally impactful, netting 13 points, while Pelon contributed three points to go along with crafty ball-handling and glove-like defense.

Harper Lee and Sophia Fraas double team Emily Walker
Harper Lee and Sophia Fraas double team Emily Walker

Senior Emily Walker kept the Marlins in the game with 14 points. Caroline Paluk tallied 11 point.

Among the unheralded baseline-to-baseline hustlers for Northville were Lyza Koski and Harper Lee (the forward, not the author), who combined for just two points (Lee’s third-quarter bucket), but antagonized the Marlins with their gritty, non-scoring attributes.

Shooting heats up after frigid first

Following an ice-cold first quarter that ended 4-4, Mercy seemed to gain some traction in the second quarter and led 15-9 at the half.

The Mustangs bolted out of the halftime locker room with a vengeance, clamping down on the Marlins on the defensive end while knocking down four rainbow threes (two each from Sivier and Fraas) to seize a 21-20 advantage with eight minutes to go.

When Walker drained a top-of-the-key three with 1:50 remaining, Mercy led 34-33.

It turned out to be the visitors’ final points thanks to a late-game effort from the Mustangs, who should be taken lightly by exactly nobody throughout the rest of this season.

Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.

Peyton Sivier finishes a fast break with a layup

Ed Wright

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