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Furious 2nd Half Rally Propels Slicer Boys to Win over Michigan City

The La Porte Slicer boys' basketball team trailed by 14 points at halftime Friday night before storming back for a breathtaking 76-73 win over Michigan City. This was the second game of a boys/girls doubleheader played in front of a huge, enthusiastic crowd at the Wolves Den.

 

La Porte led briefly early in the opening quarter before Michigan City took the lead. Dylan Salisbury hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 13 with 20 seconds left in the quarter. Michigan City’s all-everything guard Jamie Hodges countered with a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Wolves a 16-13 lead after one period.

 

Michigan City started the 2nd quarter on a 10-2 run to up their lead to 26-15. The Wolves stayed red-hot throughout the 2nd period leading by as many as 18 points. They scored 27 points in the quarter, hitting five three-pointers, three by Anthony Murphy. Hodges put the finishing touches on the quarter hitting another three at the buzzer. The Wolves led 43-29 at half.

 

La Porte came out firing in the 3rd quarter, scoring 27 points of their own to cut the Michigan City lead to 63-56 heading into the final period. Ja’Meryion Cross hit a pair of threes scoring 9 points in the 3rd. Kyle Kirkham also hit a pair of threes for 6 points with Rylan Kieszkowski scoring 5. The Slicers got as close as 3 points on a couple of occasions in the period but could get no closer.

 

The 4th quarter was one for the ages. The scrappy Slicers cut the Michigan City lead to 2 points twice before tying the game at 69. Michigan City had pulled back ahead 73-71 when Cross drilled a three-pointer at the minute-and-a-half mark putting La Porte ahead 74-73. The Wolves Murphy missed a long three-point attempt with the Slicers getting the rebound. After a timeout, the LP broke the Michigan City press but Malik Corley was trapped by three Wolves forcing the Slicers to call another time-out with 13 seconds remaining.

 

Slicer coach Jordan Heckard drew up the perfect inbounds play. With RJ Anglin inbounding the ball in front of the Slicer bench, he put Corley, a 93% free throw shooter, underneath the LP basket. Corley sprinted off a pick into the backcourt unguarded as his defender slipped trying to get through the pick.

 

Michigan City had no choice but to foul Corley who was a perfect 8 for 8 from the line up to that point.

He calmly sank both free throws giving the Slicers a 76-73 lead with 9.9 seconds left.
Michigan City still had time. They hurried the ball up the court. Hodges missed a contested three from the deep right wing. The battle for the rebound ended with the ball going out of bounds off of the Slicers underneath the Wolves' basket with 1.1 seconds left. After using their final timeout City got the ball to Murphy in the corner. His hurried three-pointer was long and the Slicers had their biggest win in recent memory.

 

Cross and Corley shared the Salisbury and Spence Edward Jones Player of the Game award. Cross finished with 19 points including 4 three-pointers. Corley scored 18 points including a perfect 10-10 from the foul line, he hit 2 threes and was the primary ball handler against the physical Michigan City defense.

 

Cross and Corley were not alone, there were heroes galore for the Slicers. The steady Kirkham scored 13 points, Tommy Samuelson had 10, Kieszkowski finished with 8, Anglin 5, and Salisbury 3.

Hodges finished with 23 points for the Wolves who fell to 10-4 and 1-2 in the DAC. Murphy had 18 and Allen Briggs finished with 16 including a couple of dunks.

 

La Porte, now 10-5 on season 1-2 in the DAC, hit 17-22 free throws. Michigan City was 7-15 from the line including 2-7 in the fourth quarter.

 

The Boys JV team fell to Michigan City Thursday night 54-44. Gage Raymond led the way with 15 points and Javelle Broome had 10.

 

The Slicers will be back in action next Friday at Crown Point JV game at 5:30, Varsity at 7:00. On Saturday, Concord will come to Slicer gym. 5:00 JV tip 6:30 Varsity.

 

SLICER GIRLS FALL TO MICHIGAN CITY

 

The La Porte girls' basketball team fell to Michigan City 52-20 in the opener of the boys/girls doubleheader on Friday night. Michigan City led 15-5 after one period and steadily increased their lead.

Sophomore Elizabeth Wallace scored 6 points for the Slicers, Abbey Schreeg had 5, Abby Allen and Taylor Revis pitched in with 3 each. Michigan City’s Paulecia Isom led all scorers with 14. Ramirra Anderson had 10 and Divine Woods finished with 9 points. Michigan City improved their record to 6-12 as the Slicers fall to 0-20.

 

Michigan City won the Thursday Girls JV game 39-32.

 

Photos courtesy of Susan Anglin.

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