Ludington’s tournament run ends at the hands of Kingsford, 75-35

 

GAYLORD – It was not the way Ludington’s boys basketball team expected its season to end.

 

But, the Orioles bowed out of the tournament Thursday night with a 75-35 loss to Kingsford in the MHSAA Division 2 regional final at Gaylord High School.

 

The Orioles also lost to the Flivvers in last year’s regional final, but by a much closer score.

 

But both losses were hard to swallow.  Since 1965, the Flivvers and Orioles have been five times with the Flivvers winning four.

 

“We were outmatched tonight,” Ludington coach Thad Shank said. “We didn’t have much of an answer at all. We had a heck of time keeping them in front of us. I mean, I think I have some pretty quick kids, but it felt a little bit like we were in cement them going by us.

 

“And, they’re just as good on the defensive end of the floor. They made it really, really hard for us to get to the paint. They’re just a heck of a high school basketball team. Hats off to them.”

 

Shank didn’t offer any excuses, but the Orioles were a young team and sometimes it showed against the Flivvers.

 

Some of the long-range shots from beyond the arc the Orioles usually make clanged off the rim, and when they did get to the basket for layups, they came up empty.

 

Even so, the Orioles stayed close enough in the first half to keep their hopes of a comeback flickering.

 

Ludington trailed by only seven, 14-7 at the end of the first quarter and 33-18 at the half.

 

But the Flivvers exploded for a 25-11 third quarter, and under the circumstances, that 48-29 lead certainly appeared insurmountable.

 

Kingsford’s experience was a key.

 

“They returned everybody from last year, and have the best player in the (Upper Peninsula) in (Gavin) Grondin,” Shank said. “They’re a veteran team, they’re a very disciplined team and they’re a strong and athletic team. You put all those factors together, it was a long night for us.”

 

Taj Williams led the Orioles with 10 points and Cameron Gunsell chipped in with eight.

 

Grondin finished 4-of-4 at the line and scored a game-high 25 points for the Flivvers. Morgan Sleik contributed 18 points and Jack Kriegl added 16.

 

Ludington graduates only two seniors off this year’s team in Alex Smith and Ben Gronstal. It’ll be a veteran team that takes the floor next year.

“We have nothing to hang our heads about,” added Shank. “If you would have told me last summer while we were coming together that we would be playing in a regional final, I would have taken it any day. It was a great season. We lose two great seniors who were great leaders, but the majority of the kids who scored for us and played minutes this year are returning.

 

“Hopefully, this was a great learning experience for them. If they want to get a chance to get back here, or play at a level that can take them even further, they saw live and in person tonight what that level is. They have a lot of work to do.”

 

Ludington closed out the season with an eight-game winning streak and a 16-9 record.

 

Kingsford lifted its mark to 21-3 and advances to next Tuesday’s quarterfinals at Big Rapids where the Flivvers will face Freeland at 7 p.m.