LBI: Inside the Game Summary

2016 MHSAA Class A State Quarterfinals

“Cousino Heats Up At the Right Time”

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Southfield High School

Tuesday night featured a double header at Southfield High School for the MHSAA Class A quarterfinals with a trip to the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Friday on the line.  The second game featured Warren Cousino, winners of the Roseville Regional, against Northville, winners of the Novi Regional.  The winner in this one takes on the winner of East Lansing and Hudsonville.

Both teams were pretty even in the 1st quarter.  Northville got off to a decent start thanks to Junior Brook Adams. She would get a basket and a foul as well as a put-back midway through the 1st.  At the other end of the court Cousino, who had brought along their student section to Southfield High, answered back with a layup by Junior Kierra Fletcher to take an early lead.  The Patriots would follow that up with a triple from Junior Erin McArthur.  After the 1st, Cousino had a one point lead 10-9.

The Patriots would continue their momentum with a put-back by Senior Mackenzie Anderson.  After that, Fletcher would become red hot as she would add a layup, then a jump shot and a foul that she turned into a 3-point play.  Northville meanwhile would go ice cold as they only managed 4 points in the first six and a half minutes in the 2nd.  At the half, Cousino still led 22-15.

The Patriots would continue to build on their lead, mainly at the free throw line.  Fouls were a major issue for Northville as they would finish the game out-fouling Cousino 10-3.  The Mustangs however would close in on the Patriots thanks to back-to-back layups by Adams late in the quarter to bring them within three points.  After 3, Northville narrowed Cousino’s lead to 28-25.

Unfortunately things would only go downhill for the Mustangs.  They could only put up a single point for half of the 4th quarter while Cousino continued to play well thanks to more layups by Flecther.  Sophomore Kendall Dillon did her best to spark a rally for Northville but that would be it for them pointwise.  Cousino would pull away to earn a trip to East Lansing 41-29.

“We’ve won 100 and some games over the past six years for a reason,” said Patriots Head Coach Mike Lee. “We’ve had great players and great tradition and so this group is just buying in a little bit more and we’re playing hot at the right time.”    

Leading scorers of the night: Cousino: Kierra Fletcher 25, Erin McArthur 6, Mackenzie Anderson 4.  Northville: Brook Adams 10, Jessica Moorman 7, Jasmin Prince and Kendall Dillon 3.

Game and Team Highlights

Cousino:

• This game may as well have been the Kierra Flecther show. She was dominant all night putting up 25 points, 10 more than the next highest individual effort.“When it came down to it and we needed to score, he (Coach Lee) reminded me to take the game over a little bit,” said Fletcher on her performance overall.

• The Patriots also recovered nicely from a disappointing six point 3rd quarter as they would outscore Northville 13-4 in the 4th.

Northville:

• Brook Adams did her best to keep the Mustangs in this one.Not only did she win in points but she would have those come in key moments in both the 1st and 3rd quarters.

• Northville had a comeback put together in the 3rd by outscoring Cousino 10-6 but unfortunately the offense would go cold in the 4th