LAKE ORION — A magical season came to an end for the Hartland boys basketball team in Monday’s regional semifinals at Lake Orion High School.
The Eagles, who never led, had cut Detroit Catholic Central’s lead to three points, 22-19, late in the first half.
But the Shamrocks scored the last six points of the half, and then ran away and hid in the second half, rolling past the Eagles, 69-36, to earn a spot in Wednesday’s regional final against Clarkston. The Wolves downed Rochester Adams, 54-46, in the first game.
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“They were shooting at a very high percentage, and we were shooting at a very low percentage,” said Hartland coach Kevin Blouin, whose team finished at 18-5. “It was just one of those nights. We got good looks all night but we struggled to put the ball in the basket.”
Catholic Central (15-8), meanwhile, hit from everywhere, including the free-throw line, where the Shamrocks were 18-of-23 from the line.
“They had some really good shooters, and they took advantage from the line, for sure,” Blouin said.
“It happens sometimes,” Hartland guard Ryan Bohlen said. “It happened a few times this year and we pulled out some tough victories. They just had some really good shooters who stepped up and hit some shots. We stayed tough, and I’m proud of us for doing that.”
Spencer Bulthuis did his part at the line, drawing two-shot fouls seven times and going 9-for-14 at the line en route to leading hte Eagles with 11 points.
“It’s hard when they’re hitting sots and your not to stay with it,” he said. “The lead was growing and we couldn’t get back. We tried out best and left it out there, but it wasn’t our night tonight.”
T.J. Nadeau led all scorers with 20 points for Catholic Central, while Kam Mayes added 16 and Chaz Lewless had 12
Monday’s loss was a rare misstep for a Hartland team that won the KLAA title and a district title this season, its first district crown in six years.
“We had a very resilient group of seniors,” Blouin said. “This group (of eight) seniors has really taken the culture of this program to a higher notch. It’s been a special chemistry, and last year and this year it’s been a special group, a big group of friends, really. We’re looking to build on this moving forward.”
“I’ve been playing with this group of seniors since the third grade,” Bohlen said. “We’ve jelled together. We’ve gotten progressively better as a program. It’s a complete culture change. They’ll carry it on next year. I know they will.”
