Slow start dooms Dogs

By RANDY ROBERTS

Enterprise Sports Writer

TOLEDO - Swanton overcame a slow start, but Otsego freshman Ryan Smoyer came through in the clutch in a Division III sectional semifinal at Whitmer. Smoyer's trey with 32 seconds left broke a deadlocked game as the Knights advanced past the Bulldogs 59-55.

Otsego will now face Delta in the opening game on Friday for the sectional title. In the nightcap, Genoa struggled all night with Lake and pulled out a 49-48 win when the Flyers' game-winning opportunity was blocked away with two seconds to play. The Comets will face Evergreen in the finale on Friday night.

"We got off to a slow start, we came out a little flat," said Swanton head coach Matt Smith. "Once we settled down and picked up the pressure we were fine. I hate to see our three seniors go out with a game like that. These kids have battled all year long. I'm really proud of them."

The slow start was the 22-9 hole the Bulldogs found themselves in after one stanza. Ryan Johnson made sure, however, that the game did not get out of hand. After being held scoreless in the opening period, he hit back-to-back triples to get Swanton within single digits. He added a third to start a 7-0 run that cut the lead down to 27-24 with 3:35 left in the half.

"He's done it all year long," Smith mentioned of Johnson. "He scores in bunches. The problem is we have to get him the basketball. Once he gets the basketball he can do a lot of damage."

Although they never led in the first half, Louis Miller got the Bulldogs even as he scored the last basket of the half to send the teams to the locker rooms tied at 30.

The Bulldogs worked themselves out of a much smaller deficit in the second half. Matt Weisenborn and A.C. Limes scored back-to-back baskets to put Otsego up 36-32. Travis Hilton single-handedly pulled Swanton out with a five quick points to put Swanton back in front to start the final period.

The lead changed hands six times and the game was tied two other times before the Knights got the baskets at the end to pull out the four point win.

"We let them wiggle through a couple times in the fourth quarter," added Smith. "They drove middle and just beat us too many times."

Both teams finished with 14 turnovers and both teams had 10 coming in the second half. Otsego outrebounded Swanton by one, 36-35. The Knights were 21-52 from the floor while the Bulldogs were 23-55. Otsego hit eight treys to six for Swanton.

Johnson finished with 18 points while Hilton added 17.

The Bulldogs finished the year with a mark of 8-13.

Swanton 9 21 10 15 - 55

Otsego 22 8 8 21 - 59

Swanton: Miller 3-1-0-9, Hilton 8-1-17, Barker 2-0-4, Johnson 2-4-2-18, Peabody 2-1-0-7. Totals 17-6-3-55.

Otsego: Weisenborn 3-1-1-10, Smoyer 1-6-1-21, Gerwin 1-0-2, Rodgers 0-2-2, Forshey 3-1-4-13, Limes 5-1-11. Totals 13-8-9-59.