FeedsCanton beats Salem, falls in district finale
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Canton ‘s Marie Martin (13), Ja’nee Morton (33) and Baylee Hollowell (53) battle for the ball against Novi in a Division 1 district finale at South Lyon on Friday. Canton couldn’t drop shots in the 47-36 loss.The Canton Lady Chiefs had the comeback of the season against Salem last Wednesday but they couldn’t repeat in the district finale against Novi on Friday in South Lyon.
Novi won, 47-36, to secure the district title.
“The story of the game was we couldn’t make shots and Novi did,” said Canton Coach Brian Samulski. “We cut (the lead) to four at one time in the fourth but we couldn’t get it less than four.”
Canton took an 11-10 first quarter lead but shots missed their marks in the second, allowing the Wildcats to take a 26-17 half-time lead. Novi kept the pace going and outscored Canton, 25-19, in the second half.
Senior Ja’nee Morton led Canton with 12 points and six rebounds. Becci Houdek added nine points and Baylee Hollowell added six and grabbed a team high 12 rebounds.
“We finished the season 19-3, division champs, and conference champs,” Samulski said, “so even though we lost Friday night I think the kids had a great season and they should be proud of what they accomplished.”
The biggest game of the district tournament was on Wednesday against Salem, when the district semi final at South Lyon—a grudge match between the rival Rocks and Chiefs—was decided in the final seconds.
The two teams split games during the regular season—Salem won the early non-division game while Canton rebounded to take the conference championship.
The first two games were methodical, slow, low scoring affairs. The third wasn’t all that different. That is until the final three minutes of the game—a game that saw Canton battle back after they trailed for most of the first 29 minutes.
The Lady Chiefs got big baskets from their seniors, Houdek, Lauren Delapaz and Morton when they needed them, but it was junior center Hollowell that earned the star for the day. She took a pass from Houdek under the basket, then battled for the rebound of her missed shot and scored on a final buzzer-beater layup to win the game, 37-35.
“I wanted to be under the basket to make sure that I was there for the pass-off,” Hollowell said after the game, as her teammates patted her on the back. “I saw my first shot hit the rim so I went up for the rebound and got it in.”
It sounds simple enough, but it was a tough game up to that point for the Chiefs.
Down 6-2, Canton got a patented ‘we’re-down-but-not-out triple’ from Houdek and junior Hillary Payne split a pair from the line to knot the first quarter, 6-6.
Salem had back-to-back big plays from sophomore Chelsea Davis to take a 14-10 lead in the second frame but Morton converted a three-point play to make it a one-point game.
Canton scored the first four points after the intermission to take its first lead of the contest. The Lady Rocks buckled down and went on a 7-2 run, including four points from senior Teresa Copiellie, to go back on top, 21-19. Salem escaped the round with a two-point advantage, 25-23.
The rivals traded baskets throughout the first half of the final round until Canton junior center Marie Martin hit for a deuce. Then Morton drove one in and Houdek hit for a 33-30 Canton lead. Alaya Mitchell knocked down a triple to tie for Salem.
In the final seconds the ball ended up in the hands of Houdek who found the open Hollowell.
“We always want the ball in Becci’s hands the last 10 seconds or so,” said Canton Coach Brian Samulski. “Becci makes all kinds of plays. She’s a playmaker. Hollowell just made an outstanding second shot.”
Morton led Canton with 11 points. Hollowell added nine. Lauren Kurtz led Salem with 10 and grabbed eight rebounds.
The loss put an end to Salem’s stellar season. They finished at 18-4, overall.
