Ewen-Trout Creek’s Jaden Borseth, right, tries to shoot while being defended by Wyoming Tri-unity’s Hanif James during the MHSAA Division 4 state championship game on Saturday, March 26, 2022, in East Lansing. (Photo courtesy MHSAA)

By ADAM NIEMI

Houghton Daily

Mining Gazette

EAST LANSING — Ewen-Trout Creek fell just short of a state championship title, as Wyoming Tri-unity rallied for a 56-45 overtime win in the MHSAA Division 4 state championship game on Saturday morning.

Wyoming Tri-unity (21-6) was led by Brady Titus’ game-high 33 points. He shot 14 of 25 from the field and 5 for 5 on free throws. He also had four assists.

Despite Titus’ breakout game, E-TC head coach Brad Besonen said he was proud of his team’s defensive effort.

“The effort on defense — I couldn’t be happier,” he said. “This group, we’ve talked defense and grind, making life miserable for other teams. I think we did that down here, just like we did through the season.

“We’re all pretty sad about the way things went down. Overtime losses are always tough. Overtime loss in a state championship game is something else.

“The fight and the grind that these guys bring to the court every night showed tonight, in front a big audience on the big stage in the biggest game that we can have as high school teams,” Besonen added. “I couldn’t be prouder of these guys.”

The Panthers were outscored 13-2 in overtime. Titus scored 17 of his points in the fourth quarter and overtime for the Defenders.

Besonen said his team appeared fatigued late in the second half as the defensive effort led to some lag on the offensive side.

“They did a good job of not allowing us much good stuff in the second half. I think a little bit of what happened against St. Mary on Thursday is we got wore down a little bit,” Besonen said of the semifinal win against Lake Leelanau St. Mary. “When we’re grinding like that on defense, it’s hard to stay fresh and quick on offensive end. If you’re going to sneak some rest, you’re going to have to sneak it on offense.

“These guys will call each other out if they see each other slacking on defense,” Besonen added. “Sometimes when you’re in a grinder like this, and the emotions of the whole week, I think it wears on you a little bit and I think offense is where that shows a little bit. We run no structured offense at all.”

E-TC (22-4) threw everything it had at Wyoming Tri-unity. Jaden Borseth, Brendan Polkky and Eric Abramson scored in double figures, combining for 42 points or 93% of Panthers’ scoring production.

Borseth led the Panthers with 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Polkky had 14 points, four rebounds and an assist. Abramson added 12 points, four rebounds, with an assist, block and a steal.

Not a bad showing for the Panthers’ first state finals appearance since 1972.

Agonizingly for the Panthers was that they led most of the fourth quarter. A layup by Polkky with 7:09 to play extended E-TC’s lead to 38-32. Titus then hit a jumper.

E-TC turned over the ball and Jordan VanKlompenberg tipped in the rebound. The Panthers made another turnover and Titus stole the ball and scored a layup to tie the game.

E-TC missed a 3-pointer and the Defenders grabbed the rebound and turned it into a layup by Titus, who was fouled and converted the three-point play for a 41-38 lead.

Polkky hit a jumper to cut the deficit to a point. Borseth hit a trey with 49 seconds remaining to give E-TC a 43-41 lead. The Defenders answered with a Titus layup. E-TC took a 30-second timeout with 15 seconds left.

The Panthers turned the ball over with a second left.

The game was in Borseth’s hand in the closing seconds of regulation with a 43-all game. Borseth got the ball at the baseline and threw up a quick shot as time expired. The ball hit the back of the rim, rimmed out to the front, rolled back off the backboard and again off of the rim.

E-TC’s only overtime points came off a pair of free throws by Abramson with 42 seconds remaining, closing the Panthers’ deficit to 47-45.

Wyoming Tri-unity, meanwhile, scored from all over the floor. It continued scoring after Abramson’s free throws, taking the ball the length of the court for a layup after Abramson’s free throws.

E-TC turned over the ensuing possession and fouled Wyoming Tri-unity the rest of the way. Wyoming Tri-unity made 4 of 6 free throws in that span, punctuating the win with a trey at the buzzer.