WELCOME TO CLUTCH CITY.....A.K.A.  THA OC

Dick Vitale would have been proud of the OC Friday night as the "PTP'ers," were out in force all across the area, pulling out wins for their respective teams with the game on the line.

·         Ryan Zinser officially reached Swagger-Level: One Hundred Thousand Trillion with his game-winner to keep his Roeper Roughriders undefeated. The 5-8 senior point guard went coast to coast to put in a lay-up at the buzzer that lifted Roeper to a two point-win over a very good GPW University Ligget team. Zinser has had a spectacular career so far and the start to his senior season has been no exception. His 20 points and seven assists against Liggett is just par for the course for this "under the radar" gem of a floor general.

 

·         Speaking of underrated point guards, South Lyon's Jordan Short continued to show the haters his merit on Friday night when he nailed a long 3-pointer from the right corner with time running down in the late fourth quarter to propel the Lions to a thrilling 50-49 upset win over host-Novi. Short scored a game-high 29 points and like Zinser, registered seven dimes.  

 

·         RH Lutheran Northwest's Alex Masell got in on the county's game of "money ball" by drilling a buzzer-beating triple that gave the Crusaders an epic 53-52 defeat of defending MIAC conference champion, SH Parkway Christian. Northwest is 4-1 and unbeaten in league play. Senior Steve Miscovich had a game-high 15 points to lead the Crusaders in the scoring column.

 

·         Was that Hazel Park's Wesley Ellis on the floor running the Vikings offense on Friday against BH Andover or was it NBA Hall of Famer and all time dime-specialist, John Stockton. Ellis played so well against the Barons, the comparison to the former Utah Jazz all-star point guard, was more than applicable. Ellis dished off a season county high of 16 assists in the HP's 85-64 win. The Vikings hoopsters are 4-2 and like the school's football team, poised for a surprise season.

 

·         John Schaeffer dropped a cool 27 points in Waterford Mott's 77-70 overtime triumph over host Walled Lake Northern. Schaeffer (another one of the OC's most-underrated "little big men") and the Corsairs are off to a blazing hot 5-1 start to the season.

 

·         WL Central's Joe Zubrickas got his "Sir Charles Barkley" on Friday when he delivered a devastating double-double of 28 points and 19 boards in the Vikings' 56-45 besting of Lakeland.

 

·         Larry "Lil' Gran Mama" Johnson's ultra-active performance of 22 points and eight rebounds, looked eerily similar to his pops in his heyday with the Running Rebels of UNLV in the early-90s and led West Bloomfield to a double OT win over North Farmington

 

·         Carlton "Captain Amazing" Brundidge's 21 points and five assists helped Southfield slip past a tough-as-nails AH Avondale squad, 69-68. Over in the A-Squared coach Belein is licking his chops as we speak. Captain Amazing's backcourt mate, Pee Wee Barnes, chipped in with 15 points and four assists.