Playing their third game in four nights, the Clarkston basketball team fought off fatigue while beating Southfield 67-52 Friday night.
‘We are happy to get the win,? CHS coach Dan Fife said. ‘The kids were dead exhausted at the end of the game.?
The Wolves led the entire game after scoring the first four points of the contest. A Kyle Rademacher three- pointer at the end of the first quarter pushed the Clarkston lead to 18-9 going into the second quarter.
Chris Johnston scored seven points in the second quarter for Clarkston as they took a 31-25 lead into the half. Johnston finished with 24 points for the game.
After halftime, the Wolves came out firing in the third quarter. They opened the second half with a 10-0 run to take control of the game.
Clarkston continued to apply pressure in the third quarter and built a 52-33 lead after three.
Fatigue caught up with the Wolves in the fourth quarter, as Southfield used a full-court trap to force numerous Clarkston turnovers. Southfield closed to within 10 at 58-48 with four minutes left in the game. However, a couple baskets by Johnston helped the Wolves regain control of the game.
‘We didn’t hold up against the trap at the end of the game but the kids were fatigued. It was a good, ugly game,? Fife said. ‘It was a good night for the seniors to be able to walk off the floor the last time with a win.?
Brad Goodman scored 17 points for Clarkston, while Robbie Clark added 12 points.
The victory left Clarkston with a 14-3 overall record and an 8-1 mark in the OAA I. The Wolves have three road games left against Pontiac Central, Lathrup and Ferndale.
The Southfield game capped off a week which saw Clarkston also beat Rochester and Troy. Clarkston beat Troy in double overtime 85-81. The Wolves were down 20 with four minutes to play in the make-up game, before their comeback forced overtime.
‘It was one of the best games I have ever been associated with,? Fife said. ‘It was a great game.?
Johnston led the way with 33 points, while Clark added 24 points. XXX Kaltz scored 13 points.