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Photos by Tom Perkins
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Marvon Sanders had quite a day against the Belleville Tigers during "Senior Night" last Thursday. Ypsilanti won the season series 2-0. Sanders scored a game high 17.
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It was the first time all season that five Ypsilanti High seniors started a basketball game. But after the tremendous success they enjoyed Thursday afternoon defeating Belleville 59-32, it is for certain Phoenix Coach Steve Brooks will try the combination again.
It was the final game that these seniors would play at home and they were applauded before the game for their careers during "Senior Night." This definitely pumped up the home team but didn't have quite the same affect on the Tigers who started the game extremely slow.
Ypsilanti's seniors came out on fire and Terry Lopez poured in eight of his team's 17 points in the first quarter. Marvon Sanders had five points and Sam Robinson had four points.
Belleville was held to just five points in the quarter and no one had above two points. Ypsi High led 17-5 after the first quarter.
Lopez said despite still not being 100 percent healthy he was pleased with his effort.
"It felt good," Brooks said. "It was the first time all season that five seniors have started. Our intensity was there and we came out strong."
In the second half, the Phoenix outscored Belleville 13-1 to take a 30-6 lead into the lockers at the half. Connor Heine had six points for Ypsilanti. Belleville narrowly avoided being blanked in the quarter but manage a free throw from Vinnie Boyd with 1:35 left in the second quarter.
With a 24-point lead in the second half Brooks' intention had to be to keep the team focused and to continue to play just has they had been. Belleville's Coach Don Hickman could not be very pleased with what he was seeing from his team.
In the third quarter, both teams came out and played well. Belleville scored 13 points to put their three-quarter total at 19 points. Heine's six points led Ypsilanti and the Phoenix had 14 points to lead 45-19 after three quarters of play.
Ypsilanti had 14 points in the fourth quarter and was led by eight points from Sanders (all foul shots). Boyd led the Tigers with five points.
Sanders led all scorers with 17 points. Heine had 12 points, Lopez nine points and Torren Burns poured in seven points.
Ricky Smith-Love and Boyd finished with seven points for Belleville and Kourea Hayes had six points.
Brooks knew how Belleville was feeling after the loss.
"Both teams' seasons have kind of been going like this," Brooks said. "They had an injury to (Booker) Stoudmire and we have been hobbling all season.
"(Greg) Gibson didn't practice all week. It has still been a joy to coach all these kids."
He said that despite not being totally healthy Lopez provides the kind of spark that the Phoenix need.
"I want us to play with more intensity and I think we did because of the seniors," he said. "It is nice to see how we could have played all year if we were healthy."
The Phoenix improve to 9-9 overall and 7-4 in the Mega Red. On Tuesday they play at Willow Run and Thursday they are at Romulus at 7 p.m.
Hickman was not very happy after the loss.
"They punched us in the mouth and we never recovered," Hickman said. "We were not mentally or physically tough in this game."
He said they jumped out on them and his team never really made a push in the game.
"It is embarrassing," he said. "It was a good old-fashion butt-kicking. The boys better realize what happen and make sure it doesn't happed again."
Hickman said he doesn't even want to watch the tape on this one.
On Tuesday, the Tigers fell to Southgate Anderson 56-50. They were down 19-10 after the first quarter but made it a 29-19 battle at the half.
Hickman said it was a similar game to the Ypsilanti one except in this one his team got to within two points of the Titans.
"It was the same type of game as this one," he said. "They (Anderson) wanted it more than we did."
Stoudmire played, after having sat out with concussion-like symptoms because of a hard fall, and finished with 17 points. Love had 10 points for the Tigers.
Belleville falls to 11-7 overall and 7-3 in the Mega Red. On Tuesday they host Belleville and on Thursday they will host Romulus.
Both Ypsilanti High and Belleville will meet again in the first round of Class A district action on Monday, Feb. 25 at 5:30 p.m. at Wayne Memorial High. That winner will face Romulus on Feb. 27.
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