EAST LANSING — You can’t get any closer than that.
Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice nearly knocked off top-ranked East Lansing in their MHSAA Division 1 boys basketball semi-final Friday afternoon at Michigan State University, but the defending state champs buried a three-pointer with 1.5 seconds left, taking a 55-52 victory and ending the Warriors’ season one step short of the championship game.
Brother Rice freshman Jordan McDaniel tied the game at 52 with 16 seconds remaining in regulation by driving for a lay-up, and adding the ensuing foul shot after he was hammered on the way to the hoop. But East Lansing answered as Kelvin Torbert become the hero by swishing the late 25-footer, silencing the raucous Brother Rice crowd.
“We guarded them well the whole game, especially in the first half, where all their points were off offensive rebounds and transition,” Brother Rice head coach Rick Palmer said. “We just didn’t make one more defensive stop that we needed to make. I haven’t seen (the replay of) that play yet, but it felt like we guarded that last play pretty well, and a really good player made a really good shot.”
Earlier in the week, Torbert was voted as the state’s Hal Schram Mr. Basketball award winner. It wasn’t the first time he’s won a game with a long-range ace, either.
“You know, I saw an option where I could probably find some space to get open for a three, so that’s what I decided to do,” he said. “This is a pretty big stage. This is the stuff you dream of, hitting the game-winning shot at the Bres; it was just a big moment for me.”
Despite not even hitting his first shot until 4 minutes remained in the first half, McDaniel finished with a game-high 31 points, despite having to match up with Torbert (who collected 23).
“I really don’t care that he’s Mr. Basketball or who we’re all playing against,” McDaniel said. “I’m just going out there and competing, no matter who it is. That’s basically the mode I’m in. I was just playing, I wasn’t really thinking about it too much.”
Brother Rice (22-6) led, 45-40, with 4:12 to play after McDaniel buried back-to-back triples. He scored 12 of the Warriors’ 15 points in the final quarter, in addition to 9 more points to close out the third, when Rice erased an 8-point deficit.
“You can’t really describe it,” he said. “When you’re a basketball player and you’re making shots, you really don’t hear the crowd; you’re just going out there and playing your game.”
East Lansing coach Ray Mitchell said Brother Rice had his team on the ropes.
“Our guys never quit,” Mitchell said. “There was a time when the momentum shifted, we never gave up when we were down 5. We got together and kind of collectively decided to anchor down a little bit and make some defensive stops and get some better shots offensively, but it was a battle back and forth.
“That’s how it’s supposed to be, though. At this time of year, that’s what we expect.”
A victory would have sent Brother Rice into Saturday’s championship final against Rockford, who also prevailed in nail-biter, 36-35 over Auburn Hills Avondale, prior to the Rice-East Lansing matchup. Brother Rice was seeking its first basketball state championship since 1974, when the Warriors beat Detroit Cass Tech, 60-56, in overtime.
“Obviously we’re super disappointed, but I couldn’t be prouder of this group and the way they played tonight, the way they battled all year and the way they represented our school and our community for many years,” Palmer said.
“This group of seniors up here in the last four years has won more games than in any four-year stretch in the school’s history; they’ve won more games than in any three-year stretch in the school’s history, and they got us back to our first semi-final in 42 years, so it’s hard for me to say I’m as disappointed as I am and how hurt I am for them. It’s really tough for me to be here and not be super proud of them, the players they are and the kids they are.”
The two teams had met in late December at a holiday showcase at Ferndale High School, with East Lansing (27-1) winning by 21 points. But the Warriors had upped their game since then.
“We weren’t together at all in December,” team captain Jacob Lamb said. “We weren’t really a team. We were just people playing with each other. But throughout the season we built immense relationships with each other and we became closer, not only on the court but in school as well. We practiced harder, played harder and we really wanted to win today. I think everybody on the court showed that.”
