- Michigan
D2 SEMIS: Freeland gets hot, rallies from double-digit deficit to knock off previously-unbeaten Hamilton
GRAND RAPIDS — Freeland was going to get hot.
It was just a question of when.
Trailing unbeaten Hamilton by as many as 11 points with less than three minutes left in the third, the battle-tested Falcons shot their way back into it, hitting for 60 percent from the floor in the second half, and — once they had the lead — hitting just enough free throws down the stretch to hold on for a 71-66 win.
Freeland (24-2) will face the two-time reigning Class C champions Detroit Edison in the D2 championship game Saturday at 6:45 p.m.
While Hamilton (25-1) controlled the glass — outrebounding Freeland, 40-23 — and the paint — outscoring the Falcons 42-20 in the lane — Freeland was 9-for-21 from 3-point range to help chop away at the Hawkeyes’ lead.
A jumper by Kadyn Blanchard (23 points) cut the deficit to five points, 51-46, headed into the fourth, and three minutes later, after a 3-pointer by Autumn Kloha, they had the lead at 58-56.
A.J. Edinger (33 points, 17 rebounds) gave the Hawkeyes the lead back 30 seconds later, with a three-point play, but Alyssa Argyle hit a 3-pointer with 4:30 left to put the Falcons back ahead, 61-59, giving them the lead for good.
Freeland would lead by as much as five three different times the rest of the way, hitting 8 of 15 free throws down the stretch to keep the lead just out of reach. Hamilton got it back to one, 66-65, with 39 seconds left on two free throws by Bria Schrotenboer (13 points), but would only get one more free throw the rest of the way.
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