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Defensive slugfest: Jets stifle Munising to reach regional final

NEGAUNEE -- North Central put on a defensive clinic in a MHSAA Division 4 Regional 25 boys basketball semifinal on Monday evening, containing the Munising offense in a 49-33 win at Lakeview Memorial Gymnasium.

With the victory, the Jets (19-4) will take on Ewen-Trout Creek, which powered past Lake Linden-Hubbell 71-31 in the other semifinal.

Munising (19-3) was potent offensively nearly all season and was not held under 45 points since a loss to Rudyard in January. But the Jets, who handed the Mustangs two of their losses this season, kept Munising from many good looks at the hoop.

Even when the Mustangs did get a good look, they weren't able to capitalize.

"That was the best defensive effort we've had all year long," North Central coach Mike Malone said. "We talked about trying to cover up certain shooters, trying to make sure that guys didn't get clean looks at the rim, and I think we did that for a good portion of the game.

"We didn't give up a ton of easy shots and that showed up in the final score."

Malone also thought that the neutral court was important in his team's win, getting Munising out of its own gym and into a new environment.

Munising also had a short bench with some players out and that hurt the team's shooting legs as the game wore on, Mustangs' coach Terry Kienitz said.

"I think you can credit North Central's defense for some of it, probably later in the game, it might've been fatigue on our part," Kienitz said. "We lost two of our senior captains (who) weren't available today, and I had another one that was out, so my bench shrunk on me real quick.

"A little fatigue, a little of their defense, but a lot of shots that we should've made," he added.

The Jets got off to a strong start, leading 6-0 with baskets from three players. Kane Nebel scored the Mustangs' only first-quarter points to cut the deficit to 6-2, but the Jets ripped off five straight points from Connor Florenski and Jesse Sampson to take a nine-point lead after one quarter.

NC was up 13-4 before Munising finally started to click. Cully Trzeciak and Jesse Duran led a 7-0 Mustangs run by themselves, cutting the Jets lead to 13-11.

But NC had a quick answer and scored the final eight points of the half to take a 21-11 lead going into the break. Luke Gorzinski sparked the Jets' run and didn't stop there.

Only four Mustangs scored in the game with most of the offense coming from Nebel and Duran.

The teams went back-and-fourth in the third quarter, which ended with North Central up 35-22. Every time Munising tried to make a comeback, North Central seemed to have an answer.

"They just found a way to make that basket, and I'll give Coach Malone credit, he changed things up in the second half," Kienitz said. "They were getting mismatches that benefitted them, and we just weren't realizing it.

"You only have so many timeouts, so many adjustments. They made their adjustments first and we never made ours."

Nebel, who just recently returned to the lineup from a football injury, tried to will his team down the stretch and scored all of Munising's 11 fourth-quarter points. But the duo of Gorzinski and Sampson proved to be too much. Gorzinski finished with a team-high 14 points with his playmaking on full display.

"In the beginning of the season, he had football legs … so it's hard to get him out of that rhythm into a basketball rhythm," Malone said of Gorzinski, the quarterback of North Central's state championship eight-man football team. "Halfway through the season, you started seeing it, you saw him creep up and up and up. He's playing at a super-high level now. We're a whole different team with him on the floor."

Sampson supported Gorzinski with 12 points, while Florenski finished with nine and Collin Cordy eight.

Nebel scored a game-high 15 points while Duran pitched in 10 for Munising.

The Jets will have their hands full in the regional final tonight against Ewen-Trout Creek (20-3), as Malone noted.

"They have tons of length, they're very patient on offense, they have a beautiful dribble weave offense as well," the coach said. "They use skip passes well, they attack the rim really well, (and) they get guys out of position. We'll take a look at it on film, and get ourselves prepared."

Travis Nelson can be reached by email at tnelson@miningjournal.net.