Schools
High School Hoops: Clarkston Wins Big Against West Bloomfield
The Wolves beat the Lakers 66-24 to bolster their lead atop the OAA-Red league standings.
CLARKSTON — The Clarkston High School boys basketball team routed visiting West Bloomfield High 66-24 Tuesday night.
As the regular season dwindles to a close, the Wolves keep playing solid basketball, attempting to take the reins as Oakland Activities Association Red league champions.
The Hero: Clarkston's defense.
Find out what's happening in West Bloomfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Blocked shots and turnovers halted the Lakers' offense, while the Wolves kept scoring on the other side of the court.
The Turning Point: Clarkston went into the game hungry for a win and took a 20-8 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Lakers just couldn’t keep up.
Find out what's happening in West Bloomfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“We had an awful practice yesterday, and when you don’t have the necessary intensity on the day before a big game, this is what happens,” said West Bloomfield head coach Jeremy Denha.
“We have to learn from our mistakes and get back on the right track for playoffs,” Denha said.
The Quote: “This was a big win for us because we are now tied for the best record in the league,” said Clarkston head coach Dan Fife. “We’re not looking at the playoffs yet, we’re focused on beating Lathrup on Friday to be the league champions.”
“They’re the gold standard. Coach Fife does a great job,” Denha said. “Hopefully, one day we’ll get there, too.”
The Bottom Line: Clarkston got off to a hot start, taking a 10-point lead early in the first quarter.
The Wolves carried that momentum throughout the game and added about another 10 points to their lead in each quarter.
The score doesn’t reflect the very competitive atmosphere of the game. Both teams were playing for the win until the buzzer.
Key Stat: Marcus Hardy led Clarkston with 14 points and shot 2-4 from the line.
Nick Tatu added another 11 points for the Wolves, made two 3-pointers and shot 3-4 from the free-throw line.
Spencer Parker led West Bloomfield’s effort with 6 points. Daryn Byrd had 5 points with a 3-pointer and two made free throws.
Who’s next? West Bloomfield (12-7) plays at Farmington Hills Harrison at 7 p.m. Thursday to end its regular season.
Clarkston plays at Southfield-Lathrup High on Friday, attempting to capture the best record in its league.
