Grand Blanc vs. Chicago Thornton – 5 Takeaways
Grand Blanc 62, Chicago Thornton Township 53 In the fifth and final game of Grand Blanc’s inaugural #GOTTAGETIT Hoop Classic event, the host Bobcats put on a show against visiting Chicago Thornton Township. The event as a whole did not…
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Continue ReadingGrand Blanc 62, Chicago Thornton Township 53
In the fifth and final game of Grand Blanc’s inaugural #GOTTAGETIT Hoop Classic event, the host Bobcats put on a show against visiting Chicago Thornton Township. The event as a whole did not disappoint, featuring nine of the state’s top teams and more than a handful of athletes who are expected to play at the college level. But Grand Blanc head coach Mike Thomas and his squad sent fans home happy after the Bobcats rallied late to snag a win in what was an entertaining end to the night.
Thornton juniors Ari Brown and Demarco Minor came ready to play, proving they could light up the scoreboard early on. Minor netted several three-pointers in the first quarter and Brown had two of his own, helping the Wildcats to a 17-11 lead after the first quarter.
After trailing by three at the half, and again after the third, Grand Blanc turned up the heat by scoring five straight points to start the final frame. Three of those came way of a Cedric Givens three, which put the Bobcats on top 42-40 in early in the fourth.
Thornton hung around as long as they could, swapping buckets with Grand Blanc before Givens was at it again. Back-to-back buckets for the Bobcat senior put his team up by seven with just three minutes to play. Grand Blanc’s late surge forced Thornton to call a timeout in attempt to stop the bleeding, but it was too little too late for the Wildcats.
Grand Blanc is worth the price of admission
This space was initially reserved for discussing the extremely-talented Bobcat freshman Ty Rodgers. But it wasn’t just Rodgers who impressed on Saturday, it was Grand Blanc’s squad as a whole.
Senior Cedric Givens hit some big buckets down the stretch that sealed the victory for the Bobcats and junior Kevin Rice impressed everyone in his season debut. Rice missed Grand Blanc’s first seven games of the season due to injury. But Rice was in mid-season form on Saturday, slashing and dashing his way to a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds while snagging the game’s MVP award.
Givens finished the night with 14 points while Rodgers tallied 13.
The Bobcats didn’t take the smoothest, quickest route to a win against Thornton. But they proved to fans in attendance why they are arguably one of the best teams in Mid-Michigan, as well as one of the top teams in Division 1. Given the chance, I strongly suggest you don’t miss out on watching this squad in action.
Entertainment Factor
Both rosters had plenty of talent, and that was easy to see early on. However, for three quarters of play, the finale of the #GOTTAGETIT Hoop Classic lacked the fast-paced, high-flying action that everyone came out for.
It was a tight first half that ended with Thornton on top, 27-25. But the most entertainment after two quarters came from the stands when three Chicago Thornton fans had to be escorted out of the gym for their remarks towards officials. Both teams turned up the heat when the fourth quarter came around. Grand Blanc took the game into their own hands, controlling the tempo and making the most of each possession. While Thornton and their short bench collapsed down the stretch.
The Bobcats outscored Thornton 25-13 in the final frame.
Gritty ‘Cats
As the game went on, the Wildcats wore thin. But for three quarters of play nearly every Grand Blanc bucket was hard-earned.
Thornton starters Ari Brown and Demarco Minor provided lock-down defense for the majority of the night, as did Keeshawn Chambers (2019) off the bench. But once the Wildcats thought they had Rice contained, it was Givens who kept the Bobcat offense rolling. And when Givens was silenced, it was Rodgers who rose to the occasion. Opposing coaches in attendance may have gotten a good look at Grand Blanc’s big three that night. But I’m guessing they left the gym wondering how they’d be able to keep all three in check.
Why Thornton?
When looking at the lineup for the #GOTTAGETIT Hoop Classic, there was one team that stood out among the rest – the only team not from Michigan – Chicago Thornton.
The Wildcats weren’t originally on the bill for the event, though. According to someone within the Grand Blanc program, Grand Blanc had originally planned on squaring off with Detroit Renaissance. But when drama and headlines surrounded Renaissance’s program this past off-season, Grand Blanc decided to go another direction. That’s when Bobcat head coach reached out to longtime friend and former University of Michigan Wide Receiver, Tai Streets – also the head coach of the Chicago Thornton Township Wildcats.
Streets, who was born and raised in Chicago, IL, was a member of the Wolverines 1997 NCAA National Championship team and currently holds the programs record for most receptions in a game with 15.
Host with the Most
Grand Blanc pulled out all the stops for their first-ever showcase. Between their pre-game music, the layout of their gym, the post-game award presentations and their concession stand menu – highlighted by pizza and coney dogs, this event had it all. The talent-littered teams in attendance were just the icing on the cake.
But the best part of the night came when Grand Blanc took the floor. The lights went out, the 1990’s Chicago Bulls intro music came on, a single spotlight hit the Bobcat bench and the PA announcer dominated the mic while fans held up the flashlights on their cell phones. Even though the dust is still settling on this year’s event, many people are already looking forward to the 2020 slate.