The first round of the state basketball playoffs started on February 26th as the host of District 18, the Allen Park Jaguars, played host to the Taylor Griffins. The two teams split in the regular season, but it’s now playoff time, and it’s win or go home for the teams. Allen Park came out on fire and never looked back, as they won 53-33 to end the Griffin’s season.
Allen Park
Home Court Advantage
The Jaguar faithful were out in force for their team as it was the loudest and most packed the gym had been in some time, and that looked like it fueled the players. The Jaguars had a seven-point lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back. They would go on to win by 20. Leading the way in scoring for the Jaguars were Juniors Weston Glei and Jack Labiak, who combined for 24 of the team’s 53 points. They stepped up in a game that saw Jake Stickler get in foul trouble early, and they provided just what the Jaguars needed.
Taylor
High Speed
What hurt the Griffins was the speed they played with once they got down. The Griffins had three players get in foul trouble, with one of the three fouling out; they started playing fast and were missing shots. If they had set and taken their time, the game could have been closer, especially after pressing the Jaguars to start the second half.