BASKETBALL: Saline Edges Grass Lake, 40-38, on Griffin's Buzzer-Beater

The opponents keep getting tougher and Saline keeps on winning.

Senior Hadley Griffin put back a rebound at the buzzer as Saline came from behind to defeat Grass Lake, 40-38, in girls varsity basketball at Saline High School Friday.

Saline improved to 6-0 overall.

The Hornets were ranked 7th in the most recent BCAM Division 1 ranking. Grass Lake was ranked 2nd in Division 3.

"The game of basketball is crazy. .6 seconds determined if we were going to be full of misery or overjoyed with excitement. Today, in this game, we get to go home full of elation. Heading into the holiday season, it is important for us to truly enjoy this precious present, for it is truly a gift. Really proud of this team," coach Leigh Ann Roehm said.

With the game tied at 38, time out was called with 12.5 seconds and the Hornets drew up a play for sharpshooter Keira Roehm. Roehm's three-pointer hit the rim and bounced off two girls before it landed in the hands of Griffin near the free-throw line. She took one step toward the basket and then put up the winning shot before she was mobbed by her teammates.

"Hadley Griffin stepped up in a big way tonight. First, she played point guard when Kate (Stemmer) went out and handled it with real poise. She made 2 big 3s that kept us in it. Then, on the last possession, she got an offensive rebound and had the presence of mind to know the time and score. She stayed poised, got to the rim and calmly sank a floater as time expired! So proud of her!" coach Roehm said.

Griffin finished with 8 points, three rebounds, two steals and two assists.

Sophomore Keira Roehm scored 13 points and had four rebounds and three assists. Kate Stemmer missed a great deal of the second half in foul trouble and fouled out with two minutes left. Still, she scored 11 points, six rebounds, and four assists.

"Keira Roehm and Kate Stemmer both were fantastic. On a defense keying on them, they both stepped up in moments they were open and also shared it with their teammates in times of coverage. They both hit huge 3s for us down the stretch that really drove our comeback," Roehm said.

The Hornets were down 25-18 at halftime and limited Grass Lake to just 13 points in the second half despite missing defensive star Stemmer.

"Our second-half defense was the key to our comeback. In the first half, they hurt us in transition and on the drive. In the second half, I was so proud of the way we locked down and adjusted. To hold a talented team like Grass Lake to 13 points in a half says so much about the defensive effort the team gave," Roehm said. "I am so proud of the way the team stepped up with Kate Stemmer on the bench in foul trouble. Kate plays such a pivotal role for our team, it could be easy to hang our heads and let nerves take over. Especially when Grass Lake was putting so much pressure on us defensively. We stayed poised and every player stepped up and did their part. I learned a lot about our team tonight. They are competitors and they do not shy away in the big moment."

Kadyn Maida scored five points and had five rebounds. Grace Roth scored three points and had three rebounds.

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