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Game Two of the Boys’ Basketball District Playoffs as the Marquette Redmen(60) Take on the Traverse City Central Trojans(72)

By Luke Ghiardi
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Updated: March 8, 2017

Marquette, MI – March 8th, 2017 – After a smashing first game of the district playoffs, the Marquette Redmen faced the TC Central Trojans. Both teams were relatively young, but they had big ambitions for the tournament ahead. It was a horse race from the opening tip off, and just one minute into the first, the Redmen trailed by two points. Halfway through the first quarter, the score was 8-7 for the Redmen, but the Trojans kept the game extremely close. It was 16-16 with 1:30 left to play, and the gym was filled with the excitement of the crowd.

First Quarter Score
Marquette Redmen: 19
TC Central Trojans: 18

After the tightly-contested first quarter, the Marquette Redmen barely led the TC Central Trojans, but after the first minute, they tied the score at 23-23. The Redmen held a slim two-point lead with five minutes remaining in the first half of play, 25-23, and the high-scoring action of the first seemed to have slowed down somewhat. Fouls were beginning to pile up for both teams, and every single point, especially extra free points, would determine the winner of the game. As the game entered the final minute of the first half, Marquette was trailing, but the game was still extremely close and would be determined in the second half of play.

First Half Score
Marquette Redmen: 30
TC Central Trojans: 35

The TC Central Trojans, leading by five points, had a difficult first minute of the second half with the Marquette Redmen. They had several team fouls, while the Redmen didn’t accrue a single foul. Despite the rough play, the Trojans extended their lead to nine points, but Marquette wasn’t giving up. Soon, however, TC Central had an 11-point lead, and Marquette was forced to use up some of their fouls in order so stifle the Trojans’ offense. Marquette continued to trail by nine points with 1:30 left in the third quarter, but after two successful free throws, the Redmen narrowed their deficit to just seven points.

Third Quarter Score
Marquette Redmen: 44
TC Central Trojans: 49

Coming into the final quarter, the Marquette Redmen had some ground to make up against the TC Central Trojans. After the first minute of the fourth, they trailed by five points, and the game was still well within reach. Both teams were fighting for their playoff lives, but the winner would all be determined in the last five minutes. The action from earlier in the game slowed down significantly, as neither team wanted to give any advantage to the other. The Trojans continued to hold their lead, and soon Marquette trailed by nine points. The Redmen continued to fall behind, and with just a few minutes remaining, they trailed by 11 points. As the game entered it’s final minute, the Redmen still trailed by double-digits, and they would take a home a tough loss, despite having an excellent regular season.