Consortium Closes In on Fantastic Finish
March 20, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
EAST LANSING – The memory of coach Al Anderson is not far from Detroit Consortium as it attempts to win its first MHSAA boys basketball championship this weekend.
The Cougars just missed making it to Breslin Center in 2013, falling to eventual Class C champion Flint Beecher by two in their Quarterfinal. But Consortium is now one more win from finishing the quest it began when Anderson died unexpectedly last February.
Three players scored 18 or more points as the Cougars downed Negaunee 69-54 in Thursday’s Semifinal to advance to Saturday’s 4:30 p.m. championship game against Pewamo-Westphalia.
Consortium, ranked No. 2 at the end of the regular season, has now beaten the rest of the top three this week, having downed top-ranked Mount Clemens on Tuesday before eliminating the No. 3 Miners.
“We knew we had to win for (Anderson last year). We came back playing harder, with more intensity, just playing as a team,” Consortium senior Ronald Booth said. “We were heart-broken last year not getting it done. But we’re here this year, and we plan on finishing it.”
“We’ve been fighting for this state championship for the last four years,” senior Malik Dawson added, “and we’re going to win it.”
Although Consortium (24-2) is playing in its first MHSAA Final on Saturday, the Semifinal was its second in four seasons and followed its third Quarterfinal over the last four years.
Former Deaborn Edsel Ford standout Tobias Tuomi took over the Consortium program this winter and inherited not only arguably the state’s best player – 6-foot-8 sophomore wing Joshua Jackson – but a group of scorers around him that have made the Cougars even tougher to stop.
Jackson had 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists and five steals Thursday. But sophomore guard Luster Johnson added 20 points and senior Rudy Smith scored a game-high 22 points with five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
“We needed to really keep the other guys down. You look at Rudy Smith, Luster Johnson, that killed us,” Negaunee coach Michael O’Donnell said. “We needed to keep everybody else (but Jackson) under 10. When they got up to 20 plus, that was a big hurt for us.”
Consortium led only 12-11 after the first quarter. But the Cougars turned that lead into nine points halfway through the second quarter and 14 by halftime.
They shot 54 percent from the floor for the game, with an incredible 65 percent success rate during the second half.
It matched with what Consortium has done all season. Booth, Smith and Johnson also average at least 10 points per game, and eight players have had high games of at least that many points.
“We’ve had six or seven guys all year, pretty consistently,” Tuomi said of his team’s scoring balance. “Josh will be up there as one of our leading scorers, but we’ve got seven or eight really talented guys, and all of them have had a game where they’ve been the leading or second-leading scorers. It’s something you expect.”
Negaunee (24-2) has been a picture of consistency as well over the last four seasons, making the Quarterfinals at the end of all of them and the Semifinals the last two.
Senior guard Tyler Jandron was a constant on those teams and finished his four-year varsity career with 12 points. Senior Eric Lori, another top scorer on the last couple Miners teams, had 11 points. Sophomore forward Jay Lori led with 14 points and seven rebounds.
“We started something. Just getting here, making it twice, is unbelievable,” Jandron said. “But it’s tough losing this. I want to push myself to the limit, and tonight we came up short.
“We talked to our underclassmen about what these seniors did for us, and we’re going to miss them,” O’Donnell added. “At the same time, we wanted to take the time to thank them and make sure they understand we appreciate what they did for us.”
Click for the full box score and video from the press conference.
PHOTO: (Top) Detroit Consortium’s Joshua Jackson (11) dunks as Negaunee’s Robert Loy gives chase Thursday. (Middle) Negaunee's Tyler Jandron looks for an opening while defended by Consortium's Rudy Smith.
HIGHLIGHTS: (1) Joshua Jackson blocks the shot, Detroit Consortium goes on the fast break and Kenneth Turner lobs to Jackson for the dunk to finish the play late in the first half. (2) Jay Lori of Negaunee takes a pass from Zane Radloff and powers to the basket for two to pull the Miners to within a point at the end of the first quarter.
Mr. Basketball Drills Mr. Basketball-Level Shot To Keep East Lansing Repeat Drive Alive
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
March 13, 2026
EAST LANSING – The only surprise would've been if it hadn't been East Lansing's KJ Torbert lining up the final shot.
The Trojans' senior star added another thrilling chapter to a storybook season when he nailed a 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds left to give East Lansing a wild 55-52 win over Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice in Friday's packed Division 1 Semifinal at the Breslin Center.
After the Warriors' Jordan McDaniel converted a clutch three-point play with 15.8 seconds left to tie the game 52-52, the Trojans took a timeout to devise a strategy that certainly revolved around getting the ball into the hands of Torbert, named the state's Mr. Basketball Award winner earlier this week after averaging 25 points per game and accepting a scholarship from Bowling Green.
"What do you think?" East Lansing coach Ray Mitchell said when asked who would be tasked with attempting the last shot.
Torbert's game-winner kept East Lansing's hopes of successfully defending its state title alive. The Trojans (27-1), who won their 10th straight game, will play Rockford in Saturday's 12:15 p.m. Final.
Torbert, who finished with 23 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals, said he saw an open spot on the floor about 25 feet from the basket and took advantage of getting off a quality shot.
"It's the kinda stuff you dream about, hitting a 3-pointer to win a game," he said. "It's an exciting feeling; I can't stop smiling. It's exciting to hit a shot like that on the big stage."
Trojans teammate Kingston Thomas said it's no surprise to him who was pegged with taking the shot – or the final result.
"He's a great teammate who's been doing that all year," Thomas said. "I have 100-percent confidence in him in taking that shot. I knew he'd make it."
In the midst of a fourth-straight one-loss season, East Lansing led 23-19 at the half, but the Warriors, behind a sensational effort from McDaniel, rallied to lead 45-43 as late as 3:56 left in the game. Torbert's layup with three minutes left snapped a 45-45 tie, and the Trojans never trailed again.
McDaniel scored 12 of his 31 points during a torrid five-minute stretch late in the third quarter and the first three minutes of the fourth. His layup and free throw tied the game 52-52 with 15.8 seconds left.
Mitchell said there were actually any number of other players capable of attempting a last shot. And all were needed at some point in the game, he said.
"We've got capable shooters; we need everyone to step up, and all of them will step up," he said. "They've all had their moments. We've got guys who can knock down shots and make the right play. We're capable of that, and I hope we do it tomorrow. Passing and knocking down shots – that's how it's supposed to work."
East Lansing's Tyree Anthony said there's little doubt that the attempt at winning a repeat Division 1 title has been tougher than winning a year ago.
"We get everyone's best shot, everyone comes after us," he said. "We prepare for that."
Brother Rice coach Rick Palmer, whose team was playing in its first Semifinal in 14 years, said hats off to Torbert, who hit 8 of 18 shots, for coming up huge.
"We guarded the whole game," he said. "We just didn't make one more stop. He's a great player who made a great shot."
PHOTOS (Top) East Lansing’s KJ Torbert pulls up for the game-winning shot during the final seconds of his team’s Semifinal victory Friday. (Middle) Brother Rice’s Jordan McDaniel (1) makes his move to the basket. (Top photo by John Castine; middle photo by Adam Sheehan/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)