Moment: Beecher Practice Made Perfect
March 27, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Flint Beecher boys basketball team had prepared for situations like what it faced with five seconds left in its March 24, 2016, Class C Semifinal against Detroit Loyola.
And after watching a 15-point lead dissolve into a two-point deficit during the second half, the Bucs called on a big-time player to come through with a big-time shot to save their championship aspirations.
Malik Ellison took a handoff from teammate Aquavius Burks on the wing, took a dribble left, jutted back right and dropped a 3-pointer from five feet behind the line to give Beecher a 60-59 win. Two days later, the Bucs won another Class C title.
Said Ellison after: “In practice we run that play all the time. (Coach) gives us a situation, like we’re down two and we’ve got to get a bucket. At first on my pump fake, I was like, should I pass? Then I saw (the defender) jump, got a little angle with my arm, and knew it was going in. I felt it.
“Every day I go in the gym, either the Y or I stay after practice, and it’s shots like that just for times like this. I just pulled it through today.”
Click to read Second Half's coverage – Beecher Survives on Last-Second Shot – and watch the game-winner below with coverage from the NFHS Network.
Boys Basketball Postponement Update (3:50 PM)
March 12, 2014
The following MHSAA Boys Basketball Regional Finals scheduled for March 12 have been postponed. This list will be updated throughout Wednesday:
Class A
Regional 1 at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix - Ann Arbor Skyline vs. Kalamazoo Central - moved to 7 p.m. March 13.
Regional 4 at Detroit Cass Tech - Detroit U-D Jesuit vs. Cass Tech - moved to 6 p.m. March 13.
Regional 6 at Southfield-Lathrup - Clarkston vs. Bloomfield Hills - moved to 5:30 p.m. March 13.
Regional 7 at Linden - Howell vs. Grand Blanc - moved to 7 p.m. March 13.
Regional 8 at Mount Pleasant - Mount Pleasant vs. Flint Carman-Ainsworth - moved to 7 p.m. March 13.
Class B
Regional 12 at Spring Arbor (Napoleon) - Wayland vs. Jackson Lumen Christi, moved to 7 p.m. March 13.
Regional 14 at North Branch - Millington vs. Goodrich - moved to 7 p.m. March 13
Class C
Regional 18 at Jonesville - Vermontville Maple Valley vs. Hillsdale - moved to 7 p.m. March 13
Regional 20 at Madison Heights Bishop Foley - Mount Clemens vs. Bishop Foley - moved to 7 p.m. March 13.
Regional 21 at Flint Beecher - Beecher vs. Montrose - moved to 6:30 p.m. March 13.
Class D
Regional 25 at Portage Northern - Battle Creek St. Philip vs. Covert - moved to 6:30 p.m., still March 12, but at Portage Central.
Regional 26 at Morenci - Morrice vs. Adrian Lenawee Christian - moved to 7 p.m. March 13.
Regional 27 at West Bloomfield - Southfield Christian vs. Allen Park Inter-City Baptist - moved to 6 p.m. March 13.
Regional 28 at Peck - Peck vs. Burton St. Thomas More - moved to 7 p.m. March 13.
Postponements will be added as received.