A matchup of of Fulton County rivals did not disappoint despite its placement in the consolation bracket of the 2022 Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament. The Lewistown Indians battled to the end, but ultimately succumbed to their neighbors from Canton, 43-36.
Lewistown led for almost the entire first half, enjoying as much as an eight point lead in the second quarter at 16-8. Cole Beekman scored seven of his game-high 19 points as he was the lone Indian to put points on the board in the second quarter. Still, Lewistown enjoyed a 20-15 lead at halftime thank to a disappointing effort from Canton from long range. The Little Giants went 0-for-8 from three-point range in the first half.
It did not take long for Canton to gain control of the game after halftime. Kaden Otto, who was saddled with three fouls in the first half, nailed a three on the first possession of the third quarter, followed by buckets by Dylan Watts and Malakai Correa to quickly give the Little Giants their first lead at 22-20 since it was 2-0 before Lewistown could could a timeout at the 6:12 mark.
The game would go back-and-forth into the fourth quarter until Canton hit Lewistown with a 10-2 run spanning three and a half minutes for a 38-31 advantage with 3:55 to play. Ryan Yerbic and Watts canned threes on back-to-back possessions to spark the rally for the Little Giants. After being a liability in the first half, perimeter shooting was what saved Canton in the end as the Little Giants went 4-for-7 from behind the arc after halftime. That, and Correa’s physical play inside. The Canton senior hit some key free throws down the stretch, scored 16 points, and pulled down a tournament-high 11 boards.
Cale Barnhart had nine rebounds for Canton, which held a 35-23 advantage on the boards. Watts and Yerbic scored nine and seven points respectively. Cole Beekman led had a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Blayne Clary had four points, five rebounds, and five assists.
Canton advances to day three of the tournament to take on Monmouth-Roseville in the consolation semifinals. After a day off, the game will be played in Brophy Hall at 9:00 am on December 30.
Box Score
Lewistown Info
Canton Info
Brian Sullivan
December 28, 2022
