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3 takeaways as Port Huron Northern boys basketball slips past Cros-Lex, 60-56

brenden welper, port huron times herald
·4 min read
Port Huron Northern's Tyler Jamison pulls up for a jump shot during a game last season. He led all scorers with 29 points in the Huskies' 60-56 win over Croswell-Lexington on Saturday.
Port Huron Northern's Tyler Jamison pulls up for a jump shot during a game last season. He led all scorers with 29 points in the Huskies' 60-56 win over Croswell-Lexington on Saturday.

CROSWELL — This wasn't a rivalry game. Heck, it wasn't even a conference matchup. But it served as a measuring stick between two boys basketball powerhouses in the Blue Water Area.

Port Huron Northern eclipsed Croswell-Lexington, 60-56, on the road Saturday night.

Tyler Jamison scored a game-high 29 points for the Huskies, who improved to 3-0. The Pioneers fell to 3-2 and were led by Trey Kolakovich's 23 points.

Here are three takeaways from the game.

Northern earns a statement win on the road

How hard is it for a visiting team to walk out of Cros-Lex victorious? Prior to Saturday, the Pioneers hadn't lost on their home floor since Feb. 19, 2019. So the Huskies' accomplishment is no small feat.

"It's one of those good, early experiences where you had to find ways to win," Northern coach Brian Jamison said. "Cros-Lex does such a good job taking you out of what you do. Every time we would make a mistake defensively, they'd hit a 3 — they're just really good at being opportunistic. We feel really good about this win."

"It wasn't anything about breaking hearts or ending streaks," said Tyler Jamison, who is also Brian's son. "It was about winning the basketball game and beating a really good team."

Port Huron Northern's Amir Morelan goes for a layup during a practice last month. He finished with seven points in the Huskies' 60-56 win over Croswell-Lexington on Saturday.
Port Huron Northern's Amir Morelan goes for a layup during a practice last month. He finished with seven points in the Huskies' 60-56 win over Croswell-Lexington on Saturday.

There were 12 lead changes in total, all of which occurred in the first half. Northern took its largest lead, 50-43, when it closed the third quarter on a 7-0 run. But the Pioneers scored the first six points of the fourth to hang around.

"Coming into this game, we knew there were going to be runs," Tyler Jamison said. "(Cros-Lex) was going to go on big runs ... it's (about) how we respond to the run."

The Huskies answered with a 6-0 tear of their own, which was part of a larger, 10-7 run over the final 5:10. While not glamorous win, they all count the same.

"That was kind of ugly," Tyler Jamison said. "But we came out with the win. That's all that matters."

Kolakovich, Kroetsch put on a shooting clinic for Cros-Lex

It's safe to say that Cros-Lex has two of the area's best 3-point shooters in Trey Kolakovich and Zach Kroetsch.

The senior guards each made four triples Saturday. All four from Kroetsch came in the first half, while Kolakovich hit three of his in the second.

"That duo right now is clicking," Cros-Lex coach Lance Campbell said. "I think they play well off of each other. Guys on our team understand that those guys are option one, two, three (on) some nights."

Croswell-Lexington's Zach Kroetsch dribbles down the court during a game last season. He scored 21 points in the Pioneers' 60-56 loss to Port Huron Northern on Saturday.
Croswell-Lexington's Zach Kroetsch dribbles down the court during a game last season. He scored 21 points in the Pioneers' 60-56 loss to Port Huron Northern on Saturday.

Their success from deep has been consistent throughout the first few weeks of the season. But the Pioneers know that opponents will now look to neutralize those two.

"We've got to identify a third and fourth option," Campbell said. "Because, moving forward, people are really going to be focused on taking (Kolakovich and Kroetsch) away. We've got to get some other guys to score, but I think Donovan (McDonald) and Mitchell (Geiger) are capable of that."

Blue Water Area well represented in the crowd

Technically speaking, there's no such thing as a prime time matchup in high school sports. But this game had all the makings of one.

Cros-Lex and Northern supporters weren't the only locals in attendance. Coaches, players and fans from schools like Armada, Port Huron and St. Clair also made the trip to Croswell.

"There are a lot of basketball junkies in the area," Tyler Jamison said. "This area is very underrated with how many true basketball fans we have that travel around ... it's exciting that we were the one they circled for today."

Croswell-Lexington's Trey Kolakovich follows through on a 3-point shot during a game last season. He scored 23 points in the Pioneers' 60-56 loss to Port Huron Northern on Saturday.
Croswell-Lexington's Trey Kolakovich follows through on a 3-point shot during a game last season. He scored 23 points in the Pioneers' 60-56 loss to Port Huron Northern on Saturday.

Added Tyler Jamison: "There's a lot of coaches here. I'd like to think they came to watch us, (but) they're probably scouting."

Whatever the reason, there was a noticeable buzz for the first meeting between the two programs since 2019.

"In the area, I like it when the better teams play each other," Brian Jamison said.

"We want to be great in March," Campbell said. "This prepared us for a March-like atmosphere. Tonight, we were better when we left the gym than when we arrived. And that's the ultimate goal."

Contact Brenden Welper at bwelper@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendenWelper.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: 3 takeaways as Port Huron Northern boys basketball slips past Cros-Lex