Late Rally Ends Saline Basketball Season

A late fourth quarter rally by Ypsilanti Lincoln ended the Saline boys’ basketball season in heartbreaking fashion as the Hornets fell 62-57 in the D1 district finals in Belleville Friday night.

The loss ended the Hornets season that saw Saline win its first SEC Red title in over 20 years and finish with a 19-5 overall record.

The game was a back-and-forth affair all night with a putback at the buzzer to put the Splitters up 13-11 after one.

The Hornets would battle back in the second behind a pair of triples from Tommy Carr and took a 26-22 lead at the half.

Saline would take as much as a seven-point lead in the third, but each time Lincoln would battle back and the Hornets lead was 46-45 after three.

Lincoln scored the first five points of the fourth to take a 50-46 lead, but Saline answered, and a Jonathan Sanderson triple put them back on top 51-50 with four minutes left.

The teams traded baskets and the score was 53-52 Hornets with 1:52 left.

Saline would go cold at the wrong time with Lincoln going on a 7-0 run to take a 60-53 lead with 30 seconds left.

Lincoln would close the game with a 10-4 run over the final 1:52 of the game to end the Hornets season.

Sanderson led the Hornets with 30 points.

Caleb Washington hit three triples on the night and finished with nine points, while LaDainian Woods added seven, Carr six, and Lincoln Keyes five.

The Hornets reached the finals by knocking off a strong Belleville team 54-49 Wednesday night.

Sanderson led the way with 31 points, while Keyes had 11, Washington ten, and Carr six.

Photos by Mike Williamson