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Class C: Beecher wins fourth title in five years

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Flint Beecher's Levane Blake battles for a rebound during the Class C state championship game Saturday with Grandville Calvin Christian's Blake Verbeek. Blake hit a free throw and made a key block in the final minute, while Verbeek scored a game-high 22 points.

Flint Beecher’s Levane Blake battles for a rebound during the Class C state championship game Saturday with Grandville Calvin Christian’s Blake Verbeek. Blake hit a free throw and made a key block in the final minute, while Verbeek scored a game-high 22 points.

EAST LANSING – Flint Beecher junior Levane Blake was in the middle of a tough situation.

Beecher led by two points in the waning seconds Saturday at the Breslin Center when Grandville Calvin Christian missed a short jump shot, but Nate Knee grabbed the offensive rebound and went up for an even shorter second shot.

Blake, 6-feet-7, knew he had no alternative.

“I just knew I had to get the block for us to win,” Blake said. “But I was scared when I went up and blocked it. I thought the ref was going to call a foul, but I just knew I had to go for it.”

Blake wasn’t afraid of committing a foul. He was concerned about the appearance of committing a foul when he swatted the ball away.

“No, I didn’t foul him,” Blake insisted. “They were calling fouls all game. I just went for it — all ball.”

And all championship.

Beecher captured its fourth Class C state championship in five years, defeating a stubborn Calvin Christian team, 63-61.

It was a dramatically different kind of game than No. 1 Beecher (25-2) had played in other championship games.

“We prepared all year long for a game like this,” said Beecher coach Mike Williams. “I always preach to our kids that championship basketball is played in the half court. Last year when we got down here we were able to press and speed the tempo up and win with a different style.”

This was a half-court battle, although the teams did run when the opportunity presented itself.

Beecher led, 54-47, midway through the fourth quarter when Calvin Christian (21-5) got back in the game on a triple by Ben Miedema and two free throws by Tony DeWitte.

Jake Arnoys’ three-point shot gave Christian the lead with 1:14 left, but Malik Ellison (21 points) penetrated and fed Blake for a basket with 55 seconds left.

In the final minute, the Squires missed the front end of a one-and one and Blake, who had taken a tough fall earlier in the quarter, added a one of two free throws with 15 seconds remaining for the two-point margin.

“I wasn’t nervous,” he said. “My wrist was messed up and it hurt when I was shooting.”

Calvin Christian had two good looks at the basket on its final possession, but neither fell.

“We had some chances down the stretch to tie it up,” said Christian coach Ryan Stevens. “There were a couple of shots there at the end. We got a shot off and we told our guys we had to go get the rebound if we miss. Nate Knee actually got a shot off, too. So they played awesome and I’m proud of them.”

DeWitte was held to 15 points after scoring 31 points in the semifinals.

The job of defending to DeWitte went to junior Jordan Roland, who hounded DeWitte everywhere on the court.

“At practice drilled it into our heads about (DeWitte) and how he could shoot, so we were going to have to close and it wasn’t going to be a walk through,” Roland said. “We had to come out and fight and get the job done.”

Calvin Christian sophomore Blake Verbeek, 6-9, hit 5 of 6 three-point shots and had a game-high 22 points. The Squires also did a solid job defending Beecher’s Aquavius Burks, limiting him to 15 points.

“Every possession we had to battle,” said Stevens. “I thought we did a great job not giving up second shots. We played great ‘D” all game. We made their shots tough shots.”

Listen live: Michigan boys basketball finals


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