By Ty Marzean
WKTV Contributor
(Photos Courtesy Becky Rillema)
The Tri-unity Christian boys basketball team used its depth and signature defense to wear down St. Ignace in a back-and-forth matchup in a Division 4 semifinal Thursday at the Breslin Center.
In a game that saw 11 lead change, including multiple ones in the fourth quarter, the Defenders hit late free throws to ice the game, advancing to a fourth-straight Division 4 state championship with a 60-53 win over St. Ignace in East Lansing.
“We are very blessed; it would be a great finish to this year”
“It’s surreal, it’s hard to believe,” said Tri-unity Coach Mark Keeler, whose team has a chance to win two state championships in three years. “We are very blessed. It would be a great finish to this year. These guys have worked so hard and made sacrifices to play tough, nasty defense.”
Two Tri-unity seniors, Jordan VanKlompenberg and Owen Rosendall, will play in their fourth state final game. Both played as freshmen on the 2020-21 Division 4 state runner-up team.
St. Ignace senior Jonny Ingalls continued his torrid pace throughout the 2024 postseason. The future Northern Michigan University Wildcat scored 14 of the Saints’ 16 first-quarter points, and the Saints held a three-point lead after one frame in the semifinal.
Ingalls averaged 30 points in the postseason and ended the final game of his high school career with 31 points, four assists, and two steals.
“He was unbelievable,” Keeler said. “He had a little bit more than what we would have liked. I figured he would have around 20-25 points. He’s a great player.”
Tri-unity was pressing early in the game, making several unforced errors unfamiliar to the disciplined Defenders.
“I was a little disappointed in how we played early on, but sometimes you have to win games like that,” Keeler explained. “We turned the ball over and started the game off trying to hit NBA threes.”
St. Ignace led 26-25 at the half
The score was almost even at the half; St. Ignace was up 26-25 after 16 minutes of play.
After the break, the Defenders’ depth was felt. St. Ignace would only shoot 31.8% from the field for the remainder of the game and a lowly 40% from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.
“I thought we played good enough defense to stay in the game,” Keeler said. “I felt that we would eventually turn things around. I told the guys that if we keep pressing the ball down the court and play tough defense, we could wear them down. They didn’t have a lot of depth; they got worn out.”
Keaton Blanker led with 19 points, including 10 free throws and 10 boards
Junior guard Keaton Blanker continued his productive playoff run with a team-high 19 points and 10 rebounds. Blanker hit 10 of 11 free throws; two of which put the game out of reach with less than 30 seconds remaining.
Wes Kaman grabs 14 points, 6 boards
The Defenders have a new hero every game. In the semifinal game, Wes Kaman would take his turn to showcase his offensive skills, scoring 14 points and adding six rebounds.
“That’s what helps make our team so tough; you never know who will step up. They came out the second half with more discipline and knocked down some easier wide-open threes as well,” Keeler said.
Giplaye and Rillema with 13 rebounds
Akais Giplaye and Trey Rillema provided a rock-solid presence in the paint for the Defenders. Giplaye snatched eight boards, while Rillema grabbed five in limited playing time.
“Akais is just a rock for us inside; you are not going to take the ball away from him,” Keeler said. “Trey had five rebounds but didn’t play much in the second half.”
Ingalls cooled off significantly for the Saints in the second half, missing multiple shots from beyond the arc and the free-throw line.
“I thought he got tired,” Keeler explained. “We rotate and have guys rested. I thought we played great defense. We did everything we could to contain him, and he got tired in the second half, and we took advantage of that.
“I told the boys at halftime that a good team will beat one player no matter how good he is, and he got tired. That was the difference in the game. He can shoot; he just didn’t shoot as well in the second half.”
The Defenders play a familiar foe in the finals, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart. The two teams met in early December, Tri-unity won that game 71-41.
“We played them in the third game of the year,” Keeler said. “They don’t have a lot of depth either, so our desire will be to push the ball on them and wear them down. They have three really good guards, and they do a solid job.”
Tri-unity (23-5) will face Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (26-2) in the Division 4 finals at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the Breslin Center. The game will be aired live on Bally Sports Detroit.
