HARBOR SPRINGS — At a certain point in each basketball postseason, every team left standing has something special about them.
Right around when regionals begin, teams begin to find out their opponent is there for a reason.
In the midst of a exceptional 20-win campaign on the basketball court, the Harbor Springs girls found out just how special their Division 3 regional semifinal opponent Roscommon was on Monday, March 9.
In their collision course Monday, the Bucks were good enough to end the Rams’ campaign in a 47-30 final.
“That’s a really good team,” Harbor Springs coach Ethan McCarthy said on Roscommon. “We go toe to toe with them, maybe nine times out of 10 they win, maybe we get a few. But we left it all out on the court tonight.”
Roscommon brought length throughout the lineup, athleticism at each positon and three starting seniors that had played a lot of basketball and it showed.
The loss closed a 20-4 overall season for Harbor Springs, while Roscommon (19-3) moves on to meet Menominee (18-6) in a Newberry hosted regional championship game on Wednesday, March 11.
The Bucks got going early against the Rams, building a 13-5 advantage after one quarter, while frustrating the Rams offensively.
But, as she’s done throughout the season, Lillian McShannock found a stroke, hitting a pair of 3-pointers in the second to bring the game within three. A late 3-pointer from Sophie Barnadyn then made it a two-point deficit at the half, with Roscommon ahead 22-20.
More runs came in the second half, though the Rams ran out of steam eventually, scoring just 10 second half points. An 11-point deficit after three only grew in the fourth.
While there was a brief moment of heads hanging along the Harbor Springs bench, McCarthy thought of one word for the season afterward.
“The word that comes to my mind for the whole season is success,” he said. “From the beginning, facing some adversity and then getting everyone back on the same page again, packing the stands tonight. To be able to see that is great. We’ve got the support, got the community and school, the kids have bought in.”
The Rams gave fans a pair of comebacks in the game and brought a belief that things are still only getting started in Harbor Springs.
“For a young team they do not quit,” McCarthy said. “That’s a scary thing for everybody in the future. This is a team that doesn’t give up and there’s not just one leader. We can go to three or four people.”
McShannock closed the night with eight points, Makenna Brey had eight and Sophie Barnadyn added six.
The Rams will graduate both Lilly and Sophie Barnadyn, along with senior Marlie Richardson, while returning three sophomore starters from Monday night.
Both Barnadyn girls hit a 3-pointer in their final game, while Richardson, nicknamed the team’s “bucket filler” by McCarthy, went down with an injury, though continued to support with her ankle on ice from the bench.
“They are our glue,” McCarthy said on the seniors. “Losing them is losing a lot of joy.”
That talent back includes McShannock and Brey, along with junior Stefi Reskevics and sophomores Paytyn Page and Makayla Beach, all who had big moments this season.
“The talent is unmatchable,” McCarthy said. “We’ve got skill all around the ball. This team is in it for all the right reasons. They take care of business at school, in their personal life and we can get them on the court and give them a fresh mind and be ready to work.”
In his first season leading the Rams after a tumultuous offseason, McCarthy helped guide Harbor back to a third consecutive regional trip.
And though it may have ended in the same place for a third consecutive season, he believes the hunger will be there to do something really special ahead.
“Everything happens for a reason and these girls are going to want it more now than ever,” he added. “Being a part of this kind of program, knowing that after a game like this you gave it your all and you’re loved. You’re part of something bigger and better than one game here.”
Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at dkochanny@petoskeynews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DrewKochanny, and Instagram, @drewkochanny
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Harbor Springs girls meet the end in D3 regional vs. veteran Roscommon
Reporting by Drew Kochanny, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
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