Hillman Takes Down Posen in NSL Battle
HILLMAN, MI- The two best teams in the North Star League little dipper division treated a capacity crowd at Hillman High School to one of the games of the year.
Coming into the night the Tigers were unbeaten in division play, the Vikings had just one loss, a 64-49 at the hands of the Tigers. Posen came out of the gate hoping to flip the scripts as Cole Krajniak scored the first 7 Viking points of the game. The senior pushed Posen to a lead that got as high as nine in the half. Posen led 24-16 at the break. Junior guard Trenton Taratuta had 12 of the Hillman 16.
The second half started with Hillman scoring the first nine points of the half to take at 25-24 lead, the run capped off by a three pointer by Senior Braylin Firman. From there it was a back and forth contest as both teams turned up the intensity in the games final minutes. A pair of Tarartuta free throws would give Hillman a 48-45 lead with 40 seconds left.  Posen would tie the game as Lucas Mercier knocked down a corner three with 30 seconds left.
In the final seconds Taratuta drove the lane and Posen was whistled for a foul. Taratutua would make the second free throw giving him 27 on the night and giving the Tigers a one point lead with 4.7 seconds left. Posen’s final possession resulted in a turnover and the Tigers escaped with a 49-48 victory.
The game also served as a fundraiser for the Weaver family in Escanaba. The game raised a total of 4,000 and will be donated to the children and family of Gerald and Tara Weaver, who tragically passed away in a car accident traveling to their sons basketball game last Friday Evening. All money from ticket sales, 50/50 raffle, in which the prize winner Kevin Krajniak of Posen donated the full winnings back to the fund will be donated to the Weaver family.
