For the second straight year, Ludington ran into Kingsford in the regional finals. Last year, the Orioles nearly pulled off the upset. This time, the Flivvers had the upper hand from the start, rolling to a 75-35 win to end Ludington’s season.
Ludington actually won the opening tip, but that was about the only thing that went their way early on. Kingsford’s size was tough to handle again, but it wasn’t just their height—the Flivvers were quick, experienced, and played with confidence.
All-state level guard, Gavin Grondin led Kingsford with 24 points, including all three of the team’s 3-pointers. Matthew Sleik added 18, while Isaiah Kriegl chipped in 16 as Kingsford shot 16-for-20 from the free-throw line and kept up the pressure on both ends of the court.
Ludington had some bright spots, even as the shots weren’t falling the way they had in the regional semifinal win over Standish Sterling. Taj Williams led the Orioles with 10 points, while Cameron Gunsell added eight and Zac Graham finished with seven.
At halftime, Kingsford led 33-18, but Ludington still had hope they could find a way back in it. That hope didn’t last long, though, as Kingsford came out strong in the third quarter, forcing turnovers and capitalizing in transition. From there, it was an uphill battle.
With the loss, Ludington wraps up a strong 16-9 season. The team will graduate just two seniors, Alex Smith and Ben Gronstal, both of whom played key leadership roles.
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