Milford boys basketball coach Dave Gilbert stormed off the court, pounded his hands together and grimaced in mock anger.
This wasn’t a display of close but no cigars. This wasn’t a coach proclaiming a moral victory after his Mustangs kicked up their heals against the top team in the state – Orchard Lake St. Mary’s – only to run out of gas in a 61-39 Division I regional semifinal defeat at packed and raucous Milford High School gymnasium.
Like any coach he thought about the missed shots and the missed opportunities in the most anticipated game of the season. He thought about why his team went ice cold, scoring four and two points in the second and third quarters to turn a close game into a blowout.
How did this happen to a team that shot 73 percent in the first quarter and led until four minutes remained in the first half?
Outsiders may look at the score of this game and believe St. Mary’s (23-1) had its way with Milford. That would only be partially true.
The Mustangs stood toe to toe for an entire half until the superior talent of St. Mary’s guard Trey McKinney (20 points, 10 rebounds and six assists) took over along with the hot shooting of Daniel Smyth.
"I told coach (Dave Gilbert), I'd say that is probably as good defensive team as we've played all year. I mean, they might not have the athletes that a U-D (Jesuit) or Brother Rice has but systematically they check, they win that first dribble, they stick their nose in there, they're physical. They're not going to give you anything easy," said St. Mary's coach Todd Covert.
Any team is disappointed in defeat but the Mavericks walked out of the gym with their heads held high and received a well-deserved round of applause an hour after the game from dozens of fans who stuck around to give them their flowers.
“You saw it tonight,” Gilbert said. “It was a great atmosphere. This was good for Milford.”
The entire town was on display as smug St. Mary’s fans came to see a demolition. Instead they were stunned to see Milford hold small leads throughout the first half.
“I didn’t know Milford could play like this,” one nervous St. Mary’s fan blurted out during the game.
“Yeah that means a lot hearing things like that,” Gilbert said. “Now we need to figure out where we take this from here. How do we continue to grow the program?”
This game provided early drama as junior guard Carson Lutz (11 points, four rebounds and two assists) showed he has a bright future in the game. He not only scored, but kept a manageable pace so the Mavericks could keep pace.
Milford Memories is not just an outdoor festival that clogs the downtown streets of Milford in the summer. It is also about this basketball team that won its second consecutive district title and scared the number one team in the state for a half.
Here is the dirty little secret about this game. The Mavericks were behind the eight ball from the opening tap. St. Mary's is a school that can draw resources from West Bloomfield, Pontiac and Detroit. Chances are if you did not grow up loving the Milford maroon you were not going to play for the Milford maroon.
If you did not grow up in the shadow of this school you were not in last night's game.