Rubber Match Set: Pershing vs. Southeastern

Detroit's Public School League Finals are set after Friday night's semi-final showdown at Renaissance where Pershing dismantled Renaissance, 101-74, in the opener and Southeastern held off Henry Ford, 62-54.

Michigan State's Associate Head Coach Mark Montgomery sat mid-court while 6'9 senior center Derrick Nix went to work scoring 35 points and grabbing 21 rebounds. The future Spartan dominated and threw over the Phoenix' press leading to easy buckets on the opposite end.

5'10 senior guard Dennis Perry dropped five three pointers and fought to the hoop for 25 points. Perry is one of four guards in Head Coach A.W. Canada's rotation. Another guard, that Spartan fans should be familiar with is 6'1 junior guard Keith Appling who recorded a triple-double with 14 points, 13 rebound, and 10 assists has given a verbal commit to the Green and White.

On the other side of the coin, Renaissance played to the end and did a solid job of not letting the wheels come off after trailing 55-32 to end the first half. 6'5 small forward Daniel Sutherlin drilled a couple of three pointers, hit the glass hard for rebounds and subsequent put-backs while showing his athleticism with a couple of two-handed jams. Sutherlin battled for his 29 points and dozen boards as he represented the height and teeth of Head Coach Cam Nichol's front line. 6' senior guard Delano Collins scored 20 and played with a no die attitude through his final minutes. 6'1 junior guard Chene Phillips has stepped it up offensively in the second half of the season and scored 17 in this contest.

Southeastern's 6'8 sophomore power forward Percy Gibson scored all of the game's first seven points and the Jungaleers never trailed. The game was tied at 18 after Henry Ford's 6'1 guard Victor Edge knocked down a three-pointer but 6'1 senior guard Kimani Boynton answered with a three-point play the old fashioned way. Southeastern led at the half, 30-25.

6'5 sophomore Brandan Kearney's three early in the third quarter sparked a seven point run leading to a 39-28 lead. Henry Ford's 6'5 wing Matt Hunter scored five in the quarter and came up with key steals but the Tractor's trailed 48-36 after the third quarter. The fourth quarter started off with Southeastern going on a 7-3 run that almost took the breath from Head Coach Ken Flower's Ford team. 5'9 senior point guard Demario Prince scored six straight points for Ford cutting the lead to 59-53 in the closing moments of the game.

Boynton scored 14 and dropped ten dimes. Kearney scored eleven and hit a couple from beyond the arc while grabbed a lions share of rebounds. Gibson scored a dozen.

Hunter led all scorers with 15 and also showed some range with a couple from deep. Prince and 6' guard Warren Jackson both scored eleven.

Next Friday the championship will be decided after a consulation game between Ford and Renaissance. Pershing and Southeastern will play their third game of the year. Ford an Renaissance the same. The schools can meet up a fourth time early in the state playoffs.