GLADWIN - Jan. 22, 2008 - Anyone waiting for the real Gladwin basketball team to please stand up likely got their answer Tuesday during Ogemaw Heights's 71-69 victory over the Flying G's.

Gladwin's Jekyll-and-Hyde Christmas performance made for some head scratching. Were the Flying G's the team that Ogemaw led 44-10 at halftime of a 79-52 romp on Dec. 21? Or the team that turned around a week later to hand the Falcons their only loss of the season, 70-62?

If the Falcons might have looked past Gladwin in that loss, there was little danger of that this time.

Ogemaw needed a buzzer-beating Pete VanOosten 14-footer -- off a pass from Kevin O'Neil -- to steal a hard-fought road victory and provide plenty of preparation for Friday's key NEMC game at Standish-Sterling.

Gladwin held the Falcons scoreless for the final three minutes until VanOosten's game-winner, and Nate Feuerstein hit the front end of a one-and-one with 35 seconds left to tie the game at 69.

The Falcons also had to contend with foul trouble for VanOosten and Kyle Dantzer. VanOosten finished with four fouls, while Dantzer was hampered by three first-half fouls.

Stepping up were Michael Noffsinger, who scored all 13 of his points in the second half, and Rick Dodridge, who led all scorers with 24, including a pair of fourth-quarter 3-pointers.

"Mike and Rick played their best games of the year," said Ogemaw coach Jon VanOosten.

The game was close throughout as the Falcons led 33-31 at the half and trailed 53-52 after three quarters.

Chris Smalley led Gladwin (7-6) with 20 points with James Hang and Ryan Balzer adding 10 each.

The Falcons (11-1) are at Standish-Sterling on Friday and hope to keep their unbeaten (6-0) North East Michigan Conference mark intact.