Standish-Sterling's Ashlyn Gulvas and Ogemaw Heights' Ashley Thompson left everything on the floor during Wednesday's wild 75-71 Ogemaw victory.
SSC's Paige Raes rips a rebound away from Ogemaw Heights' Josie Wiltse.
Brent Baker
Ogemaw Heights' Kristi Killackey gets a hand on a shot by SSC's Kayla Hilyard during Wednesday's district semifinal.

HOUGHTON LAKE - Mar. 4, 2009 - The game that had a lot of everything -- fast pace, clutch plays, huge performances by premier athletes, big runs and even a pair of technical fouls -- ended up being decided at the free throw line.

Ogemaw Heights' girls used a 17-of-23 performance at the line and got a clutch steal and basket from Ashley Thompson to snap a late tie as the Falcons eliminated Standish-Sterling from the Houghton Lake Class B district tournament in a Wednesday semifinal contest, 75-71.

"It was a great ball game to play in, coach and watch," said Falcon coach Tim Hansen. "It just kept going back and forth. You hate to see someone (lose) a game like this."

Ogemaw led 57-47 late in the third quarter, but Standish-Sterling scored the last three points of the third, then opened the fourth period with a hoop, a forced turnover and an Abbye Gulvas 3-pointer. Just like that, it was 57-55 with seven minutes still to play, and neither team led by more than the final four-point margin the rest of the way.

"I couldn't have asked for more from the girls," said SSC coach Kevin King. "The girls were well-prepared and played hard."

Four Ashley Thompson free throws and a Rilee Palm basket offset 3-pointers from Allison Collier and Ashlyn Gulvas inside the game's 2:30 mark, leaving the score tied at 69-69. With SSC working the ball for the go-ahead shot, Thompson, who scored a game-high 31, knocked the ball loose, won a scramble for possession and took it the other way for the go-ahead score with 49 seconds left.

The Panthers couldn't convert on their next possession, and Ogemaw's Kathy Erickson drained two critical free throws for a four-point lead with 24.6 seconds left. SSC freshman Paige Raes answered with two free throws with eight seconds left, but Kaitlin Morrell drilled two of her own for the final score.

In all, the Falcons were 9-of-13 at the line in the fourth quarter, making their final six.

"Those free throws at the end got us," King said. "I always preach that free throws win championships, and that was the key to tonight. We didn't shoot badly (15-of-25), but they shot them better."

Ogemaw built double-digit leads on several occasions, only to have the Panthers claw back within reach on the strength of their pressure defense. Back-to-back treys in the first quarter from Thompson and Josie Wiltse staked the Falcons to a 19-12 lead, and an eight-point run early in the second put Ogemaw up 27-14.

Ashlyn Gulvas, who scored a career-high 27 points, almost single-handedly brought SSC (13-9) back in the second quarter, scoring 13 points in 15-6 run that got SSC back within four. Wiltse and Lauren Gillette combined for a 6-0 run to open another 10-point lead, but the Panthers closed the half on an eight-point run to get within 39-37.

"We knew it would be physical," Hansen said. "I thought we handled it pretty well, for the most part. We had a nice lead, but SSC maintained their pressure and it got hairy down the stretch."

Palm, Thompson and Kristi Killackey outscored SSC 8-2 to open the third quarter and give the Falcons a lead they wouldn't give up until an Ashlyn Gulvas basket with 3:37 left put the Panthers up 63-62.

Wiltse added 13, Killackey 11 and Palm 10 for the Falcons, while Abbye Gulvas had 12 and Collier seven for the Panthers.

The Falcons (17-4) advance to Friday's 7 p.m. final against Tawas Area (19-2), which is responsible for half of Ogemaw's losses.

SSC finishes at 13-9 despite Ashlyn Gulvas' career game and perhaps its best offensive effort of the season.

"Ashlyn had the game of her life," King said. "But Thompson, she's one of the premier players in Northern Michigan. Great players have great games on big nights, and she was great tonight."