LoginHartland utilizes big run to beat Oxford in Milford “Skip” Holiday Classic championship
MILFORD — Coming off a 21-2 season and losing a ton of talent, Oxford head coach Joe Fedorinchik knew that this season would be a struggle at times for his team.
On Tuesday, that struggle came in the form of a 21-point Hartland run that took what was a close game and put it out of reach for the Wildcats as the Eagles prevailed 41-24 in the championship game of the Milford “Skip” Holiday Classic.
Oxford started the scoring on the evening, taking an early 2-0 lead, and a few minutes later regained the lead at 4-3, but the second consecutive 3-pointer by Hartland’s Logan Morrish, who tallied eight points on the night, would put the Eagles ahead for good.
“They (Hartland) were the aggressor tonight, there is no doubt about that.” said Fedorinchik, who graduated four starters from last year’s roster of OAA White champions, including prolific scorer Jake Champagne. “They are a good team, well coached. Number two (Morrish) and 23 (Parker Sundman) are dynamite and they are going to be fun. That is a fun group to watch.”
Still, Oxford kept things relatively close and only trailed the Eagles 12-9 midway through the second quarter until Hartland took control with the aforementioned spurt that lasted into the third quarter. At the end of that run, the score stood at 35-12 in favor of Hartland.
Photos of Oxford vs. Hartland from the 2025 Milford “Skip” Holiday Classic
“I thought for the first quarter and a half we defended pretty dang good," Fedorinchik said. "We struggled to put the ball in the hoop and that makes everything a little more difficult. Some good shooters missed some good looks and we missed some layups. At the end of the day, you are busting your butt playing defense, defense, defense, and you look up, and it is demoralizing when you are still stuck at nine points.”
The Wildcats didn’t fold in the last quarter-and-a-half of play, however, managing to outscore Hartland 12-8. That gave them something of a stepping stone into their next matchup against Utica at home on Jan. 6.
“I love the way we competed," Fedorinchik said. "We executed defensively, the kids were locked in. Again, I think it's just, you look up and we only have nine points, and it starts to psychologically weigh on you a bit.
“I think that (Hartland) is a phenomenal basketball team. I told the boys that's maybe the best team we are going to play until maybe districts.”
In addition to Morrish’s eight points on the evening, Hartland was paced by Sundman, who dropped in 20. Oxford was led by Brennan Elling’s 11 and Brody Casper’s 10 points on the night.
MILFORD 41, SOUTH LYON EAST 36
Typically accustomed to reaching the championship final, the host Mavericks, beaten on Monday 49-37 by Oxford, were victorious in the consolation game that got the action underway on Tuesday.
East outscored Milford in three quarters, but the Mavs were able to turn the tables in the second quarter and flip a one-point deficit into a 13-point lead entering intermission.
Reflecting head coach Dave Gilbert's recent comments about having a deep squad, seven players found their way into the scoring column for Milford compared to a handful for the Cougars, who doubled up the Mavs 12-6 in the third quarter, but couldn't quite make up for scoring just four in that second quarter.
Photos of Milford vs. South Lyon East from the 2025 Milford “Skip” Holiday Classic
Outside shooting helped the Mavs put together their best eight-minute stretch, including a pair of 3-pointers by sophomore Jake Goodnough, who paced his team with 11 points. Dorian Wright also knocked down a pair of triples to finish with nine points and sophomore Nolan Walcott added eight for Milford, who improved to 3-5.
Junior Mason Crosby led all scorers, finishing with 15 points for SL East. Classmate Will Noonan added nine, all on 3-pointers, and senior forward Dalton Dudas chipped in eight.
The Cougars (4-3) return to action on Jan. 6 when they host Dexter. Milford's next outing will be a Lakes Valley Conference game the same day at Walled Lake Western.
