BY MIKE DUNN
GRAYLING -- Junior Kerby Tamm scored six of her game-high 23 points in overtime, including the final four points of the game, as Petoskey edged Manistee 54-51 Tuesday in a Class B regional semifinal at Grayling.
The Northmen (22-1) face Kingsford (18-5) in Thursday's regional final. Kingsford, which rallied to beat Tawas Area 51-42 in Tuesday's other semifinal, is the defending regional champion.
Petoskey trailed 51-50 with 31 seconds remaining when Tamm broke free inside and banked one home to give the Northmen the lead. On the ensuing Manistee possession, Tamm grabbed the rebound after a missed shot and was fouled with 7.7 seconds left. She then drained both free throws to increase the lead to 54-51.
Manistee senior Rose Savela, who dramatically hit a 3-pointer at the end of regulation to force overtime, almost did it again but her shot caught rim and bounced away, assuring the Northmen of a berth in the finals.
Tamm said she wasn't nervous going to the free throw line with the outcome of the game possibly riding on how she fared.
"I'm always confident with free throws," she said. "I was just thinking about my routine and what I needed to do. Everybody was yelling all around me but I didn't get caught up in it."
Petoskey interim coach Matt Tamm credited Kerby Tamm with coming through in the clutch and credited his team with maintaining its focus after Manistee rallied in the fourth quarter to tie the score.
"Give Manistee credit," Tamm said. "Rose made a great shot there to tie it and she was guarded very closely. I just told the girls it was a new game now and it was time to start being aggressive again and attacking the basket. We stopped being aggressive when we had the lead in the fourth quarter and it came back to hurt us."
Manistee rallied from a nine-point deficit in the final minute of the third quarter to force the overtime. The Chippewas outscored Petoskey 11-5 in the fourth quarter as Savela and Julia Maksym combined for nine points.
"It was an exciting game," said Manistee coach Ken Kott after his team ended the season with a 19-4 mark. "Even when we were down, there was no doubt in my mind that we would come back. Rose made a tremendous shot to give us a chance and that's all we wanted was a chance. It hurts to come that close and not win but on Friday we were the ones who pulled it out (in double overtime against Ludington). Tonight it went the other way. That's what happens when good teams face each other."
Holly Laser scored 10 to join Tamm in double figures and Bernadette LeBlanc hit for nine with four assists. Tamm also pulled down 12 rebounds and Carly Searles had four steals. Coach Tamm noted the defense of Searles and Katelyn Crittenden against Savela, who was limited to two points in the first half.
Kristen Merkey and Ashley Tiefenthal paced the Chippewas with 14 points each, while Savela finished with 12 and Maksym with 11.
