Samsons calm Stormers in season opener

IRONWOOD - Collin Miller is from Milwaukee, but he made sure the team from Wisconsin's largest city lost Friday night.

Miller scored 11 points in the final 2:43 as the Gogebic Community College Samsons defeated Milwaukee Area Technical College 77-69 Friday night in the first day of the Tri State Classic and Gogebic's season.

Momentum appeared to be on Milwaukee's side when it closed the gap to two points, 64-62, and GCC turned it over with 3:22 left.

But the Stormers couldn't tie it and Miller leapt high for a tip-in with 2:43 left.

Gogebic's Adam Mackey took a charge of Milwaukee's Melvin Brown on the other end.

"That's part of the game we try to stress," Gogebic coach Dennis Mackey said. "We're not big, so when they're trying to power us inside, we've got to try to help on the weak side. We were able to get that charge. That was a big play."

Especially because of what followed. Keenan Lampinen found Miller in the corner for a 3 and all of a sudden GCC led 69-62.

"He had a big run down the stretch," Mackey said of Miller. "Those were big baskets."

Lampinen's layup put Gogebic up 71-62.

The Stormers pulled within five, 71-66, but when it was time to ice it, Miller brought the chill. He made all six of his free throws in the final minute as Milwaukee could only interject with a 3-pointer when it was too late.

"He had the confidence and he got to the line and he drilled all those free throws," Mackey said. "Those are huge. I stress it all the time in practice. You win close games with free throws. This is one of those examples where we stepped to the line at the end and knocked in free throws."

Five players finished in double figures for the Samsons. Miller led them all with 18; he shot all of GCC's free throws, going 7 of 8, all in the second half. Mackey scored 12, Hickman 11 and Lampinen and Hagood both scored 10.

"We were able to get Keenan loose, Keenan came in and hit some big shots, came off the bench and picked us up," Mackey said.

Mackey was 4 for 8 from beyond the arc and the Samsons were 10 of 24.

"Adam hit a couple big shots throughout the game when we reeling at times," coach Mackey said.

Brown paced Milwaukee, which already had three games in, with 23 points. Austin Dunbar had 17 and Kamar Marshall tallied 12.

GCC (1-0) hosts Madison College today at 4 p.m. in the final game of the Tri State Classic.

"Madison is a very, very good team," Mackey said. "They're very physical and very athletic. I don't know if they're bigger than Milwaukee, but they might be as athletic or more athletic. They have some shooters on the perimeter that we're going to have to find. But great win for us tonight and we're going to enjoy this and get back after it (today)."

Madison beat Anoka-Ramsey 85-80 Friday at Ironwood. Anoka-Ramsey plays Milwaukee today at noon.

Milwaukee - Kamar Marshall 12, Maher Hakim 5, Andre Neal 5, Allante Washington 1, Evan Burlingame 2, Melvin Brown 23, Austin Dunbar 17, Steve Stovall 4. FTs: 12-20. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: Hakim. 3-pointers: Neal 1.

Gogebic - LaDell Hickman 11, Kevin Smith 2, Adam Mackey 12, Ben Zielinski 8, Collin Miller 18, Keenan Lampinen 10, Tarius Hagood 10, Brandon Cooper 6. FTs: 7-8. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: None. 3-pointers: Mackey 4, Hickman 3, Lampinen 2, Miller 1.

Half: GCC 37-29.