ATAP Defeats Menominee 78–66 in Semifinal to Advance to State Final

Lewis Lovejoy of ATAP goes up for a layup durning the D3 Semi-Finals Thursday. Photo by Brady Triemstra

ATAP punched its ticket to the state championship with a hard-fought 78–66 victory over Menominee in the semifinal matchup. The game started slowly, with both teams going nearly two minutes without a basket. The scoring drought was finally broken when Lewis Lovejoy got underneath the defense for the game’s first bucket. Later in the quarter, with 3:30 remaining, ATAP’s Devonte Grandison knocked down a three-pointer to extend the early lead. Menominee quickly answered when Tanner Theuerkauf buried a triple of his own to cut the score to 11–8 in favor of the Lions. The Maroons grabbed momentum late in the first quarter, taking their first lead of the game when junior guard Talan Woods drilled a deep three that bounced in and out before falling through. Menominee then capped off the quarter at the buzzer with a floater from Jacob Schultz, giving the Maroons a 16–13 lead heading into the second. Menominee opened the second quarter on fire, forcing multiple steals that quickly turned into transition layups. The early surge energized the crowd and helped the Maroons stretch their lead to nine points. However, ATAP refused to back down. The Lions responded with a rapid offensive burst, going shot-for-shot with Menominee and cutting the deficit from nine to just two points in a span of 40 seconds. Despite the push, the Maroons managed to steady themselves and carried a 40–31 lead into halftime.

Atap fans celebrate thursday after their team's win. Photo by Brady Triemstra

ATAP came out of the locker room aggressive to start the third quarter, attacking the basket and cutting the lead to three within the first two minutes. The Lions briefly flirted with foul trouble after committing back-to-back fouls on consecutive possessions, allowing Menominee to push the lead back to five. But ATAP responded immediately. A big three-pointer followed by a three-point play gave the Lions a 42–41 lead, their first since early in the game. From there, ATAP began to control the tempo and dominate the glass, finishing the quarter ahead 52–48. With tensions high and the crowd on edge entering the fourth quarter, ATAP knew the opportunity was within reach. A huge and-one floater from sophomore guard Lewis Lovejoy sparked the Lions and shifted the momentum firmly in their favor. ATAP continued to build on the run, eventually stretching the lead to 12 points with five minutes remaining. Every time Menominee threatened to make a push, ATAP had an answer—matching the Maroons’ energy with timely shots and strong defensive stops. As the clock wound down and the intensity in the arena rose, the Lions stayed composed and closed out the game. When the final buzzer sounded, ATAP secured the 78–66 victory, advancing to the state championship game. Leading Scorers

ATAP

Lewis Lovejoy: 24 Devonte Grandison: 11 Aiden Baker: 8 Menominee Darrent Butler: 23 Tanner Theuerkauf: 14 Dylan Beal: 11