East Lansing, Mich. - Late last month, Detroit Redford and Saginaw Arthur Hill squared off against each other at Highland Park High School. Redford won that game by two points. It was a battle between two of the states best teams and juniors. That game was big, but it wasn't nearly as big as today's rematch of those two squads in the Class A State Semi-Finals at the Breslin Center.

Just like the first game of the day between Okemos and Orchard Lake St. Mary's, neither team came out lighting it up. Saginaw Arthur Hill took an early 9-6 lead off of a Tommie Prater three. Prater scored seven out of the first nine points. Corperrayle Harris went on to score the next eight points for Redford which gave them a 14-11 lead after one quarter of play.

In the second quarter, Arthur Hill turned it up defensively and got more aggressive on the offensive end of the floor. A Darquavis Tucker tip dunk and a Tucker sweet spin move, which resulted in a lay-up, gave Arthur Hill a 21-16 lead with under five minutes remaining in the quarter. But Redford also turned it up defensively and they forced Arthur Hill into committing a few turnovers. Back-to-back Harris dunks gave Redford a 27-26 lead with 35 seconds remaining. Tucker answered for Arthur Hill with a 10-foot pull-up jumper to give them a 28-27 lead at halftime.

Harris had 14 points and 6 rebounds in the first half. Tucker finished with 10 points and 6 rebounds in the first half.

Early in the third quarter, Harris picked up his third foul and had to go to the bench. With him on the bench, Arthur Hill quickly took a five-point lead at 40-35 off of a Latreze Mushatt three and a Prater lay-up. Harris, however, returned with 1:25 remaining in the quarter and his presence was immediately felt. He scored four points in a row as Redford took a 41-40 lead after three quarters of play.

Redford's momentum would carry into the fourth quarter. Thanks to nine points from Harris, Redford took a 52-44 lead with 4:30 remaining. But, the tables were about to turn.

Arthur Hill went on an 8-0 run, which included a Tucker breakaway dunk to tie the score at 52-52 with under two minutes remaining. Redford then went right down the court which resulted in a Terrance Hopkins lay-up and a 54-52 lead. Tucker answered back for Arthur Hill and tied the game with a runner at 54-54 with 30 seconds left.

After a missed Jerome Hutchins lay-up for Redford, Tucker got the rebound and was fouled. He hit both free throws which put Arthur Hill up 56-54 with 20 seconds remaining. Hopkins then missed a shot in the lane that would have tied the game. Greg Lawson of Arthur Hill rebounded the ball and was fouled with two seconds left. He calmly sank both free throws to give Arthur Hill the win 58-54.

Arthur Hill was led by Prater who finished with 20 points and Tucker who finished with 18 points and 19 rebounds for Arthur Hill.

Redford was led by Harris who finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds and Ramone Pettus who finished with 16 points and 6 rebounds.

After the game, Arthur Hill coach Greg McNath had this to say about his team.

"We fought. We hung in there and came back. Some people didn't give us respect throughout the year. But now we are playing for a State Championship."

Tucker stepped up at the end of the game when his team needed him the most. He elaborated a little on what he felt he had to do as a leader of his team.

"You have to step up as a leader. Coach told me to step up and go get the ball."

Coach Kenneth Flowers of Redford was able to explain what he felt went wrong with his team at the end of the game.

"We turned the ball over late in the game. We had an eight-point lead late and we started to panic. We didn't play together at the end of the game. We picked the wrong game to not play as a team."

Arthur Hill will now play Okemos in the Class A State Championship tomorrow at 4 p.m.