BELLEVILLE - In GoSpartans.net high school game of the week, #9 Belleville broke open a see-saw game at halftime and ran away from the Willow Run Flyers 65-48.
Mohamed Conde spearheaded a second half surge by the Tigers who turned up their defensive intensity at halftime and stop playing what coach Don Hickman called "tenatively on the offensive end.' Conde had a game-high 14-points for Belleville. Willow Run's Brian Cogdale led all scorers with 18 for the Flyers.
Hickman, who is fighting off illness, praised his team for their second half effort where they emphasized being more agressive.
The coach was initially concerned - after an upset loss at the hands of Romulus - that his team had been firing off shots too quickly and not getting into their offensive sets, so he wanted them to cycle the ball a bit.
Belleville star Mohamed Conde indicated he thought the team, in trying to do what the coach asked, overdid it a bit.
"The second half we came out agressive and were able to do what we wanted offensively," said Hickman.
Belleville now has a red-letter date on the road against Class A power, two time defending State Champion Saginaw, Saturday at 3:30 pm.
"I think they're two different types of opponents," said Hickman when asked what he could take away from the Willow Run win and build upon heading into Saginaw.
"No disrespect to Willow Run, but Saginaw is a state power and they're playing as well as anyone in the state right now. We did some good things that we can build upon but we're going to have to be much better on Saturday," he said.
When asked if thought he'd have to try to outduel Saginaw's outstanding head coach Lou Dawkins, Hickman joked, I think he's got me by six inches, so that's not a good matchup for us."
Hickman praised Dawkins for the work he's done at the school and said "I think, though, he would agree with me that you're only as good as your players are."