Beecher’s run to the 1976 Class B boys basketball state title nearly stalled out in a district championship game.
The Buccaneers, ranked No. 1, were given the biggest scare of their lives when they faced host Powers Catholic in a district nal on March 6, 1976.
The Chargers held the ball, and they had a chance to win the game in regulation time when one of their players got fouled with no time left on the clock.
Powers’ game-winning attempt at the foul line hit the front of the rim, sending the contest to overtime.
The miss gave the Bucs a second life, something they took full advantage off, posting a 31-26 double-overtime triumph over the Chargers.
“There were times we should have lost, and we were fortunate to get by,” former Beecher guard Bryan Rison said. “All (Powers) had to do was make one free throw, and nobody would have known how good we really were.”
Beecher rolled past its next four tournament opponents before edging second-ranked River Rouge, 80-76, in the state championship game on March 27 in front of a crowd of 13,609 at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor.
The Bucs ended the season with a perfect 27-0 mark, and they are being recognized for their accomplishment with enshrinement into the Greater Flint Area Sports Hall of Fame.
“They were almost unstoppable,” former Beecher freshman coach Bob Sunday said. “They were on a mission. They were going all the way to the end.”
