ROCKFORD CLAIMS 2003 CLASS A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Rockford Rams 41, Flint Carman Ainsworth 38

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Michael Redell scored 17 points and Drew Powell added 14 as Rockford outlasted Flint Carman-Ainsworth 41-38 to win the Class A state title Saturday at Michigan State. The game was the lowest-scoring Class A final since Lansing Sexton beat Benton Harbor 31-30 in 1945.The victory gave Rockford (28-0) the first state title in school history. Rockford is only the 2nd team in Michigan basketball history to win the Class A state title undefeated. They also have 2nd highest winning percentage over a 2 year perioed in the history of Michigan Class A basketball.

Zack McGee scored 11 points for the Cavaliers (25-3), who were making their first appearance in a championship game.

Rockford led 16-15 after a first half that saw both teams hit about 20 percent of their field goals.

The Rams, though, broke the game open with a 14-4 run in the third that included four 3-pointers, two from Redell.

Rockford led 32-22 heading into the final period, but scored only one point in the first five minutes, allowing Carman-Ainsworth to tie the game.

Alex Briggs put Rockford back ahead with 2:50, and the Rams began to stall.

Redell was fouled with 35.5 seconds to go, and hit both ends of a one-and-one to make it 37-33.

Redell added four more free throws to clinch the game. Fred Tafoya hit a meaningless 3-pointer as time expired.

Rockford coach Steve Majerle, brother of former NBA star Dan Majerle, said the final score didn't matter to him.

"I don't care if we win with 32 points or 72 points, and I don't care if we win by 50 or a half-point," he said. "These kids just brought a state title back to Rockford, and that's all that matters."

Carman-Ainsworth coach Rory Mattar, though, was visibly shocked as he looked at the stat sheet.

"They shot 25 percent and beat us," he said. "These were two great defensive teams, and both offenses got a little frustrated."

Aaron Lawler, the Cavaliers' leading scorer, missed all 13 of his field-goal attempts and finished with only three points.

"He just told me that he had the worst game of his life in his biggest game," Mattar said. "I told him that at least he went out there and was aggressive -- he didn't finish out on a passive note. It might not have worked out, but at least he went after it."

Redell, who was 8-for-8 from the free-throw line, said that the title helps with the pain of last year, when the Rams went 20-0 in the regular season before losing to Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central in the district finals.

"After what we went through last year when so much was expected of us, we knew we didn't want to face that again," he said. "We've been thinking about that all season."