Orono sophomore Sam Sustacek didn’t start the Spartans’ 77-72 Class 3A quarterfinals victory over Marshall. Turns out, it was about the only thing the 6-foot-7 forward didn’t do.

Playing the best game of his career on when it mattered most Wednesday at Williams Arena, Sustacek came off the bench to score 21 points, grab eight rebounds, make three steals and thoroughly frustrate a Tigers team that lives and dies on the perimeter.

“We’ve been seeing him coming,” Orono coach Barry Wohlers said. “He’s a basketball junkie. He gets in the gym and he works on his craft.”

The beauty of Orono all season has been its versatility. Point guard Andy Ten Eyck is not only the Spartans’ calming influence, he’s their leading rebounder. Guard Cole Hennings is offense waiting to happen – he didn’t miss a shot, making seven of seven from the floor and all six of his free throws en route to a team-high 23 points. Ethan Larson and the two Chandlers, Jacoby and Perry, all stepped up when called upon.

But this game belonged to Sustacek, who turned a potential turnover into a four-point swing that Wohler credited as the biggest play of the game. Midway through the second half, Marshall had cut the lead cut to two, 53-51. Sustacek chased down a tipped pass in the lane, made a nice up-and-under move, and laid the ball in, restoring the lead to four points. Marshall never got closer.

“That was huge,” Wohler said. “It gave us a chance to breathe a little bit.”

JIM PAULSEN

Sophomore Sam Sustacek didn’t start the game for Orono, but that was about the only thing the 6-foot-7 sophomore forward didn’t do on Wednesday at Williams Arena.

Sustacek scored a career-high 21 points on an impressive assortment of post-moves and Orono made 16 of 18 free throws down the stretch to defeat Marshall 77-72 in a Class 3A quarterfinal game. The Spartans will play DeLaSalle in Thursday’s semifinals.

Guard Cole Hennings had 23 points for Orono (22-8). Marshall fell to 24-5.

Jim Paulsen