Forest Park senior Matthew Showers (20) and Bessemer junior Gus Matrella battle for positioning on a free-throw attempt during the fourth quarter on Saturday in the Lakeview Memorial Gymnasium in Negaunee. (Sean Chase/Daily News photo)

NEGAUNEE — All season long, the Forest Park boys varsity basketball team has had a target on its back, and the UPSSA’s No. 1-ranked team in Division 4 hasn’t backed down.

The Trojans (24-2, 8-0) faced another test Saturday as they made the trip to Negaunee’s Lakeview Memorial gym with the MHSAA Division 4 Regional 25 title on the line against Bessemer (16-10, 7-4).

The Speedboys put up a fight against Forest Park, but Skyline Central Conference Player of the Year Vic Giuliani took control down the stretch, willing the Trojans to a 53-42 win.

“It’s a grind in the playoffs,” Forest Park head coach Jason Price said. “We were the favorites coming into this game, but I didn’t take them lightly. I think my boys did a little bit, and they’re a heck of a basketball team. They’re young and hopefully, we’ll see them again next year if we get this far.

“They did a good job in their 1-2-2 defense and we had to make some adjustments. We talked it out in the locker room at halftime. The boys were really involved, saying what was open. I was really happy with our communication at halftime.”

Sophomore Dax Huuki opened the scoring with a layup in the first five seconds of the first frame and then the Trojans turned to senior Kevin Giuliani.

He overwhelmed Bessemer in the paint and scored six straight points on layups, pushing Forest Park ahead 8-0.

The Speedboys took a timeout, regrouped and stopped the bleeding with four minutes left in the quarter on a layup from sophomore Jayden Verrett.

Vic Giuliani and Kevin Giuliani each scored in the final minutes and the Trojans led 12-6 entering the second.

Bessemer locked up the Forest Park offense over the next eight minutes. It held the Trojans scoreless in the first four minutes and took a 13-12 lead. Forest Park answered but the Speedboys retook the lead on a basket from junior Leland Hollenbeck.

The Trojans have battled from behind this season and Price didn’t panic.

“We’re battle tested,” Price said. “Our schedule had us playing some really good teams and that’s helped us in some of these games.”

Vic Giuliani scored four points and Aiden Waldo added two points off a floater, pushing Forest Park ahead 20-15 at the halftime break.

“They did a good job of switching defenses,” Price said. “Going into the locker room, we were all up by the chalkboard talking about what they were seeing and what I was seeing. Matt (Showers) did a good job in the middle and then we switched a little in the fourth. It was a little of a chess match out there.”

The Speedboys tried to maintain their defensive pressure in the third quarter, but senior Matthew Showers did well finding sophomore Vic Giuliani.

He scored six-straight points and senior Gabe Quevedo buried a corner 3-pointer as Forest Park pulled out to a 29-17 lead three minutes into the third.

“The middle was open, because they were trapping hard,” Price said. “No one’s trapped us that hard upfront, this year.”

Bessemer cut the lead to nine points with five minutes to play in the third, but it couldn’t stop the Trojans. Price did receive a technical foul in the frame, but they took a 35-23 advantage into the fourth.

“He warned me and didn’t like my body language,” Price said.

Forest Park got into foul trouble in the fourth and Bessemer cut the lead down to eight in the final second. Despite having Kevin Giuliani foul out with less than a minute to play, the Trojans made enough free throws down the stretch to hold off the Speedboys.

Vic Giuliani capped the game with a one-handed dunk and led all scorers in the contest with 26 points. He also tallied six rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Forest Park forced 25 turnovers in the contest and won the rebound battle 24-22.

It also received contributions from Quevedo (3 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 3 steals), Izaiah Tarter (1 point, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal), Huuki (6 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists), Showers (4 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals), Waldo (2 points, 2 assists) and Kevin Giuliani (11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals).

Now the Trojans turn their attention to the MHSAA Division 4 quarterfinals against Pickford (23-2, 12-0) at 6 p.m. Tuesday Central time in Gladstone.

“We’ve got Pickford on Tuesday and that’s the matchup everybody in the U.P. has been waiting for,” Price said. “It’s time to go.

They have athletes all over. They’re a scary team, go seven-deep, and are a good basketball team.”