Breslin Bound: Boys Report Post-Break
January 4, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
We knew plenty of favorites to watch when boys basketball season tipped off during the second week of December.
But we were able to add a few more to the list of hopefuls after another eventful holiday break.
Each week during the regular season, we’ll glance at four teams from each class that have caught our attention. Results and records below are based on schedules posted at MHSAA.com.
Class A
Belleville (3-1) – Keep an eye on the emerging Tigers, who opened with a loss to St. Clair Shores Lake Shore but started the holiday break with a 13-point win over Oak Park and finished it with a 62-59 win over annual contender Saginaw at the Motor City Roundball Classic.
Hudsonville (6-0) – The Eagles made a statement with a 77-69 win over reigning Class B champion Wyoming Godwin Heights during the first week, but backed it up with a Cornerstone Holiday Tournament win over Grand Rapids Christian, 68-55.
Northville (6-0) – A sweep of Walled Lake Northern and Bloomfield Hills gave Northville the championship at its own invitational last week and a chance to start the Kensington Lakes Activities Association Central schedule undefeated.
Rochester Hills Stoney Creek (5-0) – The Cougars topped off 2015 with a 27-point win over Davison at the Roundball Classic and hope to at least duplicate last season’s 9-1 start.
Class B
Detroit Henry Ford (3-2) – Last season’s Class B runner-up stumbled at first with losses to North Farmington and Detroit Edison Public School Academy, but had a big break with wins over Lowell (72-66), Farmington (73-53) and then Chicago Hyde Park (75-73) at the Roundball Classic.
Frankenmuth (4-0) – Two of the Eagles’ wins have come in overtime, but both were key – 67-62 in double overtime over league rival Bridgeport, and then 63-59 in a single extra period over Class A Bloomfield Hills in the Roundball Classic.
Hillsdale (5-0) – The Hornets have won 44 straight regular-season games including a sweep at the Jonesville Invitational at the start of the break; Lenawee County Athletic Association contender Onsted will look to break the streak Friday.
New Haven (3-1) – The Rockets’ lone loss was to Class A Detroit East English, and they came back to beat Mount Clemens by 26 and St. Clair Shores South Lake by 15 to claim the championship of their home tournament.
Class C
Detroit Edison Public School Academy (5-1) – The Pioneers are looking like they’ll factor into the Class C title race with success so far against a strong group of Class A and B teams, including a 68-55 win over Lansing Everett and a 70-61 victory over Detroit Henry Ford.
Flint Hamady (4-0) – Three teams in the Genesee Area Conference Blue remain undefeated as we start 2016, but reigning champion Hamady looks like the one to chase again with three double-digit league wins followed by a 70-68 nail-biter over Windsor Catholic Central at the Roundball Classic.
Negaunee (6-0) – The Miners are looking good to build on last season’s 18-4 finish and have already beaten two of the opponents – Escanaba and Marquette – they lost to last season; Negaunee has put up more than 80 points twice, including 92 in a win last week.
North Muskegon (3-1) – After opening 1-4 last season but finishing 16-8, North Muskegon is starting out stronger with its only loss to Class B Muskegon Oakridge and nice local wins over Muskegon Catholic Central and Muskegon Western Michigan Christian.
Class D
Climax-Scotts (4-1) – The Panthers are off to a quick start in the Southern Central Athletic Association West, with four double-digit wins including three over league opponents; the only loss came last week to a homeschoolers team.
Lansing Christian (2-2) – Put the Pilgrims’ start in perspective; the losses were to Class B Olivet and Leslie, which are a combined 6-3, and the wins were over Class C Carson City-Crystal and frequently-strong Class D Fowler.
Novi Franklin Road Christian (4-2) – A 2-6 start turned into a 9-13 finish last season, but Franklin Road added wins over Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett and Waterford Our Lady to a solid start this time.
Pittsford (4-0) – The Wildcats boys are matching their elite girls team so far, thanks in part to a 65-61 double-overtime win over Sand Creek at the start of the break; Pittsford's boys finished 12-9 a year ago.
PHOTO: Northville, here during a 70-61 win over Westland John Glenn on Dec. 15, are 6-0 this season. (Click for more photos from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Tri-unity Endures Ingalls' Scoring Surge, Earns 4th-Straight Finals Trip
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
March 14, 2024
EAST LANSING — Thursday’s first Division 4 Semifinal was a matter of depth and experience overcoming star power.
St. Ignace senior Jonny Ingalls entered the game averaging 30 points a contest, and Wyoming Tri-unity Christian head coach Mark Keeler knew Ingalls would get his – which he did in the form of 31 points.
But summoning their wealth of big-game experience and a deeper bench, Tri-unity Christian overcame Ingalls and St. Ignace with a late surge to earn a 60-53 win.
The Defenders (23-5) advanced to their fourth straight championship game, where they’ll look to claim a second title in three seasons after losing last year’s Final 39-37 to Munising.
“I think depth had a lot to do with it,” Tri-unity Christian head coach Mark Keeler said. “I think they were all tired. I told them before the game that (Ingalls) is going to get some shots. He is an amazing player. He is going to knock them down. What we didn’t want was for him to score 41 points like he did the last game.”
Tri-unity Christian certainly had a lot of work to do in less than a 48-hour period between Tuesday’s Quarterfinal round and Thursday to prepare for Ingalls, which made practice a more concentrated effort than usual Wednesday.
“We hadn’t played someone with the talent and jump shot he has all year,” Tri-unity Christian senior Jordan VanKlompenberg said. “We said we were going to face-guard him and not let him catch the ball, but if he’s bringing the ball up, it’s hard to do that. In practice, we definitely focused more on a single player.”
The teams went back-and-forth the entire game, but especially during the fourth quarter.
St. Ignace held a 40-36 lead going into the fourth, but Tri-unity Christian scored the first five points of the quarter to take a 41-40 lead with 6:05 remaining in the game.
The Saints responded with a run of their own, scoring the next seven points to take a 47-41 lead with 4:46 left following a pair of free throws by Ingalls.
But Tri-unity Christian had an answer of its own, going on a 12-1 run to grab a 53-48 lead with 1:54 to go. The run was highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers by senior Lincoln Eerdmans.
A basket by Ingalls brought St. Ignace to within 55-51 with 1:03 remaining, but Tri-unity Christian did a nice job of keep-away with the ball and ultimately went up 57-51 with 34 seconds left on two free throws by VanKlompenberg.
A 3-point attempt by Ingalls went in and out on the next St. Ignace possession, and the shot was rebounded Tri-unity Christian junior Keaton Blanker. Following a foul, Blanker made two free throws to give the Defenders a 59-51 lead with 24.4 seconds remaining that all but sealed the game.
Blanker scored 19 points, and senior Wesley Kaman added 14 for Tri-unity Christian, which had a 38-26 rebounding advantage.
It was a tough way to end the season for St. Ignace (21-7), which advanced to the Semifinals for the first time since 1983 and now has to say farewell to six seniors – and retiring 25-year coach Doug Ingalls – who brought the program to heights not seen in more than four decades.
“They finished and we didn’t, and that was the deciding factor in this game,” said Ingalls, who is stepping down with a record of 375-182 over three stints leading the program. “We had the heart of a champion.”
PHOTOS (Top) Tri-unity Christian’s Keaton Blanker (4) works to get a shot past the outstretched arms of St. Ignace’s Jonny Ingalls during Thursday’s Division 4 Semifinal. (Middle) Lincoln Eerdmans (25) splits a pair of Saints defenders. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)