Breslin Bound: Boys Report Week 10
February 18, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The countdown has begun.
Five days until we announce District brackets with the top two teams on separate sides for the first time. Just under three weeks until the regular season ends. Five weeks from today we’ll be packing for the Breslin Center and this season’s Boys Basketball Semifinals and Finals.
It could go by in a flash. But in the meantime, there are tons of moments to savor – especially at the local league level. We turn a lot of our focus to those in this week’s report.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com. Send corrections or missing scores to [email protected].
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Detroit Cass Tech 66, Detroit Douglass 41 – The Technicians (17-1) repeated as Detroit Public School League Tournament champions with a commanding win over the Hurricanes (15-4).
2. Wyoming 62, Grand Rapids Christian 61 – The Wolves’ only loss this winter was by two Jan. 17 to the Eagles (14-1), and Wyoming (14-1) taking the rematch eventually could result in them sharing the Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold title.
3. Marquette 68, Escanaba 64 – The Redmen (15-3) locked up their fourth-straight Great Northern Conference championship by avenging their lone league loss, to second-place Escanaba (11-6).
4. Belleville 53, Westland John Glenn 49 – The Tigers (13-3) earned a share of the Kensington Lakes Activities Association East title with a second win over the second-place Rockets (11-5).
5. Ann Arbor Skyline 53, Ann Arbor Huron 40 – The Eagles (11-5) not only avenged a Jan. 24 defeat but handed the first this season to the rival River Rats (14-1).
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Hudsonville (14-1) The Eagles already have clinched the O-K Red title outright as no other league team has fewer than four losses. The championship was Hudsonville’s second straight after going just 10-12 two seasons ago. The lone loss this winter came against another Division 1 contender, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 65-47 on Feb. 1 – and the Eagles will get another major test tonight in Wyoming (14-1) as they prep to build on last year’s Regional Final run.
Ypsilanti Lincoln (13-2) The reigning Division 1 champion has taken the first step toward another memorable finish, clinching a share of the Southeastern Conference White title Friday with a 68-45 win over second-place Dexter. The Railsplitters and sophomore phenom Emoni Bates also have impressive wins over Okemos (12-3) and Detroit Edison (10-4), and the losses look pretty great too – to Division 2 contender Benton Harbor and on opening night to River Rouge in a preview of a possible playoff matchup.
DIVISION 2
Bridgeport (16-1) A loss two weeks ago to Frankenmuth was the only trip-up as Bridgeport has moved within two wins of clinching a share of the Tri-Valley Conference East title for the fourth-straight season. The Bearcats are second in Division 2 MPR with wins also over Linden (14-2), Skyline (11-5), the Eagles (12-2) and Flint Southwestern (13-2) among 10 total against teams with double-digit victories. That also includes a pair against Alma (12-4), which handed Bridgeport its only loss of last season in a Regional Semifinal.
Carrollton (14-0) The Cavaliers already have tied their most wins for a season since 2014-15, and they’ll be in line to claim the Tri-Valley Conference West title if they can finish a season sweep Friday of second-place Hemlock (14-1), which Carrollton defeated the first time 64-46 on Jan. 17. The Cavaliers also own a 77-70 win over Greater Thumb Conference West leader Reese and will close the regular-season with another nice test in currently-unbeaten Kingston.
DIVISION 3
Detroit Loyola (12-2) The Bulldogs are Detroit Catholic League AA champions and a pair of back-to-back five-point losses to Hamtramck and Dearborn Divine Child from a perfect record. They avenged that defeat to Divine Child with a 17-point win Feb. 11, and they’ve also handed Macomb Lutheran North (12-2) its only defeats this winter. The league title was Loyola’s second straight, and it also reached the Regional Finals last season.
Oscoda (15-0) The Owls have run their regular-season winning streak to 35 and remain the pacesetter in the North Star League Big Dipper thanks in part to a pair of double-digit wins over Mio (11-4). Oscoda also has a 30-point win over Posen (11-4) and a 21-pointer over Hale (14-2) with the rematch against the latter coming up Friday. They’ll also hope to build next month on last year’s Regional Finals run.
DIVISION 4
Bellevue (13-2) The Broncos have won 10 straight as they pursue what would be a fifth-straight Southern Central Athletic Association West championship. Bellevue has a slight edge on Battle Creek St. Philip after defeating the Tigers last week for the second time, this time 54-41. The Broncos have more to aim for as well – they’ve won seven straight District titles and reached the Quarterfinals a year ago.
Dryden (11-4) Despite trailing Kingston and International Academy of Flint in the North Central Thumb League Stars, Dryden is ahead of IAF and No. 4 statewide in Division 4 MPR. The Cardinals split with the Phoenix, winning the second meeting 49-34 on Jan. 31, and Dryden’s only losses of calendar year 2020 are two to Kingston. New Lothrop (14-2) in the regular-season finale will be a challenge, but winning out would push Dryden past its 15-win totals of the last two seasons before the playoffs start.
Can't-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Okemos (12-3) at East Lansing (13-1) – The Chiefs lead the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue by a game over the Trojans thanks to a 69-51 win in their first meeting Jan. 14.
Tuesday – Canton (11-5) at Howell (13-3) – The Highlanders can clinch the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West title outright with a win over second-place Canton; their first meeting went to Howell 50-48 on Jan. 24.
Thursday – Cadillac (13-2) at Petoskey (10-4) – These two are tied for first in the Big North Conference, and the winner of this game wins a share of the league title – and the whole thing if Traverse City Central loses to Gaylord this night or another of its final three league games.
Friday – Blissfield (14-1) at Onsted (11-4) – The Royals lead Onsted in the Lenawee County Athletic Association by a game, but lost the first meeting with the Wildcats 55-53 on Jan. 7.
Saturday – Benton Harbor (15-1) at River Rouge (16-1) – Last season’s Division 2 runner-up Rouge hosts the 2018 Class B champion Tigers in a matchup of teams that could both end up in MHSAA Finals next month.
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PHOTO: Flint Beecher, here against Burton Bendle on Feb. 7, leads Division 3 MPR with three weeks remaining in the regular season. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)
Brandywine Seizes Momentum on Dunk, Rides Surge to 1st Championship Win
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
March 16, 2024
EAST LANSING – It may be a stretch to believe a lone play early in a third quarter could decide a state championship game, but that's the best explanation Niles Brandywine could offer.
A steal and ensuing slam dunk ignited eight dominating minutes that earned the Bobcats their first MHSAA Finals title with Saturday's 56-48 win over Detroit Old Redford in Division 3 at the Breslin Center.
A steal and subsequent dunk by senior guard Jaremiah Palmer during the third period's opening seconds were what players credited with turning around a contest which saw Brandywine actually outscore Old Redford in just that one quarter.
"Jaremiah got the steal and the dunk, and we just kept it going after that," senior guard Byron Linley said. "We saw his intensity, and we wanted to match it."
Prior to Palmer's steal and basket, Niles Brandywine had led only 4-1 midway through the first quarter and for less than three minutes of the second quarter, entering halftime down 24-23.
But Palmer's exploits kicked off a 20-5 third-quarter surge which led the Bobcats to as much as a 44-31 lead halfway through the period.
"Our goal was to come here and win and finish (the season) in a good way, and we did," Jaremiah Palmer said.
Senior guard Jamier Palmer said it wasn't the first time the Bobcats have rallied in the second half, and the steal and dunk were at least a key part of the championship win.
"I think so," he said. "We've been down before and fought our way back. Against Benton Harbor we were down like 20 points, and we still made that game ours."
Senior center Brock Dye said at halftime players talked about making a big play.
"We knew we had to change things, that we couldn't be one stop short," he said. "Then we got the dunk, and everything changed quickly. It energized us. We told ourselves, 'OK, we're here to play.'"
Brandywine coach Nate Knapp, whose team has won 51 games over the last two seasons, said while the steal and dunk played a part, he also credited defense. The team gave up an average of just 39 points over seven tournament wins. Old Redford (21-8) shot just 38 percent from the floor while missing 16 of 18 3-point attempts.
"We have five guys on the floor and one heartbeat," Knapp said. "We take things one step at a time. That's what we preach, and that's what the kids buy into."
Jaremiah Palmer finished with18 points, six rebounds and three steals while Ja'Torian Smith had seven points and 10 rebounds.
Sophomore Jaylin Muldrow had 14 points and Ja'Quan Stennis added 10 for Old Redford. The Ravens started only one senior in forward Justin Adams, while underclassmen scored all 48 points.
Old Redford coach Ray Reeves said the team settled for jump shots instead of getting the ball inside, and also set far too many picks on offense. Brandywine held a 36-27 advantage on the boards, with 13 offensive rebounds.
"They were more aggressive than us, and I think experience came into play," he said. "We've been outrebounding teams, and tonight they killed us. There are no excuses, we just didn't rebound or get to the line. They dominated both.
"From the middle of the first quarter on, they attacked the boards and got the ball down the floor. They did the things that got us here."
Knapp said defense has been a strength all season.
"Defense wins big games; you've got to defend," he said. "We said tonight we've got to do one of our best jobs of stopping their penetration and help box out. We came out and imposed our will in the third quarter.”
PHOTOS (Top) Jaremiah Palmer slam dunks during Niles Brandywine’s Division 3 championship win Saturday at Breslin Center. (Middle) Jamier Palmer (1) raises the trophy surrounded by teammates. (Below) Old Redford’s Jaylin Muldrow (1) gets to the basket with Jaremiah Palmer defending. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)