Highlight Reel: Class C-D Semifinals
March 25, 2016
By John Johnson
MHSAA communications director
The first four finalists for the 2016 MHSAA Boys Basketball Tournament, presented by Sparrow Health System, were determined on Thursday at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.
Check out these video highlights from the Class C and D Semifinals. Click on the score to watch a game in its entirety and order DVDs.
Class C
Grandville Calvin Christian 65, McBain 42
Squire On Fire - Tony DeWitte scored the first 10 points of the game for Grandville Calvin Christian, and 26 of his game-high 31 points in the first half against McBain in this Class C Semifinal.
From Another Area Code - Logan Eling led McBain with 18 points, including this bomb from long range in the first quarter.
Flint Beecher 60, Detroit Loyola 59
Bulldogs Finally Take The Lead - Detroit Loyola never led in its Class C Semifinal with Flint Beecher until there were fewer than two minutes to play when Keith Johnson hit a 3-pointer.
Un-bee-leeve-able - Malik Ellison hits the game-winning shot for Flint Beecher. Ellison finished the game with 11 points.
Class D
Waterford Our Lady 64, Wyoming Tri-unity Christian 53
Going Coast To Coast - This Class D Semifinal went back and forth deep into the final period. Here's Braydon Sherrod of Wyoming Tri-unity Christian going downcourt for a basket.
Roback Puts Lakes Back In The Lead - Waterford Our Lady ended its Class D Semifinal with Wyoming Tri-Unity Christian on a 12-point run, starting with this 3-pointer by Noah Roback.
Powers North Central 64, Fulton 23
Steal-Scoop-Score - Powers North Central converts a steal into points in the first quarter of a Class D Semifinal against Fulton as Jason Whitens takes the turnover and converts it into points.
Antes For Three - Colton Antes canned a couple of 3-pointers for Fulton against Powers North Central in their Class D Semifinal.
The Boys Basketball Finals are presented by Sparrow Health System.
PHOTO: Flint Beecher's Jordan Roland pushes the ball upcourt during the Thursday Class C Semifinal against Detroit Loyola.
Key Rebound, Putback in Breslin Return Help Send Brandywine to 1st Final
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
March 14, 2024
EAST LANSING — It couldn’t have been more ironic for Niles Brandywine that on a day when it was dominated in the rebounding category, it ended up getting the rebound that was most important of all.
Trailing McBain by two points during the final seconds of regulation in a Division 3 Semifinal on Thursday, Brandywine appeared to be done after senior Jaremiah Palmer missed a jumper that would have tied the game.
But senior Byron Linley was there for an offensive putback just before the buzzer sounded to tie the game and send it to overtime.
After seeing McBain score the first four points of the extra period, Brandywine answered with the next seven, the last three on a 3-pointer by senior Ja’Torian Smith with 18.9 seconds remaining that was ultimately the difference in a 51-48 Brandywine victory.
The Bobcats will make their first trip to a Final at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Breslin Center.
“Byron was at the right place at the right time,” Brandywine head coach Nathan Knapp said. “Thank goodness for him. He’s one of our better shooters, and he’s in a little funk right now. That kind of lifted him a bit.”
McBain scored the first four points of overtime on consecutive baskets by freshman Clayton Heuker, but Brandywine answered with four straight of its own to tie the game at 48-48 with 1:04 remaining in the extra period.
After getting a stop with under a minute left, Brandywine moved the ball around and got an open look from 3-point range for Smith, who drained the shot from the left side of the floor to give Brandywine its final three-point lead with 18.9 seconds remaining.
“It is really just a confidence thing,” Smith said. “I shoot this shot 100,000 times. So it’s just following through and being confident with it.”
McBain turned the ball over on its next possession, giving Brandywine the ball back with 3.7 seconds remaining.
The Bobcats inbounded the ball and missed the two free throws following a foul, but there wasn’t enough time left for McBain to get off anything but a full-court heave that fell short just before the buzzer sounded.
“Once we get our kids with their backs to the wall, they’re resilient,” Knapp said.
Brandywine advanced despite being outrebounded 43-22 and shooting just 4 of 21 from 3-point range. The Bobcats made up for those deficiencies by forcing 27 McBain turnovers.
Smith scored 19 points, and Palmer added 12 for Brandywine (24-3).
Heuker scored 14 points and senior Evan Haverkamp added 12 for McBain (25-2).
“They did a great job,” McBain head coach Bruce Koopman said. “All year long, they just kept making me believe and believe. I wasn’t sure we were this good. They just battled every game and showed me so much this tournament.”
Brandywine also advanced to the Semifinals last season before falling to Traverse City St. Francis. The Bobcats didn’t lead Thursday until Smith drained a 3-pointer with 6:24 remaining to give his team a 36-35 lead.
McBain responded, answering with a 9-2 run over the next 3:31 to take a 44-38 lead with 2:53 left.
McBain held a 28-22 lead with 4:19 remaining in the third quarter, but Brandywine outscored the Ramblers 10-5 the rest of the quarter to cut the deficit to 33-32 going into the fourth.
The Ramblers started off strong, holding Brandywine to 16.7-percent shooting in the first quarter and taking a 16-8 lead after eight minutes. They then built their lead to 20-8 with 6:27 remaining in the second quarter before Brandywine found some rhythm on both ends.
The Bobcats ended the quarter on a 12-4 run to cut the McBain lead to 24-20 at halftime.
PHOTOS (Top) Brandywine's Nylen Goins (1) gets up a shot under the basket during his team's Division 3 Semifinal win Thursday. (Middle) The Bobcats' Ja'Torian Smith (12) shoots a 3-pointer as McBain's Evan Haverkamp defends. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)