Moment: 1961 Team Tips Off "Rouge Week'

April 13, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Nearly 70 years after its first championship, the River Rouge boys basketball program remains the standard at the Finals level of its sport with 20 appearances in MHSAA championship games and 14 titles.

From 1960-69, Rouge appeared in Finals seven times and won six championships – and photos and video from those six title games will make up this “Rouge Week” as part of our MHSAA Moments series.

We tip off with these from the 79-44 Class B title win over Holland Christian in 1961. The championship was the fourth of 12 earned under legendary coach Lofton Greene, following those won in 1954, 1955 and 1959.

The Panthers' 21-8 second-quarter run, keyed by 6-foot-5 freshman Willie Betts, sent them into halftime up 39-21. For the game, four players scored in double figures for River Rouge led by Jon Roman (No. 11 above and below) with 17 points.  The Panthers finished 23-2 and also included Ken Wilburn (No. 25 below), who went on to play professionally for four NBA and ABA franchises.


(Photos courtesy of The Associated Press.)

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. 

The Bobcats' Ja'Torian Smith (12) shoots a 3-pointer as McBain's Evan Haverkamp defends.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. 

Click for the full box score.

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.)