Through the Years: Boys Basketball 1925-2016

September 23, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

We close our “Through the Years” look at MHSAA tournaments with an event rooted in the earliest work of this association.

The Boys Basketball Finals were first played only a few months after the MHSAA formally was formed in December 1924. More than 400 champions have been honored over nearly a century of games that traditionally have finished up each winter.

This feature is from the spring issue of benchmarks, built and written by Rob Kaminski. Scroll to the bottom of the page for links to our previous installments.


Previous installments 

September 25: Girls Basketball - Read
September 13:
Competitive Cheer - Read
September 9:
Wrestling - Read
August 26:
Boys/Girls Skiing - Read
August 23:
Boys/Girls Bowling - Read
August 19:
Boys Ice Hockey - Read
August 16:
Girls Gymnastics - Read
August 12:
Boys/Girls Swimming & Diving - Read
August 9:
Football - Read
August 5:
Girls Volleyball - Read
August 2:
Boys Soccer - Read
July 30:
Boys Cross Country - Read
July 26:
Girls Cross Country - Read
July 22:
Boys/Girls Lacrosse - Read
July 19:
Boys/Girls Tennis - Read
July 15:
Boys/Girls Golf - Read
July 12:
Girls Soccer - Read
July 8:
Boys Track & Field - Read
July 5:
Girls Track & Field - Read
July 1:
Baseball - Read
June 28:
Softball - Read

Tri-unity Christian Finishes Season-Long Mission to Return to Top of D4

By Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com

March 16, 2024

EAST LANSING — Wyoming Tri-unity Christian may have the nickname Defenders, but for the last year “Avengers” might have been more appropriate.

Ever since losing the 2023 Boys Basketball Division 4 Final by two points to Munising, Tri-unity Christian was on a mission to get back on top of the division it had ruled the previous year.

“That was our motivation for the whole year,” Tri-unity Christian senior Owen Rosendall said. “We all thought about the (loss) every other day. It was living rent-free in our heads.” 

Consider that loss avenged, and now the Defenders will get to spend the next year trying to be defenders of another Division 4 title following a 79-59 win over Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart on Saturday at Breslin Center.

Akais Giplaye (20) begins a move to the basket with Sacred Heart’s Aidan Halliday defending.In winning its sixth Finals title under coach legendary Mark Keeler, Tri-unity Christian put up a brilliant offensive display that carved up what’s been a great Sacred Heart defense all year. 

Tri-unity Christian shot 60.9 percent from the field (28 of 46) overall and 41.2 percent from 3-point range (7 of 17). 

The big difference was the second quarter, which saw Tri-unity Christian score 22 points and turn a 17-14 lead after the first quarter into a 39-25 lead at halftime. 

The Defenders went 14 of 24 from the field overall and 4 of 10 from 3-point range during the first half. 

Tri-unity Christian kept up the pressure in the third quarter, taking a 53-34 lead with 4:11 to go in the third and a 64-43 advantage into a fourth quarter that was more of a coronation than anything. 

Senior Jordan VanKlompenberg led five players in double figures with 19 points. Rosendall scored 14 points, junior Keaton Blanker had 11 points and 12 assists, senior Akais Giplaye scored 11 points and senior Wesley Kaman added 10 points to lead the Defenders’ balanced attack. 

“I think we had a little bit of an advantage with length,” Keeler said. “That really freed us up a little bit. They stayed with their man-to-man, so we were in a lot of rhythm. We got to run a lot of offensive sets we hadn’t done in all these games because right away other teams will go to zones. It was fun executing and see some of (the plays) work.”

The Defenders’ Wesley Kaman (5) works to get up a shot over Noah Zeien.Sacred Heart (26-3) advanced to the Final for the first time since 2006 and was seeking its first title since winning the Class C crown in 1975, but couldn’t solve Tri-unity Christian for a second time this year.

Tri-unity Christian defeated Sacred Heart 71-41 in its second game of the season. 

Saturday was only the third time this winter an opponent scored more than 60 points on the Irish. 

“When you look at their size and length on the perimeter, we just kind of sensed that they were going to be able to get shots that they wanted,” Sacred Heart head coach Justin Sherlock said. “I thought our guys did a good job contesting.” 

Junior Grady Pieratt scored 21 points and sophomore Noah Zeien had 14 to lead the way for Sacred Heart, a good omen since those two along with junior guard Brody Cherry will be a part of a good core of returnees next year. 

“There is a lot of youth on our team,” Sherlock said. “Now we know how to do it.”

Click for the full box score.

PHOTOS (Top) Wyoming Tri-unity Christian players begin to celebrate clinching the Division 4 championship Saturday at Breslin Center. (Middle) Akais Giplaye (20) begins a move to the basket with Sacred Heart’s Aidan Halliday defending. (Below) The Defenders’ Wesley Kaman (5) works to get up a shot over Noah Zeien. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)