Breslin Bound: 2021-22 Girls Report Week 3
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 20, 2021
How last season ended can affect how next season begins – and among trends this season are a number of girls basketball programs picking up again after strong finishes last winter.
That’s also a theme among headliners in our Breslin Bound report this week, as we cruise into a holiday break that will slow things down for some – but still include a number of notable matchups, as we’ve also covered below.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com.
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Detroit Edison 67, Hudsonville 48 The Pioneers (3-1) continued another great start with a big win over the reigning Division 1 champion Eagles (3-2) at the West Michigan Spotlight.
2. Wayne Memorial 61, Detroit Renaissance 44 This win over the reigning Division 1 runner-up Phoenix (2-2) started an impressive week that also included double-digit victories over Belleville and East Grand Rapids that pushed Wayne to 3-1.
3. Portland St. Patrick 53, Fowler 49 Two of the state’s best in Division 4 are neighbors, and the Shamrocks improved to 6-0 by handing reigning Finals champion Fowler (5-1) its first defeat; they meet against Feb. 1.
4. Hudsonville 59, Byron Center 56 (OT) While the Eagles’ losses have come to statewide contenders Edison and Midland Dow, they’ve stacked some wins closer to home with Byron Center (2-2) coming off a league title.
5. Sault Ste. Marie 51, St. Ignace 29 Reigning Straits Area Conference champion Sault Ste. Marie (5-3) earned a key win in what could be a three or four-team (out of five) race this winter, with the Saints (3-1) always a factor.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
Division 1
Haslett (6-0) The Vikings are building on a 14-3 finish from last winter that included two losses to East Lansing, including the season-ender in the District Final. They avenged those with a 43-42 win last week, with their only other single-digit victory so far a noteworthy 41-38 edging of Jackson Northwest in the opener.
Utica (6-0) The Chieftains followed two straight 15-win seasons by finishing 6-10 last winter, but closed with a District title. They’ve rolled right into this winter with four wins by 28 points or more, but also two by just a bucket that have been the most impressive – handing the only losses to Port Huron (42-40), and last week, Macomb Dakota (48-45).
Division 2
Otsego (6-0) Despite last winter’s abbreviated schedule, Otsego did improve a win to 9-6 and has continued to rise this winter. A 53-47 victory over Portage Central on Dec. 7 remains Central’s lone defeat, and the Bulldogs have a chance to close the calendar year with another nice statement when they host Marshall on Dec. 30.
Saginaw Swan Valley (5-1) The Vikings won five of their last six games to close 2020-21 at 10-7, their first winning season over the last three, and they’ve also carried some momentum into December. The lone loss was to still-unbeaten Lansing Catholic, and Swan Valley dealt the only defeats to Reese and Essexville Garber by matching 54-43 scores.
Division 3
Carson City-Crystal (4-0) Last season’s 8-10 finish included a pair of losses to Mid-State Activities Conference rival Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart, and the highlight of this start has no doubt been the 37-32 win over the Irish last week. All three of the Eagles’ other victories were by 16 points or more. The first matchup with reigning MSAC champion St. Charles is Jan. 21.
Hancock (5-1) Hancock’s only loss came to undefeated Calumet last week as it builds on last winter’s 11-5 finish. The Bulldogs’ highest win total over the last five seasons has been 13 wins, and they should make a run at surpassing that after also handing Ewen-Trout Creek its lone defeat and avenging last season’s District loss (and also a two-point regular-season defeat) to Negaunee.
Division 4
Baraga (6-0) The Vikings are perhaps the Upper Peninsula’s strongest program that remains a bit under the statewide radar, but they’ve won league and at least District championships the last three seasons and show no signs of slowing down. After opening with a five-point win over Ontonagon, Baraga has won its last five games by an average of 33 points per contest.
Lake Leelanau St. Mary (4-0) Edging a Rudyard team 47-45 on Saturday that could contend in the Straits Area Conference was an attention-grabber for the Eagles, who won five of their last six last season to finish 9-7. Games this week against Saginaw Valley Lutheran and then at Carlton Airport’s showcase to end December will provide opportunities to make noise as well.
Can't-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (3-0) vs. Grand Rapids West Catholic (3-0) at Cornerstone University – These two will meet in a Blue opener of Cornerstone’s annual holiday event.
Wednesday – Grand Rapids Christian (4-1) vs. Kent City (6-0) at Cornerstone University – They will play for the Gold title, with Grand Rapids Christian defeating reigning Division 2 runner-up Newaygo on Monday to advance.
Dec. 29 – Frankenmuth (4-0) vs. Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (4-0) at Redford Westfield Prep – This may be the premier game of the Motor City Roundball Classic, matching contenders in Divisions 2 and 3, respectively.
Dec. 29 – St. Ignace (3-1) vs. Port Huron (3-1) at Redford Westfield Prep – This is another of the most intriguing Motor City Roundball Classic matchups.
Dec. 30 – Marshall (3-1) at Otsego (6-0) – As noted above, this pairs two Division 2 teams that appear on the rise, with Marshall’s only loss by three opening night to Division 1 Battle Creek Lakeview.
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PHOTOS (Top) Davison evened its record last week with a 55-40 win over Saginaw Arthur Hill. (Middle) Otsego moved to a 6-0 with a 72-46 win over Vicksburg. (Photos by Terry Lyons and Gary Shook, respectively.)
Riley Sisters, Fowler Shine on Statewide Stage
By
Jason Schmitt
Special for MHSAA.com
April 9, 2021
EAST LANSING — Fowler certainly is a small town.
Located just 30 miles northwest of Lansing, everyone in town knows everyone. And if they didn’t already know the Riley sisters’ prowess on the basketball court, they sure do now.
Sisters Mia and Emma Riley combined to score 34 points in leading Fowler to a 54-20 victory over Bellaire on Friday in the Division 4 title game at the Breslin Center. It was Fowler’s first MHSAA Finals championship since 1991.
“I’ll constantly have relatives who drive by their house and they’ll say, all the time, that they’re in their driveway playing one-on-one,” Fowler head coach Nathan George said of the sisters. “So it’s no coincidence that they’re in this spot, that they’re this good. All their hard work is paying off.”
Emma Riley, a sophomore, scored the first four points of the game and her older sister, Riley, scored her team’s first nine points of the second quarter as Fowler overwhelmed Bellaire early on. Fowler led 29-7 at halftime. It shot 48 percent from the field while limiting Bellaire to just three field goals and 12 percent shooting.
“We have confidence that teams will struggle against our speed and aggressiveness,” George said. “It hasn’t worked every game, but for the most part I think teams have a hard time adjusting to it because we have so many guards we can rotate in. It worked pretty well tonight.
“When we get those fast starts and the girls get their confidence, it’s a pretty special thing to see.”
Bellaire struggled throughout the first half, connecting on just 3 of 25 shots. It was just 1 for 11 in the first quarter and at one point missed 13 straight shots while falling behind 17-3.
“It definitely is upsetting because normally we can bounce back when shots aren’t falling in,” Bellaire senior Katie Decker said. “We have confidence in each other and hold each other up. Normally they’re going in, but I don’t know what was happening today. I guess nerves and we never settled in, but we did the best we could.”
Fowler’s defense played a big part in Bellaire’s shooting woes. George’s team collected 12 steals and forced 18 turnovers in the game. The Riley sisters accounted for eight of those steals.
“They can shoot and they can defend,” Bellaire head coach Brad Fisher said. “They shot the ball so well and they just play a different level of defense. We knew it was coming, but to simulate it, you can’t. I don’t know that we could have done too much differently when a team shoots like that and can defend like that.”
Mia Riley, a junior, was 6 for 8 shooting in the first half, while Emma was 3 for 5.
“I try to go into the game with a lot of confidence and I know my sister does too,” said Mia, a junior. “Coach always tells us, ‘Be confident and if you get a shot, it’s going up.’ So that’s kind of our mentality. We just didn’t want to hold back this game.”
Emma Riley said she didn’t let the arena atmosphere get to her.
“(Coach) always says if you get an open look, shoot it. So nothing changed on this court,” Emma said. “We kept saying that it was an important game, but it’s just like it was back at Fowler. We just tried not to overthink it and shoot with confidence like always.”
Mia Riley finished with a game-high 18 points to go along with five rebounds and three steals. Emma Riley had 16 points, seven rebounds and five steals for Fowler (16-4). Junior Emma Halfmann and sophomore Grace Epkey each added six points.
George said he’s known how good the Riley sisters are on the basketball court. But after Friday’s performance, other people will, too.
“Being from a small town, I don’t think people get to appreciate them,” George said. “We don’t get a lot of media coverage. There aren’t a lot of people in our gyms. Their skill level is incredible. I appreciate that we get to this type of stage, where others can appreciate how good they are.”
Bellaire finished its season with an 18-4 record. Decker and junior Jacey Somers led the team with six points apiece.
“Our girls had a pretty darn good season, too,” Fisher said. “We’ve talked about what this team has done and what this team is capable of. We have so many people to thank, the community, the MHSAA has been awesome.
“I’m just so proud of my girls. This was a fun ride. Eventually the season has to come to an end. And we had a couple special victories along the way. It’s obviously not the outcome we wanted, but we still made history.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Fowler's Avery Koenigsknecht (3) works to get past Bellaire's Emersyn Koekpe during Friday's Division 4 Final. (Middle) Fowler's Leah Wieber (22) works to get to the basket. (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)