Breslin Bound: 2021-22 Girls Report Week 7
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 17, 2022
We’ve reached the midway point of girls basketball season for most of Michigan’s teams – with seven weeks done and seven more until District play begins.
And we’re getting a better idea every week about which teams might be extending their stays a week, two or three longer.
Our latest look at the week that was includes a few references to MPR – Michigan Power Ratings – the metric used to seed the top two teams in every District. Click to see the girls basketball MPR in full.
“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. Lansing Catholic 55, Portland 52 The Cougars (11-0) earned higher billing in the Capital Area Activities Association White and statewide Division 2 conversations in dealing reigning league and Finals champion Portland its first loss.
2. Howell 37, Hartland 31 The Highlanders (6-3) halted Hartland’s regular-season winning streak at 33 in dealing the Eagles (8-1) their lone defeat.
3. Hudsonville 62, Rockford 48 The Eagles (7-2) set themselves up as the top contenders in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red with undefeated Holland West Ottawa, although Rockford (8-1) is likely to be heard from again.
4. Edwardsburg 52, Otsego 32 The Eddies (9-0) made their undefeated start look even stronger in handing previously-undefeated Otsego (10-1) this loss.
5. Traverse City St. Francis 54, Harbor Springs 37 The Gladiators (8-2) also handed out a first loss last week, riding a strong defensive effort to this win over the Rams (8-1).
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
Division 1
Battle Creek Lakeview (9-0) The Spartans are consistently a top team in southwest Michigan, and they raised their profile even more over the last few seasons with 16 wins in 2019-20 and a 13-2 record last year. They opened this one with a 36-33 win over Marshall (6-3), and the highlight of the first half almost assuredly was a 39-38 win over Kalamazoo Central on Dec. 9; Central dealt Lakeview both of those losses last year.
Dearborn Divine Child (9-0) Wins over annual favorites Bloomfield Hills Marian and Farmington Hills Mercy to start the 2022 calendar year have vaulted Divine Child to the top of the Detroit Catholic League Central. The Falcons also are No. 2 in Division 1 MPR with six opponents boasting winning records. The Marian and Mercy rematches come up over the next week, and Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard also could provide a couple of tests.
Division 2
Frankenmuth (8-1) The Eagles took over first place alone in the Tri-Valley Conference 8 with a 50-45 win over Freeland on Friday, as they look to repeat as league champions. Arbor Prep (see below) is the only team to deal Frankenmuth a loss this season, during the Motor City Roundball Classic. The Eagles reached the Regional Finals last year, falling by four to Portland, and will have an opportunity to avenge last season’s other defeat when they face Division 1 contender Midland Dow on Tuesday.
Tecumseh (10-0) A frequent contender in the Southeastern Conference White the last few seasons, Tecumseh looks like an early favorite this winter after a perfect first half filled with impressive performances. Tecumseh is winning its games by an average of 36.2 points per, with victories over Blissfield (8-3) and Onsted (8-1) among the most impressive.
Division 3
Niles Brandywine (9-1) The Bobcats quickly bounced back from their lone loss, by two points Jan. 7 to Division 2 Benton Harbor (5-3), to hand Buchanan (9-1) its only loss; Brandywine will meet the Bucks again Feb. 17 in Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference Red play. Brandywine also owns a 59-54 overtime win over Bronson, but no other opponent has come closer than 15 points.
Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (8-0) The Gators on Thursday handed Redford Westfield Prep its lone loss; Arbor Prep previously did the same to Wayne Memorial and Frankenmuth, and seven of eight opponents this season have .600 or higher winning percentages. None but Westfield has come closer than 15 points of catching the Gators, who are led by one of the state’s best in senior Mya Petticord.
Division 4
Coleman (7-1) The Comets are seeking their first league title in at least a decade, and look well on their way after handing reigning Mid-State Activities Conference champ St. Charles its lone league loss Jan. 10 and then contender Carson City-Crystal the same 33-31 on Friday. The lone defeat came to Farwell (6-3) on Dec. 8, but Coleman has otherwise shined as it builds on last year’s 12-7 overall finish.
Posen (8-0) The Vikings are another team always in the mix. They’re playing for what would be a fifth-straight league title coming off last year’s 15-2 run that also included a District championship. A 56-49 overtime win over Oscoda capped the 2021 calendar year, and a 50-46 win over Hillman on Friday put Posen in a solid position in North Star League play as they approach the midpoint.
Can't-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Houghton (10-0) at Calumet (7-0) – These undefeated teams meet for the only time during the regular season in a matchup that eventually could decide the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference title.
Tuesday – Midland Dow (8-0) at Frankenmuth (8-1) – The Chargers are No. 4 in Division 1 MPR and the Eagles are No. 3 in Division 2.
Tuesday – Elk Rapids (6-1) at Traverse City St. Francis (8-2) – These two have emerged as the early favorites in the Lake Michigan Conference again; Elk Rapids was last season’s champion and St. Francis the runner-up.
Tuesday – Sanford Meridian (10-1) at Coleman (7-1) – Both are leading their leagues, Coleman the MSAC (see above) and Meridian the Jack Pine Conference.
Thursday – East Lansing (7-2) at Detroit Edison (3-1) – This also matches up two of the elite from Divisions 1 and 2, respectively.
Second Half’s weekly “Breslin Bound” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a part of the Office of Postsecondary Financial Planning located within the Michigan Department of Treasury. MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s 529 college savings programs (MET/MESP), as well as scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTO Muskegon takes on Grand Rapids Union on Jan. 11 in what would end up the second of a current three-game winning streak for the Big Reds. (Photo by Tim Reilly.)
Carson Making Up For Lost Time, Making Buchanan Contender as Districts Begin
By
Wes Morgan
Special for MHSAA.com
February 23, 2023
There’s really nothing about Faith Carson’s high school basketball career that went according to script.
Yet, it has developed into quite a compelling story with one last chapter to be penned.
When asked if she felt four years ago that she would have ended up as arguably the top college prospect in the state of Michigan despite missing more than 30 games due to a pandemic-shortened sophomore season and a junior campaign mostly wiped out by an ankle injury, the Buchanan High School phenom and Ohio State University signee said all of that would have been laughable.
However, there were plenty of times, particularly last winter when the 6-foot-4 center was relegated to a walking boot and a chair on the sideline, when it was difficult simply to remain upbeat.
“I was talking to my mom the other day and said I never really realized how much I loved basketball until I couldn’t play,” said Carson, who did return in time last season to help the Bucks win a second consecutive Division 3 District championship before falling to Schoolcraft in the Regional Finals. “Going to practice every day and watching them play, it was a struggle.
“At first it was really hard. I do have a lot of individual goals for myself, but you just have to support your teammates and put a smile on your face. You never want to show up and be the person that is negative.”
Before school and after volleyball practice throughout the fall, Carson put in around three hours a day working on her shot in preparation for this season.
With the MHSAA Tournament set to commence, the Bucks benefitted greatly by Carson’s strong return to the tune of a 19-1 record, a Lakeland Conference title and No. 3 ranking in the latest Associated Press Division 3 poll. The Bucks opened the year with a five-point loss to still-undefeated Vicksburg and have mostly dominated ever since.
Carson is averaging 19.3 points, 11.4 rebounds and 6.2 blocks per game as Buchanan gears up for a District Semifinal on Wednesday against the winner of the Bridgman/Cassopolis opener Monday.
“She spent her spring and summer playing with her travel team and playing with us at the high school level trying to work herself back into shape,” Buchanan coach Gabe Miller said. “She really ramped it up in August and in the fall while simultaneously working her butt off on the volleyball court.”
Carson was named Lakeland Conference MVP after the Bucks’ volleyball squad went undefeated in league play en route to a District crown.
“She was getting up at 5 a.m. and lifting weights at the local fitness center and then coming in and shooting baskets with me from 6:30-7:15 about four or five days a week,” Miller said. “It wore me out, but I welcomed it. It was good to see. And she’d come in on Sundays, too. She was really adamant about making up for lost time the best she could.”
This year’s Buchanan group is primed for a postseason run as Carson combines with some savvy players who helped keep the wheels on last year in her absence, including junior point guard LaBria Austin, versatile senior forward Hannah Tompkins, junior defensive specialist Hannah Herman and sophomore forward (and sister) Alyssa Carson just to name a few.
Clearly, though, the Bucks are a decidedly more ferocious group with Faith Carson back in the lineup.
“The things that get overlooked, unless you coach basketball, you might not see right off the bat is she always had really good hands and feet, even when she was younger,” Miller explained. “She spent a lot of time, especially this last year, working on her diet and researching things, being in the weight room and adding to her physicality and conditioning.
“I think she’s got good court vision as far as seeing plays, seeing cutters, which helps her game out with double- and triple-teams. She wants to play basketball, so she spends a lot of time on it. Losing as much time as she lost last year — a full season — could have been a hindrance. But she definitely made up for it this year. When you take her love for the game with her God-given talents, her size, feet and hands, the work ethic she has put in, and the fact that she wants to work to meet her goals when she goes to college, that’s kind of got us to the player we have today.”
And now, after all the hours working on her shooting, that includes being a threat from range.
“In a game — I can’t remember which one — I had the ball at the 3-point line and their coach was yelling, ‘shooter!’” Carson recalled. “My whole family started to laugh because I’ve never really been called a shooter. It felt great.
“I’m going to do everything I can to help us go really far in the postseason. This is one of my favorite teams I’ve ever been a part of. I’m just really excited because I know what we’re capable of.”
Wes Morgan has reported for the Kalamazoo Gazette, ESPN and ESPNChicago.com, 247Sports and Blue & Gold Illustrated over the last 12 years and is the publisher of JoeInsider.com. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Buchanan’s Faith Carson (54) gets a hand up on defense against St. Joseph. (Middle) Carson elevates for a shot against Schoolcraft. (Photos courtesy of the Buchanan girls basketball program.)