Breslin Bound: 2022-23 Girls Report Week 1
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 5, 2022
Another girls basketball season began last week – and took off in a hurry for several teams anticipating great things this winter.
Two themes generally dominate the start of a hoops season – contenders facing off in intriguing nonleague matchups, and teams that didn’t enjoy the greatest success last winter eclipsing it quickly this time around. We have plenty to tell of both as we begin another series of “Breslin Bound” reports.
“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. Grand Rapids West Catholic 55, Hudsonville 50 – Last season’s Division 2 runner-up opened with this win over the 2020 Division 1 champion Eagles, who are coming off a 21-3 finish from a year ago.
2. Lowell 66, Kent City 39 – The Red Arrows handed Kent City – a Division 3 semifinalist last season – its first regular-season defeat since Jan. 14, 2020.
3. Hart 43, Ludington 42 – The Pirates opened the season by edging the Orioles, who are coming off a Division 2 Semifinals appearance in March.
4. Grosse Pointe North 56, Detroit Country Day 45 – The Norsemen capped the season’s first week with a double-digit win over the Yellowjackets, who have made the Division 2 Semifinals two straight seasons.
5. Lake Fenton 46, Frankenmuth 36 – Lake Fenton, a Division 2 Regional finalist last season, opened with this win over one of last season’s quarterfinalists.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Flint Carman-Ainsworth (2-0) Despite starting 0-2 last season, Carman-Ainsworth rebounded to finish 18-5 and win a District title. Those early defeats came to Williamston by three and Brighton by 19, and those teams both went on to win 17 games. Last week, Carman-Ainsworth opened with a 61-50 win over Williamston and then defeated Brighton 59-43.
Taylor (3-0) The Griffins closed 5-2 over their final seven games last winter to get to 11-11 for the season, and they’re well ahead of that pace with three first-week wins – including a 38-33 victory over Dearborn Heights Crestwood, which is coming off a 12-7 finish. This week should be telling as Taylor faces Gibraltar Carlson and Allen Park after going a combined 1-3 against them last season.
DIVISION 2
Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (3-0) The Irish also opened with three first-week wins, the exclamation mark coming with a 73-50 victory over Redford Westfield Prep at Saturday’s Arbor Prep Ice Breaker Invitational – Westfield was 21-2 last season. Gabriel Richard is coming off a 15-7 run last winter and also last week defeated reigning Division 4 runner-up Plymouth Christian Academy 61-44.
Kingsford (2-0) A 5-5 start last season turned into a 7-13 finish, but Kingsford looks to be on stronger footing early with wins last week over Felch North Dickinson 48-37 and Ishpeming Westwood 42-38. Those two handed the Flivvers losses of six and 29, respectively, to start last winter. Kingsford is seeking its first winning season since 2018-19.
DIVISION 3
Dansville (2-0) The Aggies are coming off a solid 17-8 season, especially considering they play in a league with statewide powers Portland St. Patrick, Fowler and Pewamo-Westphalia among others. Dansville lost to the two-time reigning Division 4 champion Eagles by six and 27 last season, but finished last week by handing them a 36-22 defeat.
Gwinn (2-0) The Modeltowners didn’t win a game last season until Feb. 9, and that was their lone victory. Their 19 losses included a pair to Gladstone, and Gwinn avenged those with a 41-38 win Tuesday – and then doubled last year’s win total with a 41-31 victory over Brimley on Saturday.
DIVISION 4
Manistee Catholic Central (2-0) The Sabers opened with double-digit wins over Big Rapids Crossroads Academy and Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep, the latter after losing 43-30 last season as Hackett went on to finish 13-9. MCC continued to finish 14-6 and share the West Michigan D League title, and will see the first of the other two co-champions, Mesick, for the first time Friday.
Morenci (2-0) The Bulldogs generally see Adrian Lenawee Christian once during the regular season and then frequently a second time during the MHSAA Tournament. Last week’s 47-39 win over Lenawee Christian was Morenci’s first since Dec. 4, 2015, and the Bulldogs also defeated Addison 49-17 to avenge an opening-night loss from last year.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Monday – Bloomfield Hills Marian (1-1) at Imlay City (2-0) – The Spartans were 19-4 last season and loaded up a strong nonleague opponent for an early test.
Tuesday – Clarkston (2-0) at Macomb Dakota (1-0) – Both are coming off 17-win seasons and will play (other opponents) in the weekend’s Best of Michigan Holiday Classic.
Friday – Fowler (1-1) at Portland St. Patrick (1-1) – Fowler may have won last season’s Division 4 championship thanks in part to a District Final win over the Shamrocks, but St. Pat won both regular-season meetings and the league title.
Friday – Detroit Edison (1-0) vs. Bolingbrook, Ill. (8-0) – The reigning Division 2 champion Pioneers start a weekend facing Illinois powerhouses with Bolingbrook at Belleville, then take on Chicago Whitney Young on Saturday.
Saturday – Detroit Country Day (1-1) at Belleville (0-0) – The most intriguing matchup of instate opponents at the Best of Michigan Holiday Classic pits the host Tigers – who have upped their win total three straight seasons – against a Country Day team with high aspirations.
MHSAA.com'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 Davison and Flushing tip off last week; the Raiders won their season opener 50-41. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)
Early Jitters Fade Away as Glen Lake Makes Way to Championship Day
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
March 16, 2023
EAST LANSING — As far as a good sign despite futility goes, this couldn’t have been any better for Maple City Glen Lake in its Division 4 Semifinal against Adrian Lenawee Christian on Thursday.
Glen Lake had shot 3 of 20 from the field in the first quarter, despite many of those opportunities coming from close range near the basket.
But the Lakers still led 10-4.
From there, the shooting picked up and so did the lead throughout the next three quarters for Glen Lake, which ended up surging to a 49-31 win.
The Lakers will attempt to win their first Finals championship since claiming the Class D title in 1978 when they meet Baraga at 10 a.m. Saturday.
“You felt their nerves,” Glen Lake head coach Jason Bradford said. “I just told them at halftime to slow it down. Slow it down, face up, see that hoop and put it in. I think the nerves got a little bit better in the second half, and they had better composure.”
Glen Lake started to find the basket more in the second quarter, scoring 15 points in the frame to take a 25-11 lead into halftime.
The Lakers built their lead to 18 points at 31-13 with 5:13 remaining in the third quarter and held a 37-20 lead going into the fourth.
Glen Lake took a 45-24 lead with 4:50 left and was never threatened.
Senior Maddie Bradford had 18 points and 12 rebounds, and senior Ruby Hogan nearly had a triple-double registering 13 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds to lead the way for Glen Lake (25-2).
The Lakers dominated the boards, outrebounding Lenawee Christian by a 47-30 margin and collecting 20 offensive rebounds.
“I think that was huge,” Jason Bradford said. “Rebound, rebound. We preach it in practice, and we’re always working on that. You have to be aggressive. Rebounds are kind of like extra (possessions) and free points.”
Isabelle Kirkendall scored 11 points and Avery Sluss added eight for the Cougars (18-11).
Lenawee Christian returned to the Semifinals despite losing four starters from last year’s team, this time guided by first-year head coach Emilie Beach.
“Big picture, this is so special,” Beach said. “At our school, it seems like the norm to win your District, win your Regional and get to the Final Four. This is so special.”
Glen Lake was making its second-straight Semifinal trip as well after losing in Division 3 a year ago, and seemed to overall benefit from that experience despite the slow start offensively.
“Nerves are going to come,” Hogan said. “You know it’s going to be there, and you’re going to have slip-ups because you are getting used to the big crowd at this stage. Just being able to bounce back from that in the second quarter and second half and making those shots you missed in the first quarter (was nice).”
PHOTOS (Top) Glen Lake’s Jessie Pugh (14) gets through the lane and to the basket during Thursday’s second Division 4 Semifinal at Breslin Center. (Middle) Players scramble for a loose ball during the Lakers’ eventual 49-31 victory.