Breslin Bound: 2022-23 Girls Report Week 3
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 19, 2022
We’ve gained some early insights on local races and statewide superiority as we near the end of the first month of this girls basketball season – but perhaps the most eye-opening play will be tipping off between now and when the ball drops to ring in 2023.
We enjoyed another telling week of mostly nonleague play across the state – including a matchup of potentially the best two teams regardless of division. There’s more of that to come as these next two weeks are filled with holiday hoops events – and we’ll catch up on those when “Breslin Bound” returns the first week in January.
“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. Ypsilanti Arbor Prep 66, West Bloomfield 62 The most intriguing matchup of this season so far saw the reigning Division 3 champion Gators (3-1) edge the reigning title holder in Division 1 West Bloomfield (3-2) during the Arbor Prep Ice Breaker.
2. Chelsea 64, Portland 27 The Bulldogs (5-0) put together their biggest win to avenge two losses from last season against the Raiders (4-2), including their season-ender in a Regional Final.
3. Lake Fenton 51, Grosse Pointe North 33 Lake Fenton’s impressive 6-0 start has arguably its most impressive win so far, as the Norsemen (5-1) also have shown plenty of potential.
4. Hudsonville 48, Wayne Memorial 46 The Eagles (4-2) have navigated a strong nonleague schedule so far, as has Wayne (1-3) with this West Michigan Spotlight matchup its second-straight two-point defeat.
5. East Grand Rapids 61, Redford Westfield Prep 56 The Pioneers (5-1) also pulled out a close win during the “Spotlight” at Aquinas College, against another program in Westfield playing a loaded December slate.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Farmington Hills Mercy (5-0) The Marlins annually are one of the top teams in Division 1, but this has been their best start since 2019-20. Along the way, they’ve handed the only losses so far to Rochester and Northville. Mercy is the reigning Detroit Catholic League Central champ and will begin an attempt at a repeat run Jan. 6 against the other likely favorite, Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard.
Mattawan (4-1) Last season’s 13-9 finish included a run of six wins and a District championship over Mattawan’s final seven games, and the trending upward has continued. After an opening loss to East Grand Rapids – which has quickly established itself as a top team in Division 1 – the Wildcats have won four straight.
DIVISION 2
Haslett (5-0) The Vikings have averaged 16 wins per season over the last four, and regardless of the additional two games on the schedule beginning this winter they have looked early like a contender to match or exceed that solid level of success. They’ve defeated all five opponents by double digits, including Parma Western (21-2 last season), Jackson Northwest and last week Williamston. The Northwest win was the season opener, and the Mounties haven’t lost again.
Saginaw Swan Valley (4-0) All four of Swan Valley’s opponents so far have continued to maintain records of .500 or better, with Hemlock otherwise undefeated. The Vikings finished 19-5 a year ago and second in the Tri-Valley Conference 8, with three losses (including in the Regional Final) to Frankenmuth – and those two will meet for the first time this season the first Friday of 2023.
DIVISION 3
Blissfield (7-0) The Royals have plowed through the first one-third of their schedule, winning those seven games by an average of 34 points per victory. Blissfield finished an impressive 17-6 last season, and has avenged three of those losses defeating Erie Mason 68-30 and Brooklyn Columbia Central 47-27 after losing to the latter twice last winter.
Farwell (6-0) The Eagles are building on a 15-7 finish and second place in the Jack Pine Conference from last season. Their latest win was 29-24 on Friday over Gladwin, one of the JPC teams they split with last winter, and their first matchup with reigning champion Sanford Meridian is Jan. 13 as they look to avenge three 2021-22 losses to the Mustangs that were all by six points or fewer.
DIVISION 4
Martin (5-0) The Clippers are on the right track coming off last season’s 11-12 finish. They started 5-1 last winter as well before a tough stretch, but this month’s work has already included avenging 2021-22 losses to Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep and Gobles. The 39-35 Hackett win is their only single-digit victory so far.
Onaway (4-0) The Cardinals are halfway already to equaling last season’s eight wins, and they’ve done so with a pair of major highlights along the way. The 41-20 season-opening victory over Posen avenged three defeats from last winter, and Thursday’s 45-39 victory over Johannesburg-Lewiston avenged two more losses from 2021-22.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Wednesday – Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (3-1) at Chelsea (5-0) – Both are noted above and seen as potentially dominant teams this season in Divisions 3 and 2, respectively.
Wednesday – Imlay City (7-0) at Goodrich (5-0) – Both will be facing potentially their strongest early test, although Imlay City also has a tough one against Frankenmuth tonight.
Dec. 29 – St. Ignace (4-0) vs. Ann Arbor Huron (3-2) at Redford Westfield Prep – This Motor City Roundball Classic matchup provides a solid challenge for both, especially the Division 4 Saints as they play through a string of larger opponents.
Dec. 29 – Detroit Country Day (3-2) vs. Detroit Renaissance (3-0) at Westfield Prep – This is another Motor City matchup, and will tip off barely 24 hours after Country Day plays Rockford at the same event.
Dec. 30 – Lake Fenton (6-0) at Detroit Cass Tech (3-0) – Both have games to play before this meeting, but both also are pushing for the opportunity to enter 2023 undefeated.
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 St. Louis faced Ithaca in a matchup of Tri-Valley Conference 10 teams Friday; Ithaca won 61-41. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)
Riley Sisters, Fowler Hold Off Baraga Rush to Earn Repeat Opportunity
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
March 17, 2022
EAST LANSING – With Thursday night’s Division 4 Semifinal hanging in the balance, Fowler coach Nathan George knew who he could count on.
In fact, he knew two players he could look lean on in tense moments, and they happen to be from the same family.
Emma and Mia Riley made clutch free throws during the final minute to stave off a furious comeback attempt from upset-minded Baraga.
The Eagles hung on to defeat the Vikings 51-45 at the Breslin Center and advance to the Finals for the second straight year as they seek to repeat as Division 4 champions.
“They play a lot of basketball, so there’s not a lot of situations where they get truly overwhelmed,” George said. “So I had confidence in them that they were going to hit free throws. It got crazy late, but we were lucky the ball bounced our way and we were able to put the game away.”
Mia Riley, a senior, delivered a double-double with a game-high 24 points and 11 rebounds, while Emma, a junior, had 17 points and nine rebounds.
Clinging to a one-point lead (45-44) with 54 seconds left, Mia Riley made a pair of free throws to extend the lead.
After Baraga’s Reide Osterman made 1 of 2 free throws, it was Emma Riley’s turn with 29 seconds left, and she too calmly knocked down both to give the Eagles a four-point cushion.
“It’s like everything you’ve ever practiced for and it makes all that hard work pay off when you can be in that position and finally get the chance to prove yourself,” Mia Riley said. “That was the time to step up, and I’m thankful that I did it.”
Said Emma Riley: “It was pretty scary to be up there and just knowing that we needed the free throws, but we just had to do exactly what we always practice and they should fall.”
Fowler (23-3) will have the opportunity to repeat as Division 4 champion facing Plymouth Christian Academy in Saturday’s 10 a.m. Final.
“Since we've been here before, we’re somewhat used to playing at the Breslin so it’s kind of a comforting thing to know that we’ve been here and we’ve done it before,” Mia Riley said. “We can do it again, and we have those capabilities. It’s a lot nicer since we can have the stands filled and it's not so quiet like last year.”
Fowler built a commanding first-quarter lead as its defense forced turnovers that led to easy baskets on the other end.
Avery Koenigsknecht knocked down a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cap a 12-0 run as the Eagles held a 17-4 advantage.
Baraga trimmed the deficit to 28-18 by halftime and got as close as one from the lead twice during the decisive fourth quarter.
“Give Baraga a lot of credit because they played a good game and probably worked harder than us overall,” George said. “That's something I didn’t expect, and we need to be much more focused and play with more energy come Saturday. I fully believe we will, but I hope this was a wake-up call for the girls and I know it was for me.”
Baraga (23-2) was making its first trip to the Semifinals since 1992, and was the only Upper Peninsula school to make it this far this week.
First-year coach Tyler Larson was proud of his team’s effort in nearly erasing the early double-digit deficit and upsetting the reigning champion.
“Just a tough one,” Larson said. “We didn’t come out the way we wanted to, but we kept it close enough where we could hang around in the second half.
“It was like a boxing match with taking turns swinging and landing punches. We climbed our way back, and I’m very proud of the way the girls handled a little adversity on such a big stage. We just fell a little short in the end.”
Osterman, a senior, led the Vikings with 17 points and nine rebounds, while sophomore Makenna Hendrickson added eight points and eight rebounds.
PHOTOS (Top) Fowler’s Mia Riley (25) drives the lane during Thursday’s Division 4 Semifinal win at Breslin Center. (Middle) Baraga’s Kylie Michaelson (15) gets a shot up over the Eagles’ defense. (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)