Breslin Bound: Girls Quarterfinal Preview
March 12, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Three reigning MHSAA girls basketball champions remain alive as we head into the final week of this season. They and two reigning runners-up are only one win away from returning to Michigan State University's Breslin Center.
But 27 more teams also sense how close they are to booking trips to East Lansing. That added ounce of motivation could go a long way in tonight's Quarterfinals across the state.
See below for a quick glance at all 16 games being played this evening. And click here for brackets including tip-off times and sites for every game.
Class A
Westland John Glenn (23-1) vs. Detroit Martin Luther King (22-0): King senior Antania Hayes might’ve fallen a few votes short in the Miss Basketball balloting this week, but her team is the favorite to leave Breslin on Saturday with the champion trophy. John Glenn senior guard Raven Bankston (18 ppg) hopes to stand in the way tonight.
Grand Ledge (21-4) vs. Grand Haven (25-0): The reigning Class A champion Buccaneers and 6-foot-5 center Abby Cole achieved something they didn't last winter by going undefeated this regular season. The Comets have taken big leaps of late – improving from eight, to 11, to 15 and now 21 wins over the last four seasons and already knocked out a Miss Basketball candidate in defeating Mattawan.
Grosse Pointe South (23-1) vs. Birmingham Marian (21-3): Grosse Pointe South is the reigning Class A runner-up and has rattled off 23 straight victories since losing on opening night to Chicago Whitney Young. Marian, with just a three-point loss a few weeks ago, is one of only a few to play King close this season, and is succeeding with no player averaging more than 9.8 points per game.
Saginaw Heritage (16-9) vs. Dexter (22-3): A lineup featuring three sophomore starters has led Heritage to its best season since 2005. Dexter won its first Regional title since earning back-to-back in 1997-98, and similar to Marian has four scorers averaging more than seven points per game but none averaging eight.
Class B
Clare (23-1) vs. Midland Bullock Creek (22-3): Clare has won a lot and won big; its only game within 10 points this season was a one-point loss to Saginaw Nouvel on Dec. 4. Two sophomores and a senior averaging double figures scoring have led Bullock Creek to its first District title since 2008 and now farther.
Detroit Country Day (18-3) vs. Flint Powers Catholic (19-6): Country Day won its eighth-straight Regional title and is led by guard Asia Doss scoring a team-high 13.3 points per game. Powers is back to being a power after going only 8-13 a year ago. Senior forward Kim Berry leads the way with 13.9 ppg.
Goodrich (22-3) vs. Livonia Ladywood (17-7): Reigning Class B champion Goodrich had a few hiccups after going undefeated in 2011-12, but could run away with the title again led by Miss Basketball runner-up Taylor Gleason (21.6 ppg). Ladywood will try to stop that run tonight while led by another high-scoring senior guard, Andrea Anastos (19.8 ppg).
Marshall (21-4) vs. Grand Rapids South Christian (23-1): Marshall is back in the Quarterfinals after falling last season to Dearborn Divine Child, and is back thanks in part to two sophomore starters. South Christian has its best record since 2006 and is in the Quarterfinals for the first time since 2004.
Class C
Niles Brandywine (24-0) vs. Manchester (24-1): Brandywine has made the Quarterfinals all four seasons under coach Josh Hood and made the Semifinals in 2010. Manchester hopes to get there keyed by a pair of seniors – 6-foot-1 forward McKenna Erkfrtiz and 5-5 guard Taylor Manders – both averaging more than 14 points per game.
Riverview Gabriel Richard (15-7) vs. Flint Hamady (22-3): Senior Ashley Henderson is averaging 16 points per game and had 30 in Gabriel Richard’s Regional title win over Madison Heights Bishop Foley. Last season was the only one over the last four that Hamady didn't make at least a Quarterfinal, and it’s looking to get back to a championship game for the first time since winning Class C back-to-back in 2009-10.
Delton Kellogg (21-4) vs. Saginaw Nouvel (23-2): Kellogg has increased its win total all three seasons under coach Mike Mohn, and has followed a third-place finish in the strong Kalamazoo Valley Association to bigger things. But Nouvel will be the toughest opponent this season; the Panthers have their best record since back-to-back championship runs in 2006 and 2007-08.
Shelby (21-3) vs. Houghton (22-2): Shelby has won at least 18 games all three seasons under coach Sarah Wolting, and this season claimed its first postseason titles under her leadership. Junior forward Elisa Jurmu is averaging 19.9 points per game as Houghton makes its first Quarterfinal appearance since 2009.
Class D
St. Ignace (24-0) vs. Crystal Falls Forest Park (23-1): The Saints made the Class C Semifinals in 2012 and didn't have their first close game this winter until a 74-68 win over previously-undefeated Posen. Crystal Falls Forest Park is trying to return to the Class D Semifinals and is again led by one of the state’s top juniors – 6-0 Lexi Gussert, who is averaging 32.5 points and 10.9 rebounds per game.
Climax-Scotts (19-5) vs. Gaylord St. Mary (23-2): Five senior starters have Climax-Scotts in the Quarterfinals for the first time in coach Dana Perrin’s three seasons as coach. Junior guard Kari Borowiak is averaging more than 17 points per game for a St. Mary team that hasn't lost since Dec. 18.
Athens (21-3) vs. Plymouth Christian (18-6): This is Athens’ third-straight Quarterfinal berth and it will be looking to return to Breslin after advancing to the championship game in 2012. Plymouth Christian gave reigning champion Waterford Our Lady a scare early this season and played one of the toughest schedules of any Class D Quarterfinalist.
Waterford Our Lady (19-4) vs. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (16-7): Guards Lexie Robak and Ava Doetsch can finish this week as four-time MHSAA champions and have started for Our Lady all four of their high school seasons. Sacred Heart is back in the Quarterfinals for the first time since 2010 and hopes to avenge a 50-38 loss to Our Lady on Dec. 15.
PHOTO: Goodrich guard Taylor Gleason (22) will try to lead her team to a second-straight Class B championship this week. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Breslin Bound: 2023-24 Girls Report Week 2
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 18, 2023
As holiday breaks bring some rest from school and work, Michigan girls basketball teams are smashing the pedal to the floor right into the new year.
In addition to 26 multi-day tournaments and one-day showcases, many contenders have lined up matchups with other championship hopefuls. Among those: Rockford, Frankenmuth and Goodrich all reached last season’s Semifinals or Finals and are playing two games over the next three weeks against opponents that also finished last season at the Breslin Center.
Picking just five matchups to highlight until our next report Jan. 8 was pretty much futile. But we’ve selected a few noted below, along with our regular reports on teams that caught our attention over the last week.
“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. West Bloomfield 67, Salem 27 In a rematch of a Division 1 Semifinal from last season, West Bloomfield opened in a big way as part of the Kensington Lakes Activities Association/Oakland Activities Association Challenge.
2. Grass Lake 50, Tecumseh 40 The Division 3 Warriors (4-1) avenged last season’s 78-49 loss to Division 2 Tecumseh (2-2).
3. Detroit Edison 62, Detroit Country Day 53 These two Division 2 contenders met at the Best of Michigan Holiday Classic, with Edison moving to 2-0 by handing Country Day (4-1) its only defeat.
4. Sault Ste. Marie 50, St. Ignace 34 This Straits Area Conference matchup is arguably the best in the Upper Peninsula, and the reigning league champion Blue Devils (3-1) ran their winning streak over the Saints (3-1) to three.
5. Williamston 45, Haslett 43 Last season’s Capital Area Activities Conference Red runner-up Hornets (2-2) earned an early edge on reigning champion Haslett (2-3), which has three defeats by a combined nine points after going 22-2 last winter.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills (4-0) Kenowa Hills jumped from 10-12 in 2021-22 to 16-9 last season, and is continuing to build. A 50-48 win over Kent City on Dec. 8 was an immediate attention grabber, and that had followed a 15-point win over Grandville Calvin Christian after the Knights had fallen to Calvin by 12 last winter.
Macomb Dakota (4-0) The Cougars have won all of their games by double digits, with their last two victories also the lone losses this season for Utica Ford and Dearborn. Dakota lost to Ford by 18 and six points last season on the way to finishing 14-11 overall.
DIVISION 2
Alma (4-0) The Panthers broke a string of three sub-.500 seasons in going 13-10 last winter and gave a hint of what they could do with a late two-point win over Saginaw Swan Valley after losing to the Vikings by 30 a month earlier. This season’s start has included a 10-point win over Swan Valley, and last week Alma handed the only losses so far to Gaylord and Bay City John Glenn.
Livonia Clarenceville (4-0) The Trojans have won a combined 29 games over the last two seasons, finishing third two years ago and tying for second last winter in the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Red. After three double-digit wins to start this season’s campaign, Clarenceville may have earned its most notable in downing Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood 39-37 on Friday – the Cranes’ lone loss.
DIVISION 3
Elk Rapids (4-0) The Elks entered this winter a combined 55-9 over the last three seasons including 21-4 a season ago. Opening with wins over a pair of Big North Conference opponents, Petoskey and Alpena, was solid, but perhaps bested last week with a 49-39 win over reigning Division 4 champion Maple City Glen Lake and 32-22 victory over Traverse City St. Francis – which also won 21 games last season and finished one ahead of Elk Rapids to take the Lake Michigan Conference title.
Ovid-Elsie (5-0) The Marauders ran their Mid-Michigan Activities Conference winning streak to 34 games with Friday’s 53-46 victory over New Lothrop, having claimed the last two league titles and also topping 20 wins overall the last two winters. Ovid-Elsie’s wins over the Hornets and Otisville LakeVille Memorial this season remain those teams’ only defeats.
DIVISION 4
Alcona (4-0) The Tigers bounced back from a 2-3 start last season to finish 15-7 and share the North Star League Big Dipper title with Oscoda and Rogers City, and they’ve already avenged two of those early losses with wins the last two weeks over Hillman and Posen. Alcona also handed Tawas its only defeat so far, 44-33 on Friday.
Ishpeming (3-0) Thursday’s 54-28 win over Calumet was Ishpeming’s first over the Copper Kings since December 2018 and came after the Hematites extended their winning streak over rival Westwood to four going back two seasons. Both are indicative of the team’s improvement from 5-10 to 12-9 to 16-7 last season.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Thursday – Frankenmuth (3-0) at Rockford (3-0) – The reigning Division 2 runner-up Eagles will follow up a Tuesday rematch with Goodrich from last season’s Semifinals by hitting the road to face the reigning Division 1 champion.
Friday – Grass Lake (4-1) at Saline (4-0) – Saline finished 21-4 last season, and one of those losses was 48-38 to the Warriors.
Friday – Lansing Catholic (2-1) at Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (4-0) – FGR has some notable wins already this winter, and downing the reigning Division 2 champion Cougars would be the Irish’s best achievement yet.
Dec. 27 – Grand Rapids West Catholic (2-0) vs. Rockford (3-0) at Cornerstone University – West Catholic’s 61-54 win over Rockford at last season’s Cornerstone Holiday Tournament was the Rams’ lone defeat of the season.
Dec. 29 – Hemlock (4-0) vs. Goodrich (4-0) at Romulus – This matchup of last season’s Division 3 champion Huskies and the Division 2 semifinalist Martians is the headliner from the Michigan Hardwood Classic.
MHSAA.com's weekly “Breslin Bound” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). 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 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.
PHOTOS (Top) St. Louis' 4-1 start has included last week's 48-30 win over Lakeview. (Middle) Davison opens last week with a 36-28 win over North Branch. (Top photo by High School Sports Scene; middle photo by Terry Lyons.)