Breslin Bound: Girls Report Post-Break
January 3, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
We’ve returned for the start of 2017 – and with plenty to review from the holiday break that featured top teams facing off in multi-day tournaments or one-day showcases especially in the Detroit and Grand Rapids areas.
But our highlights this week powered by MI Student Aid aren’t reserved for teams from Michigan’s largest cities; high-performing squads from the southern border to Lake Superior’s shore gave us reasons to watch as we turned the calendar over to the new year.
Week in Review
The countdown of the holiday break's five most intriguing results:
1. Detroit Country Day 55, Detroit Martin Luther King 46 – The Detroit area’s best-known powers hadn’t played each other in at least six seasons; the Class B Yellowjackets moved to 7-0 in downing the reigning Class A runner-up Crusaders (7-1).
2. Northville 62, Warren Cousino 51 – After a one-point loss to Dearborn on opening night, Northville has dominated, most recently winning its holiday invitational with this victory over the reigning Class A champion.
3. Holland Christian 43, Hudsonville 33 – The Maroons improved to 6-0 and won their holiday tournament with this victory over Hudsonville, previously undefeated and a Class A semifinalist last season. CORRECTION: Hudsonville actually won this game 61-43 to win the tournament and move to 7-0.
4. Detroit Martin Luther King 48, Muskegon Mona Shores 45 – The day after falling to Country Day, King came back with this close win over the Sailors, who are also expected to contend in Class A this season.
5. Dearborn Divine Child 54, Farmington Hills Mercy 39 – Mercy looks to be among the state’s best in Class A again, which is great news for a Divine Child program that also boasts plenty of tradition but is coming off a six-win season.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each class making sparks:
CLASS A
Clarkston (8-0) – The Wolves boys get a lot of attention, but the girls have won at least 15 games four of the last five seasons (going 15-6 last winter) and are more than halfway there after Motor City Roundball Classic victories over River Rouge (66-41) and Detroit Cass Tech (63-54).
Detroit East English (7-1) – The Bulldogs have dominated for the most part and already are closing in on equaling last season’s win total; their only loss was by four to one-loss Detroit Collegiate Prep, and they’ve won all over their other games by at least 20.
CLASS B
Manistee (6-2) – A Class B quarterfinalist last season, Manistee took losses to neighbors Big Rapids and Cadillac over the first two weeks but came back with a six-point win over Traverse City West and a two-pointer over Shelby during the break.
Olivet (5-1) – Save for an 84-80 shootout loss to Battle Creek Pennfield, the Eagles are again riding high after falling off just a bit to 13-9 last season. They dealt Galesburg-Augusta its only loss, 67-40, on Dec. 20.
CLASS C
Carson City-Crystal (4-2) – These Eagles might have one of the strongest two-loss records in the state, with those defeats by two to one-loss Merrill and six to undefeated and reigning Class D runner-up Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart; they kicked off the break with a 51-29 win over Saginaw Nouvel.
Ishpeming (5-0) – The Hematites, 10-9 a season ago, have opened with five double-digit wins including 61-49 over Calumet, the 2015 Class C champion, and 43-33 over rival Westwood last week.
CLASS D
Athens (4-1) – Regardless of a one-point overtime loss to Centreville on Dec. 12, Athens is more than on pace to equal its back-to-back 16-win seasons and most recently handed a 41-22 loss to Mendon – winner of 17 games a year ago.
Wyoming Tri-unity Christian (4-2) – The Defenders are another girls team often in the shadow of a boys program that has had statewide success, but coming off a Quarterfinal appearance last season they’re looking to make their name again and beat Class B Montague 48-42 to finish 2016.
Can't-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Charlevoix (4-0) at St. Ignace (3-1) – Charlevoix is taking major strides led by a freshman standout, and will get a good gauge of that progress against the Class C-contending Saints in a preview of a possible postseason matchup.
Wednesday – Warren Cousino (4-2) at Port Huron Northern (7-0) – The Macomb Area Conference Red is loaded, with six teams including these two starting at least 4-2.
Thursday – Warren Cousino (4-2) at Grosse Pointe North (5-1) – See above; reigning Class A champion Cousino will take on strong league rivals on back-to-back nights.
Thursday – Ishpeming (5-0) at Norway (6-0) – First place in the Mid-Peninsula Conference as well as two perfect records will be on the line in the first of two matchups between these two this winter.
Friday – Merrill (6-1) at Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (5-0) – These two look to be the best of a strong Mid-State Activities Conference, won last season by the Irish while Merrill played in the Tri-Valley Conference West.
PHOTO: Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart pushes the ball upcourt during a 62-17 win over Beal City on Dec. 19. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Kent City Finds Shooting Touch to Reach 1st Final
By
Perry A. Farrell
Special for MHSAA.com
April 7, 2021
EAST LANSING – Kent City has overcome every obstacle this season, and Friday the undefeated Eagles will play Grass Lake for the Division 3 girls basketball championship after defeating Calumet 59-53 in a Semifinal on Wednesday at the Breslin Center.
Grass Lake (19-1) advanced to Friday’s championship game when Hemlock opted out of the tournament Wednesday morning. Both Kent City and Grass Lake will be playing in a Final for the first time.
The Eagles (21-0) opened up an 11-point lead to start the fourth quarter Wednesday and held on despite the Copper Kings getting to within 54-50.
Kent City had a balanced offensive attack with Jenna Harrison scoring 15 points, Madelyn Geers 14, Kenzie Bowers 13, and sister Lexie Bowers 10.
“We just had to take a deep breath and relax,’’ said Harrison. “We knew eventually the shots would start falling.’’
Elli Djerf led the Copper Kings (20-1) with 22 points.
“She kept us in the game; she played her heart out,’’ said Calumet coach Matt Laho. “We needed to have a couple more players go with her, but unfortunately that didn’t happen.
“We had some defensive breakdowns in the third quarter, some bad rotations. It’s easy to make shots when you’re wide open.’’
Kent City pressured Calumet from the start as both teams struggled offensively in the first quarter. Both teams were under 25-percent shooting over those first eight minutes as the teams managed just 14 points for a 7-7 tie.
Geers, who scored four points in the first quarter, picked up her second foul with 9.8 seconds left in the period. Calumet then went on an 8-3 run to start the second quarter, using a triple from Djerf to take a 15-10 lead and force Kent City coach Scott Carlson to call a timeout.
Consecutive 3-pointers from Lexie Bowers got the Eagles back to within two of the lead, 17-15, as the offenses heated up.
A 10-0 run including consecutive threes from Bowers gave the Eagles a 24-19 advantage. But Djerf scored the last three points of the quarter to get the Copper Kings to within 24-22 at halftime.
“We knew eventually we’d make shots,’’ said Carlson.
Strom and Djerf scored the first six points of the third quarter to give Calumet a 28-24 lead, but Kent City’s offense, led by Geers, responded with a 20-9 run to take a 44-37 lead on a triple and floater by Kenzie Bowers.
Harrison finished the frantic quarter with a triple to give Kent City a 49-41 lead heading into the final eight minutes.
When Geers scored to start the fourth quarter, the Eagles had their largest lead of the game, 51-41.
Up 11, 52-41, Kent City went to its delay game, forcing the Copper Kings to foul.
“We have enough ball-handlers to run clock for five minutes.’’ said Carlson. “They were tired, and playing defense that long wears you out.’’
Lexie Bowers led Kent City with 10 points while Marybeth Halonen had seven for the Copper Kings.
“We’re living the dream right now on the big stage,” Carlson said. “I think it’s a huge advantage for us having played today (while Grass Lake didn’t).’’
PHOTOS: (Top) Kent City's Jenna Harrison (4) makes her way around a Calumet defender Wednesday at Breslin Center. (Middle) Madelyn Geers (24) defends as Calumet's Jana Loukus looks for an opening. (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)