Breslin Bound: Girls Report Week 1
December 9, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Just like that, fall is done – and so is the first week of MHSAA girls basketball season.
“Breslin Bound” also is back, giving fans a quick lowdown each week on 10 teams that impressed me over the seven days prior.
What’s below isn’t a statewide ranking by any means – simply a top-10 list of notables that stuck out last week and a little info on each as we start the yearly quest to learn more about the teams we’ll be watching most when our tournament begins during the final week of February.
This week’s list (records/results based on those submitted on MHSAA.com):
1. DeWitt (2-0, Class A): The Panthers are expected to do big things this winter again, but may not have been expected to beat Grand Ledge 62-51; the Comets are considered a Class A championship contender.
2. Marquette (3-0, Class A): The Redettes are building off last season’s fine finish with another quick start that included wins over downstate Brighton and U.P. power St. Ignace at Petoskey’s Invitational.
3. Midland Bullock Creek (2-0, Class B): The Lancers have had an excellent run in girls basketball over the last decade, and it’s looking good to continue after a 10-point win over Saginaw Nouvel and a 12-pointer over Frankenmuth to open 2013-14.
4. Farmington Hills Mercy (2-0, Class A): The Marlins always are in the hunt, but another 2-0 start was noteworthy because it included avenging last season’s loss to Canton.
5. Eaton Rapids (2-0, Class B): The Greyhounds opened by beating potential Class A power Haslett by 13 and followed with a five-point win over solid Corunna.
6. Olivet (2-0, Class B): The Eagles long have been a girls basketball power, but rarely have opened with and beaten a Class A team like Lansing Waverly, which went on to finish the week with a win over frequent contender East Lansing.
7. Frankfort (2-0, Class D): A quick start for the Panthers included a 42-38 likely-to-be-considered upset of solid Class C Traverse City St. Francis.
8. Reese (2-0, Class C): The Rockets restarted after last season’s 23-1 finish with wins over traditionally strong Class B Frankenmuth and Millington.
9. Rock Mid Peninsula (2-0, Class D): The Wolverines won six games in 2012-13, but opened with a 38-point victory over Rapid River and an eight-pointer over Carney-Nadeau.
10. Warren Mott (3-0, Class A): The Marauders are nearly halfway to last season’s eight wins thanks to three quick victories during the first week.
PHOTO: A Saginaw Valley Lutheran player (left) looks to pass around a Freeland defender during the Falcons' win last week. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Hemlock Arrives at Breslin, Makes Itself at Home in Reaching 1st Final
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
March 16, 2023
EAST LANSING — Hemlock certainly made up for a lost opportunity in its Division 3 Semifinal against Hart on Thursday.
In 2021, after advancing to the Semifinals for the first time, Hemlock had to withdraw from the tournament after a positive COVID-19 test was discovered before its scheduled game at Breslin Center against Grass Lake.
Earning its way back to the Division 3 final four this year, Hemlock played for that 2021 squad and this year’s team with intensity from the opening tip.
Instead of playing nervous in its first Semifinal game, Hemlock came out like it was playing in the comforts of home during a December practice, storming out to a 21-1 lead after the first quarter en route to a 57-26 win over the Pirates.
The Huskies will meet Blissfield at 4 p.m. Saturday for the Division 3 title in a matchup of two teams both looking to win a Finals championship for the first time.
“I’ve received so many well wishes and texts from players who didn’t get that opportunity who were on that team and were encouraging these girls,” Hemlock head coach Scott Neumeyer said. “I told them that they should’ve had that opportunity. I hope they felt they were a big part of this.”
Senior Regan Finkbeiner led all scorers with 24 points, and junior Lauren Borsenik had 17 points and 10 rebounds to lead Hemlock (25-3).
Finkbeiner went 9 of 13 from the field overall and 4 of 7 from 3-point range, while Borsenik went 8 of 10 from the field.
Senior Aspen Boutell scored seven points to lead the way for Hart (24-4), which was making its first trip to the Semifinals.
“They came out and really executed the game plan,” Hart head coach Travis Rosema said of Hemlock. “We had some nerves and had some shots that didn’t fall. But they executed better than us.”
The first quarter was all Hemlock, which made 9 of 14 shots from the field, held Hart to 0 of 9 shooting and forced eight turnovers.
The quarter was perfectly punctuated when Chloe Watson hit a 3-pointer just before the buzzer sounded to end the first.
“Our first quarter has been our best quarter,” Neumeyer said. “We’ve jumped on several teams this year. I’m not going to say I was surprised. I know what these girls are capable of.”
Hart played Hemlock close to even in the second quarter, but the Huskies still took a 29-7 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The third quarter was also fairly even, with Hemlock holding a 43-19 advantage going into the fourth quarter.
Hart had a flurry to cut its deficit to 19 halfway through the fourth quarter, but couldn’t put a further dent in Hemlock’s lead the rest of the way.
“What happened two years ago was obviously really devastating and sad,” Finkbeiner said. “The year after, we were like ‘We will make it to Breslin this year. This is our year.’ We lost in Districts. This year, we really focused on the next game. Not Districts, not Regionals and not the Breslin. Just one game at a time. Being here and playing here is unbelievable.”
Now, Hemlock will try and make its season more unbelievable with a win over Blissfield.
“We know we’ve got a tough opponent ahead of us in Blissfield,” Neumeyer said. “They’ve got size, they’ve got speed and they’ve got guards. But (my team) came here to play two games, not one.”
PHOTOS (Top) Hemlock’s Hannah Borsenik (24) works to get a shot up over Hart’s Chloe Coker during Thursday’s Semifinal. (Middle) Kylee Miller (1) is defended by Marianna VanAgtmael (23).