Breslin Bound: Girls Report Week 10
February 11, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
It’s inaccurate, of course, to say this Michigan high school girls basketball season all comes down to this week – but lot will be decided over the next seven days.
League tournaments for those sponsoring them all will be in full swing – with the Detroit Public School League’s champion decided this weekend. More league races remain ever-changing. And on Sunday, for the first time, District brackets will be published with limited seeding separating the top two teams until a possible meeting in the title-deciding final.
So stay tuned. “Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com. Send corrections or missing scores to [email protected].
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Michigan Center 65, Grass Lake 55 – The Cardinals avenged a Dec. 18 five-point loss to move into a first-place tie in the Cascades Conference with Grass Lake, and both are among leaders in Division 3 MPR statewide with Grass Lake No. 8 and Michigan Center No. 17.
2. Sault Ste. Marie 43, St. Ignace 29 – The Straits Area Conference is a two-team race and very well could end with a shared title as the Blue Devils avenged a three-point loss from Dec. 20 in this matchup between the No. 5 team in Division 2 and No. 2 in Division 4 Saints.
3. Grosse Pointe South 50, Macomb Dakota 47 – These Blue Devils moved up to No. 15 in Division 1 MPR and own a share of the Macomb Area Conference Red title, although Dakota can take back a share if GPS falls tonight to rival Grosse Pointe North.
4. East Lansing 57, DeWitt 42 – The Trojans moved up to No. 2 in Division 1 MPR entering this week and took a two-game lead in the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue by finishing a sweep of last season’s co-champ.
5. Muskegon Reeths-Puffer 54, Jenison 51 – The Rockets, No. 17 in Division 1 MPR, avenged a Jan. 10 loss to send Jenison into a first place tie in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Black with Muskegon – and with a rematch against the Big Reds and title opportunity coming up Friday.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Holt (12-2) Expectations have been high for a while for this current group of Rams, and they’re making good catapulting a team that won nine games two years ago and finished 12-11 last season. Friday’s 51-41 win over Okemos pushed Holt into second place in the CAAC Blue and quite possibly past the Chiefs into the second seed in their District.
Midland Dow (13-2) It’s tough to say Dow needed a minute to get rolling this season given that its only losses were to Howell (11-3) and Midland (14-1). But after sending their entire backcourt to college ball last spring, the Chargers are back to full power with nine straight wins including their last three over the other top-four teams in the Saginaw Valley League Red – Midland, Bay City John Glenn and Saginaw Heritage.
DIVISION 2
Clare (13-2) Despite falling last week for the second time to second-place Pinconning, Clare continues to lead a Jack Pine Conference featuring five of eight teams that have won at least nine games. The Pioneers finished second in the JPC last season to Houghton Lake, which moved into the Highland Conference this school year, and has a great shot to close this title run. Clare’s final three league games are against teams it beat by an average of 12 points the first time around.
Portland (15-1) The Raiders have won 14 straight since falling to Williamston (12-3) on Dec. 6, and Friday against Lansing Catholic can clinch a share of the CAAC White title – a solid feat considering four of six teams in the league are 10-5 or better. Portland’s defense has been stifling, as it hasn’t allowed more than 30 points in a game in nearly a month – since defeating CAAC Red leader Haslett on Jan. 14
DIVISION 3
Brooklyn Columbia Central (15-2) The Golden Eagles can clinch a second-straight Lenawee County Athletic Association title Friday at Blissfield and edged the Royals by four points when they met Jan. 10. BCC also beat second-place Ida twice by single digits, but otherwise haven’t been challenged a lot outside of their losses to reigning Division 4 champion Adrian Lenawee Christian (13-1) and Division 2 Parma Western (12-2).
Calumet (11-3) A three-game losing stretch to start calendar year 2020 knocked Calumet off track for a minute, but the Copper Kings are back on their game and have won six straight. They hold a slim lead in the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference West with three league games to play, and have a chance tonight to avenge the first of their losses, to Negaunee (12-3), after falling by 15 in their Jan. 2 meeting.
DIVISION 4
Allen Park Inter-City Baptist (11-0) The three-time reigning champion Chargers are sitting atop the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Blue standings with their first of two meetings with second-place Plymouth Christian Academy (12-3) coming up Friday. They also own impressive wins over Division 1 Lincoln Park (10-4) and Division 2 Flat Rock (14-3), with another telling matchup coming up Thursday against Division 3 contender Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (14-4).
Athens (12-2) The Indians downed second-place Bellevue 50-28 last week to extend their lead in the Southern Central Athletic Association West after finishing second to the Broncos a year ago. Since falling on opening night to Battle Creek Calhoun Christian (9-5), Athens’ only other defeat this winter has come to SCAA East co-leader Pittsford (15-1) by seven on Jan. 17. Athens sees the other co-leader Camden-Frontier (15-1) on Wednesday.
Can't-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Wednesday – Farmington Hills Mercy (14-1) at Detroit Edison (13-0) – Contenders statewide in Divisions 1 and 2, respectively, face off, with Edison carrying a 38-game winning streak.
Friday – Detroit Cass Tech (15-1) vs. Detroit Renaissance (15-2) at University of Detroit Mercy – The champions of the East and West divisions, respectively, will meet for the first time this season in the Detroit Public School League Tournament final.
Friday – West Bloomfield (11-3) at Clarkton (12-3) – A 73-47 West Bloomfield win in their Jan. 9 meeting has been the difference in the Lakers leading the Oakland Activities Association Red and the Wolves trailing by a game.
Friday – Kent City (15-1) at Morley Stanwood (13-1) – The Eagles can clinch a share of the Central State Activities Association Silver title after also handing Morley Stanwood its lone loss 75-33 on Jan. 21.
Friday – East Kentwood (11-3) at Hudsonville (14-0) – The Eagles won the first meeting 45-41 on Jan. 17 and hold a one-game lead in the O-K Red over the three-time reigning champ Falcons because of it.
Second Half’s weekly “Breslin Bound” reports 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: Portland’s 15-1 run this season has included a sweep of league opponent Ionia. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Familiar Faces Ready to Mold Lenawee Christian's New Look
By
Doug Donnelly
Special for MHSAA.com
November 9, 2021
ADRIAN – A new era began Monday in girls basketball at Adrian Lenawee Christian, but no one is expecting different results for the Cougars.
LCS tipped off the season with an early evening practice, holding the first round of tryouts.
Head coach Jamie Salenbien, now in his sixth season leading the Cougars, will eventually welcome back nine returning players from last year’s team that advanced to the Division 3 Regional Semifinal. He has another strong group he hopes to mold into contenders in Division 4 this season.
What he is missing is his daughter, 6-foor-4 Bree Salenbien, a four-time Michigan Associated Press Player of the Year, who is now at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash. She scored more than 2,000 points, broke nearly every school record and made her mark on prep basketball in Michigan during an outstanding four-year career, culminating in being named the Gatorade Michigan Player of the Year a year ago.
“It’s going to be a process, like every year,” Coach Salenbien said. “This team will be finding their own identity. They may do things a little differently. We will have that talk along the way. It is a long season – over four months. We’ll get there.”
While it will be hard to miss the talent that Bree brought with her on the court, Salenbien said this year’s team still feels like family.
“I’m so close with all of these kids that it hasn’t felt much different so far,” he said. “It was really exciting to be back out there. We had 11 kids Monday. We still have some volleyball players going strong in volleyball, so we missed them, but they will be here eventually.
“I’m excited. We have the same coaches, five seniors and a lot of experience. Some of these girls have been on the varsity since they were freshmen. We might have to change our approach a little bit, but these girls are talented.”
Seniors Lizzy Scharer, Cara Anderson and Kylie Summer all played on Class D/Division 4 championship teams in 2018-19.
Summer averaged 8.1 points a game last year and Scharer 7.8. Scharer made 23 3-pointers, Anderson, 21, and Summer, 18. Another returning senior, Kelsie Lilly, was second on the team in rebounding. They all bring different talents to the table.
“Obviously, there are some different aspects to this season, some different players,” said Scharer. “We’re different. We have a different style. We are all super thankful for being back on the court.”
Scharer helped the Cougars cross country team place in the top 15 in the Lower Peninsula Division 4 Final last weekend. Now, she turns her attention to basketball, her favorite sport. She is a fourth-year varsity player and hopes to continue in college.
This past summer she played for a couple of different travel teams, taking her to Florida, Kentucky, Indiana, Wisconsin and across Michigan for tournaments.
“I really like playing good competition,” she said. “It helps me be better prepared for anything.”
Playing good competition has been Salenbien’s mantra at LCS. Over the last several years, the Cougars have maintained one of the top schedules in the state regardless of class.
This year’s schedule is no different as LCS will play several larger schools, such as Temperance Bedford, Chelsea, Michigan Center, Onsted, and Brooklyn Columbia Central along with similar Division 4 powers Portland St. Patrick and Lansing Christian.
“I think it helps us,” Salenbien said. “We’re not in a league, so we can go out and play anyone. These girls have been through so many big games, and big practices to prepare for big games. I feel there’s nothing wrong with sort of exposing what your needs are to get better.”
Scharer concurs.
“I think just playing with good talent helps prepare you because you play to the level you are playing against,” she said.
Salenbien is a Hudson graduate who played college basketball at Siena Heights University. He coached Onsted to three straight Lenawee County Athletic Association championships, took a couple of years off as his daughters Dani and Bree honed their skills, then took over at LCS in 2017-18. His first two teams – led by Dani and Bree – went 26-1 and 26-2, respectively, winning back-to-back Finals championships, the first in Class D, the second in Division 4 after basketball switched from Classes to Divisions. The 2019-20 team went 20-3 and reached the Regional Final before the season was suspended due to COVID-19. Last year LCS went 13-4, losing to Ypsilanti Arbor Prep in the postseason.
Salenbien stresses fundamentals, family, and fellowship. No matter who is playing for him on the court, that never changes.
“I love playing for him,” Scharer said. “He is strict, but he knows how to make the game fun. We know when we have to put in the work and when we can have fun.”
By coincidence, Salenbien opened practice with a FaceTime call from Dani, now a sophomore on the Hillsdale College team, and ended it with a FaceTime call from Bree, a couple thousand miles away in Washington.
“I don’t even think they knew we were practicing,” Salenbien said. “The girls on the team were happy to say hello. It is a nice feeling to know these girls are so connected. We miss everybody who we lose from one year to the next.”
The Cougars open the season later this month. How deep they play in March is something that Salenbien will figure out later. Right now, it is the start of another journey, but one familiar to most of the players on the team.
“That experience and knowledge of how to manage stress and the limelight helps so much,” Salenbien said. “We’ve got some long, athletic kids that can jump right out of the gym and some cross country girls that like to get out and run.
“It will take some time, but I think some really cool things can happen with this group.”
Doug Donnelly has served as a sports and news reporter and city editor over 25 years, writing for the Daily Chief-Union in Upper Sandusky, Ohio from 1992-1995, the Monroe Evening News from 1995-2012 and the Adrian Daily Telegram since 2013. He's also written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Adrian Lenawee Christian girls basketball coach Jamie Salenbien talks things over with his team last season. (Middle) Lizzie Scharer makes a move to the basketball during a Regional Semifinal against Ypsilanti Arbor Prep. (Below) Cara Anderson (31) drives the lane against the Gators. (Photos by Mike Dickie.)