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.)
Sophomores Shine in 'Slugfest' as Frankenmuth Reaches 1st Final Since 1996
By
Tom Kendra
Special for MHSAA.com
March 17, 2023
EAST LANSING – Frankenmuth scored only 37 points Friday, but it was enough to win a defensive slugfest.
And, at least for coach Joe Jacobs, it was a thing of beauty.
“The game was exactly what we wanted,” said Jacobs after his team held on for a 37-30 win over Goodrich in Friday’s first Division 2 Semifinal at the Breslin Center.
“We wanted a slugfest. We’re a very good defensive team, and our emphasis tonight was always knowing where their shooters were.”
Frankenmuth sophomore guard Clare Conzelmann was the star on both ends of the court, using her length to get into the passing lanes and disrupt the Goodrich shooters, then converting two traditional three-point plays during the final 3:27 en route to a game-high 15 points.
Conzelmann’s stellar play helped the Eagles soar into the Finals for the first time since 1996. Frankenmuth, 25-2 and champion of the Tri-Valley Conference 8, advanced to Saturday’s 6:15 p.m. championship game against the Grand Rapids West Catholic vs. Lansing Catholic winner.
Conzelmann said she benefitted from Goodrich focusing its defense on shutting down junior guard Mia McLaughlin (Ferris State commit) and 6-foot-1 senior Lexi Boyke (Central Michigan signee).
“A lot of their focus was on Mia and Lexi,” said Conzelmann, one of three sophomore starters for Frankenmuth. “They wanted to try and make other players score. Today, my shots went in, which was great. Sometimes they don’t.”
Frankenmuth led 6-4 after the first quarter, then scored five quick points to open the second quarter on a bucket by Boyke and a 3-pointer by McLaughlin.
But the story of the first half, and the whole game for that matter, was the Eagles’ stifling 2-3 matchup zone defense.
Goodrich (24-4), which is one of the state’s best 3-point shooting teams and scored 60 or more points in three of its first five tournament games, went a stretch of 8 minutes and 5 seconds in the first half without scoring a point. The Martians, who shot 26 percent from the floor for the game and just 4-of-13 from behind the arc, had a similar scoreless stretch of 5 minutes and 35 seconds to open the fourth quarter.
Goodrich coach Jason Gray, in his 24th year, said Frankenmuth’s defense was the best they faced all season.
“Their guards are long and they were getting their hands out and throwing us off,” said Gray, who led the Martians to back-to-back Class B titles in 2012 and 2013.
“We weren’t able to get inside and kick it out, like we like to do. We hung around, but we were never able to take the lead, which might have changed things.”
Goodrich junior Alexis Kosmowski certainly did her part, scoring a team-high 14 points as the Martians stayed within striking distance, trailing by just three points, 22-19, entering the fourth quarter.
That was when a pair of sophomores stepped up for Frankenmuth.
In addition to Conzelmann’s two traditional three-point plays, sophomore forward Izzy Bernthal added a crucial mid-range jumper and then an offensive rebound and putback in the final minute to seal the win. Bernthal finished with six points and a game-high eight rebounds.
Goodrich senior Riley Place, who entered the game with 77 3-pointers, was held to just one on Saturday and six points. Her younger sister, sophomore Ella Place, also scored six points.
The Semifinal win was especially sweet for Boyke, who missed all of last season after injuring her knee in the opening game. She contributed six points and five rebounds, and was happy to be playing instead of watching from the bench.
“It feels good to be on the court with my teammates,” said Boyke. “Yes, I am very thankful for the opportunity.”
PHOTOS (Top) Frankenmuth's Clare Conzelmann (2) brings the ball upcourt with Goodrich's Kayla Hairston (12) providing pressure. (Middle) Goodrich's Kalen Williams (3) and Alexis Kosmowski (11) and Frankenmuth's Lexi Boyke (33) and Izzy Bernthal (4) work for position as they await a rebound.