Breslin Bound: Girls Report Week 2
December 15, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
It’s hard to believe after only two weeks, but there are girls basketball teams in Michigan that have completed 25 percent of their regular-season schedules.
And that’s given us good opportunity to figure out some that we’ll continue to hear from as the winter goes on, including a few listed below.
Each week, we’re looking at four teams from each class that stuck out over the previous seven days or the season to that point as we point toward the start of the MHSAA District tournaments March 2. For schedules of each day’s games statewide and results as we receive them, plus links to each team’s full schedule, results and league standings, click here – and please help us by filling in missing scores or emailing them to [email protected].
Class A
Ann Arbor Huron (3-0) – The River Rats are 14-1 since the midpoint of last season with the latest victory 59-34 over 2013-14 Class B semifinalist Flint Powers Catholic.
Lansing Waverly (5-0) – The Warriors' fast start has been keyed by five players scoring at least five points per game and paced by senior Breanna Mobley at 18.2 ppg.
Lowell (3-0) – The surging Red Arrows avenged two of last season’s 12 losses by beating Ionia 43-27 in their first game and Ada Forest Hills Eastern 48-41 on Tuesday.
Marquette (4-0) – The impressive run past Petoskey and Brighton during the first week continued with a close win over Gladstone and bigger one over Ishpeming Westwood.
Class B
Frankenmuth (3-1) – The Eagles took a tough loss to a strong Midland Bullock Creek team during the season’s first week, but a three-point win over Reese on opening night and two-pointer against Saginaw Nouvel last week provide plenty to anticipate over the next three months.
Gladwin (3-1) – The Flying G’s finished second in the Jack Pine Conference last season with two league losses, both to champion Clare. A 46-44 win over Clare on Thursday was a nice way to come back from a tough loss to Bullock Creek on Monday.
Ludington (4-0) – No team including Class A Grand Haven has come closer than 14 points this season; Ludington beat the Buccaneers 40-26 on Tuesday.
Sparta (4-0) – The Spartans’ excellent play during last season’s Quarterfinal run has continued, with a 42-41 win over East Grand Rapids on Friday keeping the slate perfect so far.
Class C
Britton-Deerfield (2-0) – The Patriots finished second in the Tri-County Conference a year ago and look good to contend again considering a second straight close win over Waterford Our Lady to start the season and a 29-pointer over Morenci last week.
Detroit Edison Public School Academy (3-1) – The Pioneers, winners of 15 games a year ago, are looking like a possibility to take the step from solid to elite after defeating Class A Detroit Pershing, Macomb Dakota and Westland John Glenn so far.
Michigan Center (5-0) – A 54-48 win over Concord last week was a nice way to split up two early Cascade Conference wins for one of three teams tied atop the league standings.
Sandusky (4-0) – Only one opponent has come closer than 20 points as Sandusky has matched half of last season’s opening 8-0 run.
White Pigeon (3-0) – The Chiefs are coming off an 11-10 finish a year ago that included 53-12 and 36-25 losses to Mendon; Friday’s 49-34 win over the Hornets no doubt turned those into more distant memories.
Class D
Engadine (3-0) – The Eagles are nearly halfway to last season’s win total of seven thanks in part to a 46-44 win over Eastern UP Conference foe DeTour on Friday.
Frankfort (4-0) – The Panthers are up to 27 wins in their last 30 games with an average margin of victory of 28.5 points per so far this winter.
Morrice (4-0) – The Orioles’ start included a 27-25 overtime win Tuesday over New Lothrop, which beat Morrice twice during 2013-14.
PHOTO: Frankenmuth defeated Otisville-LakeVille in Tri-Valley Conference East play last week to move to 3-1 this season. (Photo courtesy of Frankenmuth High School.)
Miller's Stunning 'Victory' Earns Father Gabriel Richard Chance at History
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
March 22, 2024
EAST LANSING – The name given to the final play in Friday’s Division 2 Semifinal was fitting.
It was called “Victory” – and Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard ran it to perfection to stun Grand Rapids West Catholic.
Junior Charlotte Miller buried a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Irish a thrilling 35-33 win at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center.
“We put it in last year; the play is called ‘Victory,’” Father Gabriel Richard coach Tim Cain said. “We practice it a lot, and we ran that same play last year against Renaissance when they were undefeated and she hit that shot too to send it into overtime.
“We have confidence in it, we have confidence in everything we do at practice and it worked out.”
With the Irish trailing 33-32 with 5.9 seconds left, Miller raced down the floor and received the pass from teammate Veronica Fredericks.
She made one move to the right, stepped to her left and launched the uncontested shot.
“I felt confident that I could make it,” Miller said. “I made it last year and I trusted my teammates that they would make the right pass, and I trusted all the work that we've put in for months and I believed in myself and I knew I could make it.”
Father Gabriel Richard trailed by four points with 10 seconds left when Vanessa Rodriguez was fouled attempting a 3-point shot.
She made all three free throws to cut the deficit to one point.
“We’ve been there before,” Cain said. “And their heads never go down. There is a no-quit mentality.”
The Irish will meet Detroit Edison in Saturday’s Division 2 championship game at 6:15 p.m. It’s an opportunity to both win a Final for the first time since 1993, when FGR won Class D, and finish the season undefeated.
“We put a lot of work in during the offseason, and we've been preparing for this moment,” said Rodriguez, who led the Irish with 13 points and added four assists.
“That was one of our goals as a team, and it's actually an unbelievable thought to even be in this position.”
The Irish (28-0) held West Catholic to its lowest scoring output of the season.
“We take a lot of pride in our defense, and when we’re cold, as long as we defend we have a chance,” Cain said.
During a tightly-contested first half that saw neither team lead by more than five points, Father Gabriel Richard edged ahead 11-10 to finish the first quarter and West Catholic had the advantage in the second, 10-9, to forge a 20-20 tie at the half.
West Catholic (26-2), which advanced to the Breslin for the third straight season, only had one made field goal over the last five minutes of the game and missed five consecutive free throws during the last 38 seconds.
“That was a tough one, obviously, because we felt like we had control of the game,” Falcons coach Jill VanderEnde said. “Obviously, we were trying to execute down the stretch like we have done 26 other times this season, and things just didn’t fall into place the way we had hoped.
“Kudos to number 13’s incredible shot at the end, and we will probably relive that last two minutes in our heads for a little while. But I know these seniors, and the girls gave it everything they had tonight and should be really proud that they got us to this point in the season. It was not easy getting back to the Breslin.”
Junior Elisha Dykstra scored a team-high nine points for West Catholic, while senior Reese Polega had five points, seven rebounds and three steals.
PHOTOS (Top) Teammates topple Charlotte Miller after her game-winning shot for Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard on Friday at Breslin Center. (Middle) Miller, 13, pulls up for the clinching 3-pointer. (Below) Miller makes a move across the arc earlier in the game. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)