Class A Preview: Stars Sure to Shine
March 14, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Class A – made up of the largest high schools in Michigan – also has the most star power to offer this weekend at Calvin College’s Van Noord Arena in Grand Rapids.
This season’s Miss Basketball plus two more finalists, not to mention some of the likely contenders in 2019, all will take the floor during Friday’s Semifinals and Saturday’s championship game.
And much is at stake, of course. Three of these teams have won MHSAA titles, but none since at least 2010. The fourth will compete during the final weekend of the season for the first time.
Class A Semifinals – Friday
Grosse Pointe North (20-5) vs. Saginaw Heritage (25-1), noon
East Lansing (25-0) vs. Wayne Memorial (22-4), 2 p.m.
Class A Final – Saturday, 12:15 p.m.
Tickets cost $10 per pair of Semifinals and $10 per two-game Finals session (Class D and Class A). All Semifinals will be streamed live on MHSAA.tv and viewable on a pay-per-view basis. All four Finals will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Detroit and streamed live on FoxSportsDetroit.com and the FOX Sports Go! app. Free radio broadcasts of all weekend games will be available on MHSAANetwork.com.
Below is a glance at all four semifinalists. Click on the name of the school to see that team’s full schedule and results from this season. (Statistics are through teams' Regional Finals.)
EAST LANSING
Record/rank: 25-0, No. 2
League finish: First in Capital Area Activities Conference Blue
Coach: Rob Smith, 16th season (record N/A)
Championship history: Class A champion 2010, runner-up 2008.
Best wins: 63-45 over No. 8 Muskegon in Quarterfinal, 54-40 over No. 6 Coldwater in Regional Semifinal, 50-38 (District Final) and 52-51 over No. 4 DeWitt, 63-43 over Class B honorable mention Williamston.
Players to watch: Jaida Hampton, 5-11 sr. F (15 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 57 3-pointers); Aaliyah Nye, 5-11 soph. F (13 ppg, 4.6 rpg).
Outlook: After getting stopped in Quarterfinals three times this decade, East Lansing broke through to make its first Semifinal since the championship season of 2010. The Trojans have won four of five postseason games by at least 12 points. Hampton is the recently honored Miss Basketball Award winner, and she’s got plenty of help not only from Aaliyah Nye, but also senior guards Aazhenii Nye (11.7 ppg) and Amelia McNutt (9.5 ppg), among others. All four of those players also had connected on at least 24 3-pointers entering this week.
GROSSE POINTE NORTH
Record/rank: 20-5, unranked
League finish: Tied for first in Macomb Area Conference Red.
Coach: Gary Bennett, 35th season (576-221)
Championship history: Class A champion 2008.
Best wins: 47-44 over Detroit Martin Luther King in Quarterfinal, 53-51 (Regional Semifinal) and 66-63 over No. 9 Macomb Dakota, 44-32 over St. Clair Shores Lakeview in District Semifinal.
Players to watch: Julia Ayrault, 6-2 jr. G/F (19 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 4.4 spg); Christina Braker, 5-9 soph. F (6.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg).
Outlook: North will be returning to the Semifinals for the first time since the title-winning season of 2008, when it defeated East Lansing in the championship game. Ayrault is considered a contender for next season’s Miss Basketball Award and helped her team navigate what annually is one of the state’s strongest leagues. Lakeview (20-2) was another league champion North had to get past along the way. This could be a preview of next season as well; the Norsemen have only one senior.
SAGINAW HERITAGE
Record/rank: 25-1, No. 3
League finish: First in Saginaw Valley League.
Coach: Vonnie DeLong, fifth season (105-14)
Championship history: Class A champion 2002, runner-up 2001.
Best wins: 63-40 (Regional Final) and 60-44 over No. 7 Flint Carman-Ainsworth, 59-49 over Class B No. 1 Detroit Country Day, 51-35 over Class B No. 5 Freeland.
Players to watch: Moira Joiner, 5-9 jr. G (14.6 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 4.2 apg); Shine Strickland-Gills, 6-1 jr. F (12.3 ppg, 9.1 rpg).
Outlook: Heritage has won 20 or more games the last four seasons and made the Semifinals again to go with its 2015 appearance. The Hawks’ only loss was by a basket in overtime to reigning Class C champ Detroit Edison, and no other opponent got closer than 10 with wins as well over Clarkston (20-5), Hartland (20-6), Midland Dow (17-6) and Bay City Western (17-4). Joiner is another highly-regarded junior who could be in the Miss Basketball conversation in 2019. Four players average at least seven points per game, with senior guard Jessica Bicknell also in double digits at 10.8.
WAYNE MEMORIAL
Record/rank: 22-4, No. 10
League finish: First in Kensington Lakes Activities Association Black.
Coach: Jarvis Mitchell, fourth season (55-34)
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 54-44 (Quarterfinal) and 45-40 over Hartland, 50-46 over Howell, 73-70 over Class B No. 2 Detroit Country Day.
Players to watch: Camree’ Clegg, 5-5 sr. G (23.7 ppg, 6.4 apg); Jeanae Terry, 5-10 jr. G (Statistics not submitted).
Outlook: Wayne went 0-20 in Mitchell’s first season, then won a league title his second, league and District championships his third and added the Regional title for the first time in program history this winter. Clegg was a Miss Basketball Award finalist and has led the Zebras to double-digit wins in every postseason game. The losses came twice to Detroit Edison – including by just two points the second time –Williamston early when it was full strength and considered a Class B favorite and Ohio semifinalist Toledo Rogers (25-3).
PHOTO: Saginaw Heritage's Moira Joiner (4) works to get past a Flint Carman-Ainsworth defender during last week's Regional Final victory. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Breslin Bound: 2024-25 Girls Report Week 2
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 16, 2024
The girls basketball season is barely two weeks old, and the showcase portion that always highlights the first month not even half over – but Division 2 especially is giving us a lot to follow already this winter.
Tecumseh’s double-overtime win over reigning champion Detroit Edison this weekend, combined with Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard’s scorching start, are enough to get the conversation going. Add in a big win from Chelsea, and notable starts from several others, and there’s plenty to talk about.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com.
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Tecumseh 70, Detroit Edison 65 (2 OT) This Best of Michigan matchup at Belleville saw Tecumseh (3-0), a Division 2 quarterfinalist last season, outlast the reigning champion Pioneers (2-1).
2. Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard 55, Rockford 43 The Fighting Irish (4-0) finished up a three-win week with this one over the returning Division 1 semifinalist Rams (2-1), also at Best of Michigan.
3. Chelsea 61, Grand Blanc 58 Chelsea (4-0) is off to another great starter, with this win over the reigning Division 1 runner-up Bobcats (2-2) adding an exclamation mark.
4. Belleville 84, West Bloomfield 49 The Tigers (3-0) made a big early statement against the reigning Division 1 champion Lakers (0-3), which admittedly has had a tough start as they replace four starters from last season.
5. Grandville 48, Midland Dow 42 The Bulldogs (5-0) also are establishing themselves early, with this win over the Chargers (3-2) to open the Petoskey Invitational before Grandville defeated Bay City Western as well the following day.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Hartland (4-0) After finishing a solid 15-9 last season, Hartland might be ready to make a move after a pair of dominating wins last week over Rochester Adams and Linden coming off a 40-26 victory over Holt and 38-36 win over Clarkston during the first week this winter – Holt made the Division 1 Quarterfinals last year and Clarkston was a Regional finalist. Hartland tied for fourth in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West last season and will start that schedule Thursday at Salem.
Saline (4-0) The Hornets have dealt the lone losses this season to three of the four teams on their early schedule – Birmingham Seaholm, Livonia Stevenson and Monroe. Saline won all of those games by 14 points or more, with its closest victory by six over South Lyon East. The Hornets are prepping for a tough road ahead, as they finished second in the Southeastern Conference Red last winter to a Temperance Bedford team that reached the Division 1 Quarterfinals and lost in their District to a Belleville team that played in the Semifinals at Breslin Center.
DIVISION 2
Chelsea (4-0) As noted above, Friday’s win over Grand Blanc stands out most during this fast start for the Bulldogs – but there’s more to tell. Chelsea navigated a first week that included a 54-51 win over Grass Lake and a 50-43 victory over Sault Ste. Marie at Aquinas College – those opponents won 19 and 14 games, respectively last season – and the Bulldogs defeated another returning 19-game winner in Trenton by 32 last week. The win over the Sault the Blue Devils’ only loss so far.
Spring Lake (3-0) The Lakers jumped from 11-11 two seasons ago to 18-7 last winter, and they are prepped for another move coming off a 70-38 win over Fruitport after much closer victories over Fremont (41-37) and Big Rapids (34-32) to start this campaign – Fremont won 20 games and Big Rapids 13 last season. Nemesis Grand Rapids West Catholic – which defeated Spring Lake twice in league play last season and then in a Regional Final – is in a different league this winter, but the Lakers will get another chance to avenge a 2023-24 loss Friday at Grand Haven.
DIVISION 3
Calumet (3-0) The Copper Kings became the second team this season to deal reigning Division 4 champion Ishpeming a loss, downing the Hematites 52-32 on Thursday after losing to them by 26 a year ago. Calumet is hoping for that kind of turnaround overall this winter coming off an 11-12 finish, and wins over West Iron County and Hancock also are nice signs of what may be to come – Calumet swept West Iron during the 2023-24 regular season but lost to the Wykons by 10 in their District opener, and Calumet also split with Hancock last winter but won their matchup last week by 20.
Leslie (3-0) The Blackhawks are coming off a 19-7 run and tie for second place in what was their first season playing in a powerful Cascades Conference East last winter. Leslie this season already has a 51-43 win over Brooklyn Columbia Central, avenging one of those losses from a year ago, to go with double-digit victories over Laingsburg and East Jackson. Leslie will have nearly a half-season of prep before seeing the other Cascades East contenders, taking on Grass Lake for the first time Jan. 16 and Michigan Center for the first time Jan. 29.
DIVISION 4
Ewen-Trout Creek (4-0) Ewen-Trout Creek has won two straight District titles and reached the Regional Final last winter before falling to Ishpeming, ending that run at 20-6. The Panthers have plowed through the first two weeks with all of their wins by at least 19 points, including 58-35 over Ironwood after splitting with the Red Devils last season. E-TC will get a nice test moving into the new year Dec. 27, when it faces host Negaunee at the Irontown Holiday Bash.
Morenci (4-0) The Bulldogs also are coming off a successful 21-4 run last season as they sprinted through the Tri-County Conference and reached the Division 4 Quarterfinals. They opened this season with big wins over Division 2 Adrian and Division 3 Onsted before settling in last week with a 43-41 win over Concord and 62-46 victory over Reading. Concord also was a 20-game winner last season.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Saginaw Heritage (5-0) at Freeland (3-0) – These two annually have aspirations not only in league play but statewide in Divisions 1 and 2, respectively, and Heritage won last year’s matchup 44-42.
Friday – Rockford (2-1) vs. Grand Rapids Catholic Central (4-0) at Cornerstone University – This is among premier matchups of the Cornerstone Holiday Classic, with both also playing next Monday as well.
Saturday – Detroit Edison (2-1) at Detroit Renaissance (4-0) – This rematch highlights the Lady Phoenix Shootout, as Edison won last season’s meeting 46-38.
Saturday – Belleville (3-0) vs. Parma Western (3-0) at Detroit Renaissance – This undefeated pair will meet up as part of the Lady Phoenix Shootout as well.
Jan. 4 – Goodrich (3-1) at Grand Blanc (2-2) – As noted above, Grand Blanc is the reigning Division 1 runner-up, and Goodrich finished 26-1 a year ago with coach Jason Gray earning his 500th win in his team’s season opener this month.
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PHOTOS (Top) Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary's Charli Alcorn (12) prepares to pass during her team's 56-37 win over Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central on Friday. (Middle) Perry's Abigail Cochrane (21) and Bath's Jordyn Lira (23) chase after a loose ball during the Bees' 54-24 win Thursday. (MLS/Nouvel photo by Kolleth Photo. Bath/Perry photo by Click by Christine McCallister.)