Countdown to Calvin: District Preview
February 26, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Over the next three weeks, 700 Michigan high school girls basketball teams will play to become one of four to hoist trophies as 2017-18 MHSAA champions.
The first steps toward achieving that ultimate goal will come at District tournaments tipping off tonight all over our state.
Over the next two weeks, we’ll alter the format of our Countdown to Calvin reports – powered by MI Student Aid – still looking at some of the key results from last week but also at three of the most eye-catching brackets in each class for the upcoming week of playoffs.
This week, that means we’ll take closer looks at 12 Districts total in addition to scores from last week that saw some of the state’s best match up one more time before single elimination games begin. (Click here to navigate brackets for all 128 tournaments.)
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Detroit Edison 57, Saginaw Heritage 55 (2OT) – We’ll know March 17 if this titanic matchup featured the eventual champions in Class C and Class A, respectively.
2. Kingsley 70, Maple City Glen Lake 66 – Kingsley completed a perfect regular season and an outright Northwest Conference championship with this win over the second-place Lakers.
3. Wayne Memorial 50, Howell 46 – After coming back to beat Hartland in the semifinal, Wayne won this matchup of Class A contenders to claim the overall Kensington Lakes Activities Association title.
4. Traverse City St. Francis 56, Charlevoix 47 – St. Francis avenged a two-point loss to Charlevoix from Feb. 2 to break a first-place tie and clinch the Lake Michigan Conference title.
5. Ypsilanti Arbor Prep 44, Harper Woods Chandler Park 43 – Another Class C favorite, Arbor Prep, avenged a 24-point loss to the Class B Eagles from Jan. 25.
Districts at a Glance
These could be among our most competitive brackets. Host sites are in bold:
CLASS A
Flint Carman-Ainsworth
Fenton (14-6), Flint Carman-Ainsworth (18-2), Flint Southwestern (2-15), Flushing (16-4), Grand Blanc (10-10), Linden (0-19), Swartz Creek (9-11).
Reigning Class A champion Flushing held on to win another Flint Metro League championship and has won 16 of its last 18. But host Carman-Ainsworth is the likely favorite thanks in part to a 21-point win over the Raiders in the season opener. Carman-Ainsworth finished second in the Saginaw Valley League to one-loss Heritage, with its only losses to Heritage and reigning Class B champion Detroit Country Day. Carman-Ainsworth and Flushing would see each other in the District Final – but Fenton could get in the way. The Tigers face Flushing in tonight’s opener and beat Flushing by 18 just two weeks ago.
Midland
Bay City Central (3-17), Bay City Western (17-3), Midland (13-7), Midland Dow (15-5), Mount Pleasant (11-9), Saginaw Heritage (19-1).
These teams all play in the Saginaw Valley League, and that familiarity could be advantageous and dangerous for just about every team in the field. Heritage is a favorite to win the whole thing this season – but on its side of this bracket, Mount Pleasant has enjoyed its best finish in years and Midland bounced back from a 0-3 start to place fifth in the 14-team league. Dow and Western meet to start the other side of the bracket, with the Chargers winning their lone meeting by 12 two weeks ago – but the Warriors hoping to re-catch the momentum that helped them to a 13-0 start.
Owosso
DeWitt (19-1), East Lansing (20-0), Grand Ledge (12-8), Lansing Waverly (11-9), Owosso (5-15), St. Johns (14-6).
There may be no more closely contended recent rivalry in the state than DeWitt versus East Lansing. Those Class A contenders have played three straight games decided by a point. The Trojans, boasting recently announced Miss Basketball candidate Jaida Hampton, won the Dec. 5 meeting 52-51 and also last season’s District Final over the Panthers 48-47 – after DeWitt won last season’s first matchup 59-58. They would face off again in this District Final. But don’t forget: Grand Ledge made back-to-back Class A Quarterfinals in 2013 and 2014 and the Semifinals the second time, and St. Johns made the Semifinals only two seasons ago.
CLASS B
Battle Creek Pennfield
Battle Creek Pennfield (15-5), Comstock (19-1), Marshall (10-10), Olivet (11-9), Parchment (6-14).
Comstock has been building to a season like this for the last five, and has increased its win total for the fourth straight already this winter. The Colts surely are looking forward to their first game this week against Marshall on Wednesday – the Redhawks have ended Comstock’s last four seasons. Marshall could be dangerous though with four wins in its last five games after making the Class B Semifinals last season and winning Class B in 2016. On the other side of the bracket, Pennfield finished third, two spots ahead of Marshall in a strong Interstate 8 Athletic Conference. The Panthers skidded a bit the last few weeks with three losses over their last five games, but those losses came to the other three top teams in the league.
Big Rapids
Alma (15-5), Big Rapids (18-2), Clare (11-8), Remus Chippewa Hills (3-17), Shepherd (6-14), Stanton Central Montcalm (20-0).
Central Montcalm has jumped from seven to 12 to 17 and now 20 wins over the last four seasons and won the Central State Activities Association Gold with wins of nine and seven points over Big Rapids. Those were the only defeats this season for the host Cardinals, and a Semifinal rematch would be one of the state’s biggest Wednesday games. But Big Rapids can’t look past Alma in the opener – the Panthers finished second to Freeland (18-2) in the Tri-Valley Conference Central. On the other side of the bracket, Clare tied for third in a competitive Jack Pine Conference after sharing the league title a year ago.
Kalkaska
Benzie Central (16-4), Cadillac (3-17), Kalkaska (15-5), Kingsley (20-0), Ludington (12-8), Manistee (11-9), Reed City (14-6).
Kingsley joins Central Montcalm as one of only two undefeated teams left in Class B, and the Stags’ run included handing Benzie Central two of its defeats. Kingsley would see Lakes 8 Conference runner-up Ludington in a District Semifinal, but wouldn’t see Benzie or Kalkaska until the championship game. Those two could meet Wednesday. Benzie must get past a Reed City team that finished fourth in a strong CSAA Gold – see references to Central Montcalm and Big Rapids above – while Kalkaska must get past a Manistee team that has won five of its last six.
CLASS C
Ishpeming
Gwinn (9-11), Ishpeming (17-3), Ishpeming Westwood (14-6), Negaunee (20-0).
This is an all-Mid-Peninsula Athletic Conference District, and these are four of the top five finishers. Negaunee improved five wins this regular season despite scares from both Ishpeming and Westwood – the Patriots missed breaking up the perfect run by just a basket on Jan. 19, and they and Negaunee face off on one side of the bracket Wednesday. Ishpeming, which got within seven of Negaunee on Feb. 10, lost only to the Miners and Westwood this season but got a close game from Gwinn in their first meeting Jan. 9.
Laingsburg
Bath (13-7), Brighton Charyl Stockwell (5-12), Byron (16-4), Dansville (2-18), Laingsburg (17-2), New Lothrop (18-2).
Host Laingsburg’s only losses this season were to reigning Class C runner-up Pewamo-Westphalia, but those two wouldn’t meet again until the Regional Semifinal. However, on the other side of this bracket Genesee Area Conference White champion New Lothrop won 18 straight before losing to Class B contender Goodrich last week, and Byron shared the GAC Blue title. They and Bath, also from Laingsburg’s Central Michigan Athletic Conference, will provide a strong challenger for this District title.
Traverse City St. Francis
Grand Traverse Academy (12-7), Manton (17-3), Maple City Glen Lake (18-2), Traverse City St. Francis (17-3).
Tonight’s opener will be one of the most intriguing in the state regardless of Class. Glen Lake finished second in the Northwest Conference with its two defeats both to Class B Kingsley (see above), and the Lakers beat St. Francis 60-49 on Dec. 6. St. Francis, meanwhile, finished off a Lake Michigan Conference championship with a win over rival Charlevoix last week (also see above). On the other side of the bracket, Manton also is a league champion, in the Highland Conference, and Grand Traverse Academy started 11-3 before running into a rough patch over the last few weeks.
CLASS D
Adrian Lenawee Christian
Adrian Lenawee Christian (19-1), Jackson Christian (7-13), Morenci (16-4), North Adams-Jerome (7-13), Waldron (15-5).
The host Cougars would appear a strong favorite. Their only loss was by a point to Class A Monroe (12-8) on Jan. 9, and they downed possible District Semifinal opponent Morenci 61-42 a week ago. However, Morenci has two 1,000-point scorers and is coming off a Tri-County Conference championship. The Bulldogs must be careful to not look past Southern Central Athletic Association Central champion Waldron tonight, however. The other side of the bracket may have the teams with lesser records, but their third meeting could be a classic after Jackson Christian edged North Adams-Jerome by only two and six points during the regular season.
Battle Creek St. Philip
Athens (16-4), Battle Creek Calhoun Christian (16-4), Battle Creek St. Philip (11-9), Bellevue (18-2), Marshall Academy (0-11).
Bellevue and Athens finished first and second, respectively, in the SCAA West, and are on opposite sides of this bracket. St. Philip also plays in that league, and four of its losses came to those two teams. Calhoun Christian won the Mid-South Conference but won’t be unfamiliar with the competition after playing and falling to all three SCAA teams during the season’s first two weeks. The Cougars are 15-1 since a 1-3 start.
Onaway
Hillman (19-1), Onaway (10-9), Posen (10-8), Rogers City (15-4).
Hillman won its fourth straight North Star League Big Dipper title, and Rogers City has finished runner-up the last three seasons – this time the Tigers won their meetings by three and 13 points. They meet in one District Semifinal on Wednesday, while NSL Little Dipper champion Posen takes on host Onaway, which came in fourth in a Ski Valley Conference featuring at least a pair of possible Class D state contenders.
PHOTO: Laingsburg, here in a win over Fowler on Jan. 25, is among District hosts that could earn championships this week. (Click for more from Varsity Monthly.)
Renaissance, Davis Show Earn Encore Performance
By
Jason Schmitt
Special for MHSAA.com
April 7, 2021
EAST LANSING – For those who may have had something else going on Wednesday afternoon, don’t worry, there will be one more chance to catch the “Kailee Davis Show.”
The Detroit Renaissance senior put her talents on display at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, scoring seven points in a span of 21 seconds late in the game to help her team defeat Wayne Memorial,75-72, in a Division 1 Semifinal.
“It was just about not giving up,” said Davis, who finished with a game-high 33 points in her team’s victory. “I believe in my teammates, and they believe in me. Once they told me to go, I just wanted to win this for them.”
With her team trailing 69-64 with just over two minutes to play, Davis calmly hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to two points. She then picked up a steal and converted a layup to tie the game at 69-69. Davis topped it off with another steal of the ensuing in-bounds pass and was fouled, converting a pair of free throws to give her team its first lead since early in the third period.
“(Kailee) challenged me on something, when I said ‘She hasn’t been getting to that steal like she did last year,’” Renaissance head coach Shane Lawal said. “I felt like she stepped up today. She told me to shut up. She went out and got two or three of those at the end of the game. That’s all I ever want to do, is challenge my kids, to be the best that they can be.”
Davis finished with 19 points in the fourth quarter alone. She scored 10 of her team’s 12 points during an early stretch of the fourth which cut Wayne Memorial’s 11-point lead down to three. The Zebras (17-3) would stretch the lead back to seven points before Davis and her teammates made the late push to earn a spot in Friday’s Division 1 championship game.
“(Davis) is an absolutely amazing player,” Wayne Memorial head coach Jarvis Mitchell said. “She absolutely willed them to win. She made some tough shots. We tried to make her work as much as possible, but at the end of the day, when a kid is resilient and they want to win … it wasn’t that my kids didn’t want to win, I just think she wanted to win a little bit more.”
Davis’s performance overshadowed what was a tremendous game by Wayne Memorial seniors Alanna Micheaux and LaChelle Austin. Micheaux, who will be playing basketball for the University of Minnesota next year, finished with 29 points and 17 rebounds. Austin had 25 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Zebras. They combined for 29 points in the second and third quarters, when their team turned a 13-point deficit into a nine-point lead.
“Alanna Micheaux, I’m a huge fan of hers,” Lawal said after the game. “Her ceiling is only (going) up. And Austin is going to have a great career in the MAC (at Eastern Michigan). Shout out to those two great seniors.”
Renaissance got off to a hot start against the Zebras. The Phoenix opened the game by scoring nine of the first 12 points, fueled by a corner 3-pointer and steal and drive to the basket by senior Mikyah Finley. The Phoenix finished the quarter on a 10-0 run, thanks to three 3-pointers, two by Finley and one by Davis, in the final two minutes to take a 21-8 lead.
Finley finished the game with 18 points. Senior Shannon Wheeler added 10 points for Renaissance (13-4).
“They played an absolutely amazing game,” Mitchell said of the Phoenix. “They have some absolutely tough kids. They deserved to win. It’s hard to stop a team with resilience. Renaissance never gave in to emotion. They just continued to go fight. And when we thought we had them, they just kept plugging and plugging. And that was the basketball game.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Detroit Renaissance's Kailee Davis launches a shot while leading her team to a Division 1 Semifinal win Wednesday. (Middle) Wayne Memorial's LaChelle Austin gets to the basket. (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)