Countdown to Calvin: Quarterfinal Preview
March 13, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The final minutes are ticking down until Michigan’s finest girls basketball teams play for MHSAA championships this weekend at Calvin College’s Van Noord Arena.
The trip to this final week of the season has been four months in the making for 32 hopefuls that will take the court tonight in Quarterfinals all over our state.
Our final “Countdown to Calvin” report – powered by MI Student Aid – takes a glance at all 16 Quarterfinals, which are all at 7 p.m. unless noted. All Quarterfinals will be broadcast and viewable with subscription on MHSAA.tv. And come back Wednesday night for a more in-depth look at our 16 finalists as they head into this weekend.
Class A
Grosse Pointe North (19-5) vs. Detroit Martin Luther King (18-3) at Southfield Arts & Technology – 5 p.m.
Grosse Pointe North will play in its first Quarterfinal since 2010, while King will be back for the first time since 2012. The Norsemen have only one senior and are paced by 6-foot-2 junior guard/forward Julia Ayrault (19 ppg, 10.3 rpg). Senior guard Jordan Lewis (14 ppg) leads three Crusaders averaging double-digit scoring. Two of King’s three losses are to reigning MHSAA champions.
Clarkston (20-4) vs. Saginaw Heritage (24-1) at Grand Blanc
Heritage is back in the Quarterfinals for the third time in six years and first since 2015, while Clarkston has made the final week for the first time since 2005. The Hawks – whose only loss was to reigning Class C champ Detroit Edison, by a basket – are paced by junior guard Moira Joiner (14.6 ppg, 4.2 apg). Seniors Maddie Beck (14.4 ppg) and Kayla Luchenbach (14.1 ppg) have the Wolves on an eight-game winning streak.
East Lansing (24-0) vs. Muskegon (22-2) at DeWitt
East Lansing will play in its second Quarterfinal in three years to make it to the Semifinals for the first time since 2010. The Trojans are led by newly-honored Miss Basketball Award winner Jaeda Hampton (15 ppg, 57 3-pointers). Muskegon is coming off its first Regional title and has won 19 straight, keyed by junior guard Alyza Winston (19.6 ppg).
Wayne Memorial (21-4) vs. Hartland (20-5) at Southfield Arts & Technology
Wayne is another first-time Regional champion, led on this march by Miss Basketball finalist Camree’ Clegg (23.7 ppg, 6.4 apg). Hartland won its second Regional title, and second in four seasons, and will try to make its first Semifinal in part on the post power of 6-4 sophomore Whitney Sollom (10.6 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 4.7 bpg.)
Class B
Hamilton (24-1) vs. Jackson Northwest (23-1) at Marshall
Both of these quarterfinalists are coming off their first Regional titles in program history. Hamilton has won 24 straight since losing to Jenison in its opener, paced in part by senior Ashlen Wolfram (10.3 ppg, 8.8 rpg). Northwest’s only defeat came early as well to Battle Creek Harper Creek; the Mounties are on a 21-game winning streak with junior guard Sydney Shafer pouring in a team-high 17 ppg.
Michigan Center (22-2) vs. Harper Woods Chandler Park (17-6) at Tecumseh
Michigan Center, up from Class C this school year, is making its first Quarterfinal appearance since 2005. After falling to an uncharacteristic 6-15 in 2015-16, the Cardinals are 42-6 over the last two seasons and start one senior with four underclassmen. Chandler Park is playing in its first Quarterfinal, with freshman Emaia O’Brien (12.7 ppg, 43 3-pointers) an impressive leading scorer while playing against a loaded schedule.
Detroit Country Day (20-4) vs. Freeland (23-2) at West Bloomfield
Reigning Class B champion Country Day is going for its third title in four seasons, led by Miss Basketball finalist Kaela Webb (15.9 ppg). All four of its defeats are to teams still alive this week. Freeland advanced to the Semifinals a year ago, and its only losses are to Class A teams. The Falcons are led by the Argyle sisters – senior guard Kaylee and junior forward Alyssa, both averaging 11.5 points per game.
Muskegon Oakridge (22-3) vs. Kingsley (25-0) at Cadillac
Oakridge broke through with its first Regional title since 1991, and will try to extend the run against an undefeated Stags team playing in the final week for the first time since 2008. Junior guard Sophia Wiard is the playmaker for the Eagles, averaging 22.8 points and 4.2 assists per game. Sophomore guard Brittany Bowman (11.5 ppg) and junior guard Jacie King (10.1 ppg) are leading scorers and two of three Kingsley players with at least 30 3-pointers.
Class C
Detroit Edison (21-1) vs. Flint Beecher (18-5) at Howell
Reigning Class C champ Edison has been even more dominant this season, beating Wayne Memorial (twice), Country Day, Heritage and St. Ignace among others. Junior 6-3 guard Rickea Johnson (22.3 ppg, 10.4 rpg) and sophomore guard Gabrielle Elliott (16.4) are stars. Beecher got through rival Hamady and others to reach its first Quarterfinal since 2003, with senior guard Imani Thompson (13.5 ppg) leading three averaging double-digit scoring.
Pewamo-Westphalia (24-0) vs. Kent City (22-3) at Cedar Springs
Reigning Class C runner-up P-W has had one single-digit game all season, in the District Final against Springport, but should expect a good one tonight from a Kent City team coming off its first Regional title since 1989. Freshman guard Kenzie Bowers leads Kent City with 19.5 points and 5.1 steals per game. Senior guard Emily Spitzley (17 ppg) keys a Pirates starting lineup that features three sophomores.
Schoolcraft (25-0) vs. Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (19-5) at Bronson – 6 p.m.
After making the Quarterfinals last season for the first time, Schoolcraft is back for the second straight. Senior guard Lydia Goble (19.5 ppg) has made an astounding 75 3-pointers and will have to be a focus for Arbor Prep, last season’s Class B runner-up. The Gators are led by Miss Basketball finalist and senior guard Lasha Petree, who averages 20.2 points per game and has 42 3-pointers.
Maple City Glen Lake (22-2) vs. St. Ignace (23-1) at Gaylord
Glen Lake is seeking its second straight trip to the Semifinals after getting past St. Ignace in last year’s Quarterfinal. The Lakers’ only losses this winter are to undefeated Class B contender Kingsley, and senior guard Savannah Peplinski (15.6 ppg) leads a mostly veteran lineup. The Saints surely have been looking forward to this opportunity. Their only loss this season was to Edison. Junior forward Emily Coveyou (18.3) and senior forward Linnie Gustafson (16.3) are a productive 1-2 scoring punch.
Class D
Gaylord St. Mary (23-1) vs. Chassell (24-1) at Sault Ste. Marie – 6 p.m.
St. Mary has lost three Quarterfinals over the last six years by a combined five points. The Snowbirds are hoping senior guards Averi Bebble (11.5 ppg) and Alex Hunter (13.7 ppg, 31 3-pointers) can help them get to the Semifinals for the first time since 2002. Chassell battled through a pair of close Regional games to reach the Quarterfinals for the first time. The Panthers are keyed by a senior pair as well – guard Milly Allen (15.5 ppg) and 6-1 center Sydney Danison (13.8 ppg, 9.3 rpg).
Waterford Our Lady (18-4) vs. Kingston (23-0) at Burton Bendle – 6 p.m.
These two will meet in a Quarterfinal for the third time in four seasons. Kingston is looking to reach its first Semifinal and Our Lady its seventh in eight seasons after falling in the Quarterfinal to Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary a year ago. Junior forward Carley Smith (10.7) leads a balanced Kingston lineup with four players averaging at least 8.5 ppg. Senior forward Tiffany Senerius puts up 14 ppg for Our Lady and has made 41 3-pointers.
Athens (21-4) vs. Adrian Lenawee Christian (23-1) at Richland Gull Lake
Athens will play in its fifth Quarterfinal this decade but first since 2014 against a Lenawee Christian team making the trip back for the first time since finishing Class D runner-up in 2010. Four senior starters have helped the Indians through a tough tournament run that’s included avenging a loss to rival Bellevue. Lenawee Christian is paced by 6-2 freshman guard Bree Salenbien (21.3 ppg) and has been perfect this season aside from a one-point loss to Class A Monroe.
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (24-0) vs. Bellaire (21-3) at Scottville Mason County Central
The Irish have won six straight Regional titles and come into this game undefeated for the second year in a row. Last season they made it to the Semifinals before falling to eventual champion Pittsford. Sacred Heart is leaning on a lineup with four seniors, including Sophia Ruggles (15.6 ppg), and junior guard Scout Nelson (13.8 ppg, 5.1 apg) to take another step. Bellaire has won more than 20 games for the third time in five seasons and broke through for its first Regional title, led by senior forward Lexi Niepoth (14.9 ppg, 11.5 rpg).
PHOTO: East Lansing’s Aaliyah Nye (32) guards a Grand Ledge ball handler during a District win two weeks ago. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)
For Salenbiens, 'Silly Game' = Family Fun
March 9, 2018
By Doug Donnelly
Special for Second Half
When the Adrian Lenawee Christian girls basketball team beat Portland St. Patrick to win a Class D Regional Semifinal this week, first-year Cougars head coach Jamie Salenbien didn’t need to look far to find someone to hug.
His wife, Debbie, was sitting a few feet away at the scorer’s table.
Next on the to-do list was find and hug his daughter, Dani, an LCS sophomore who dribbled away the final seconds for the Cougars after scoring a game-high 21 points. Last, but not least, there was another daughter, freshman phenom Bree, who had just scored 19 points and had several key baskets during Lenawee Christian’s second-half rally. His sons, Tyler and Jaxon, were nearby, too, and ready for a quick high-five.
For the Salenbien family, basketball is a passion. Whether it’s in the family’s backyard in Lenawee County or on a basketball court somewhere in southeast Michigan, the “silly game” as Coach Salenbien calls it not only has meant a lot to his family, but to the Lenawee Christian family, too.
“Our community is very much behind us,” Jamie Salenbien said. “It’s a great wave of support. We’re enjoying every minute of it.”
The Cougars won the school’s first Regional title since 2010 on Thursday, beating Plymouth Christian, and will play Athens (21-4) on Tuesday in the Quarterfinal at Richland Gull Lake. LCS is 23-1 and on a 16-game win streak. It’s only loss this season was to Class A Monroe. That loss was by one point, 41-40.
Jamie Salenbien is a Hudson native who played college basketball at Siena Heights University in Adrian. He once scored 50 points in a game in high school but doesn’t like to talk about any individual honors or accolades he has received. He and Debbie have been married 18 years. They met at a friend’s wedding – and that friend was at the Regional game this week in Morrice. Debbie played basketball at Allen Park Inter-City Baptist and in college, too.
The family always has loved a little competition.
“When our kids were little, we played a lot of games,” Coach Salenbien said. “Of course, we played a lot of basketball, too. And, I coached them when they were young. And, when I coached at Onsted, they were always around. The girls spent a lot of time around the game, and they fell in love with it. I love it, Debbie loves it, so it’s just a good match.”
Dani said the family talks basketball quite a bit – even at dinner. But, she said, she’s fine with it.
“It’s a part of our family,” Dani said. “It always has been. It’s interesting some of the time. But, its part of who we are.”
Dani, 16, burst onto the prep basketball scene in Lenawee County last season, showing remarkable poise for her age and quickly becoming the team’s go-to player even though they had an all-stater in Kiera Nieto. Bree, 14, joined the varsity this season and finished the regular season as Lenawee County’s top scorer. At 6-foot-2, she runs the floor like a point guard and posts up like a center. She’s the point person on the LCS full-court press, making it difficult for anyone to throw it over her head.
Entering the Regional, Bree Salenbien had averages of 21.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.5 steals, 3.2 blocks and 3.0 assists per game.
“She can score inside and out,” her father said. “She’s a tough matchup for anyone. We try and utilize her best we can in that fashion.”
Dani’s numbers are just as impressive. She averages 13.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 4.0 steals a game.
Both girls take after their parents – humble, full of smiles and deflecting of the attention.
“I love my teammates to death, and we do it all together,” Dani said. “That makes it all better. We have a term called ‘84-50’ (which are the dimensions, in feet, of a basketball court). We keep everything on the floor. We don’t think of anything outside of the gym or the court. We’re all about each other. I can’t do anything without my teammates.”
Bree said she and her sister have a special relationship on the court.
“I usually know where she is,” she said. “We have a connection. She’s a great ball handler. I know I need to get the ball to her. She’s a great player. My dad is a great coach. My mom is amazing. My brothers are great fans. We just love it.”
Debbie Salenbien works at LCS and serves as the scorekeeper for the team. Just before the tipoff of Thursday’s Regional championship game, after the starting lineups were introduced, both girls walked over to their mom, gave her a fist bump and handed her their warm-up shirts.
“We talk a lot about basketball,” Debbie said. “Basketball is always on television. We go to some University of Michigan games. We just love basketball.”
When the season ends, Jamie said he will have time to reflect on just how special this season has been for not only the Lenawee Christian community but his own family.
And, it looks like there are plenty of more good times to come. The Cougars start a freshman, three sophomores and a junior.
“They put a tremendous amount of time into this silly game,” he said of his daughters and their teammates. “We preach fundamentals – how to pass, catch, dribble, shoot. The whole experience has been awesome. I have to let it soak in more, but I know it’s awesome.”
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 Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Lenawee Christian freshman Bree Salenbien brings the ball upcourt; she led Lenawee County in scoring average this season at 21 ppg. (Middle) Basketball is a passion for the Salenbien family, including head coach Jamie, his wife Debbie (at the scorers table) and sophomore Dani Salenbien, here during Thursday’s Regional Final win over Plymouth Christian. (Photos by Mike Dickie.)