Davis Sinks Memory-Maker This Time as West Bloomfield Downs Rockford in OT

By Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com

March 22, 2024

EAST LANSING – West Bloomfield wanted badly to avenge last year’s loss to Rockford in the Division 1 Final.

The Lakers did so in dramatic fashion Friday.

Indya Davis banked in a 3-pointer at the regulation buzzer to force overtime, and West Bloomfield converted timely free throws during the extra session for a thrilling 55-47 win over the Rams in the second Division 1 Semifinal at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center.

“It took us 365 days and an extra quarter to get that back,” Lakers coach Darren McAllister said. “Since last year we felt like we left something in East Lansing and it was about Rockford because they beat us, but the big thing is it's not about Rockford. It’s about getting what we left in East Lansing and Rockford, which is a great coached team, was the next step.”

West Bloomfield (26-1) trailed the entire second half before Davis’ heroics.

“Before I took the shot, I told Summer (Davis, her twin sister) that I wanted the shot,” Davis said. “Give me the ball. As soon as that ball came off my hand, I knew it was good.

“That’s the type of shot you see in movies. You don’t think it's really going to go in, but we believed in it and practiced it. When it went in, it was our day.”

Indya Davis (24) pulls up for a shot with Rockford’s Kate Higgins defender. Summer Davis led the Lakers with 22 points and made 13 of 16 from the free throw line. She made 10 of 11 in overtime, accounting for all of West Bloomfield’s points during those additional minutes.

Indya Davis finished with 17 points and seven rebounds, the game-tying 3-pointer one of two she made from beyond the arc.

“I believe in her, so I wasn't about to question giving her the ball and it went in,” Summer Davis said. “It was a big surprise, but it wasn't because we came to win.”

McAllister wasn’t surprised to see that shot go in.

“That's Indya all day long, and we practice that,” he said. “I wasn't shocked by it because I knew at the end of the day they weren't ready to go home and schedule a banquet. They wanted to keep playing."

West Bloomfield will face Grand Blanc in Saturday’s Division 1 Final at 12:15 p.m.

The shot stunned the Rams (26-2), who appeared to be on their way to an opportunity to finish a repeat title run.

“I thought we were in a great position up three there in the closing moments,” Rockford coach Brad Wilson said. “We defended it pretty well, but hats off to them. They made a heck of a shot.

“It was tough when we saw that one go through. However, I think we really preached that (positive mentality) all season and we were ready to take on overtime and try and get the win.”

It was the third straight meeting at the Breslin between the two teams. West Bloomfield defeated Rockford in a Division 1 Semifinal in 2022 before the Rams’ victory last year – when Rockford took the final lead on a 3-pointer with 40 seconds to play.

“Losing to Rockford by four last year was unacceptable,” said Indya Davis, who finished with 17 points and seven rebounds. “We came back with a new fire this year, and we wanted to win. The rivalry between us and them is huge, and today we got the outcome.”

West Bloomfield led 15-10 in the first quarter, but the Rams responded and outscored the Lakers 19-5 in the second to take a 29-20 lead into halftime. A 7-0 run sparked the comeback, punctuated by Kate Higgins’ 3-pointer.

Despite the halftime deficit, the Lakers cranked up the defensive pressure and clawed back, getting to within six (39-33) after three quarters.

The Rams shot only 35 percent (15-43) from the field, including 4 of 19 from behind the 3-point arc. They were led by Anna’s Wypych’s 20 points. Jordan Mateer added 12 points, while Higgins, a sophomore, recorded 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Click for the full box score.

PHOTOS (Top) West Bloomfield’s Destiny Washington (1) brings the ball up the court during Friday’s Division 1 Semifinal at Breslin Center. (Middle) Indya Davis (24) pulls up for a shot with Rockford’s Kate Higgins defender. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)

Performance of the Week: Harbor Springs' Olivia Flynn

January 24, 2025

Olivia Flynn headshotOlivia Flynn ♦ Harbor Springs
Senior ♦ Basketball

Flynn became the 34th player in Michigan girls basketball history to reach 2,000 career points, doing so during the second quarter of her team’s Jan. 14 victory over Cheboygan. The Western Michigan signee entered the game with 1,980 points since joining the varsity as a freshman, and she scored 27 points during the first half and 33 for the game.

The 5-foot-9 point guard has made the Division 3 all-state first team after all of her first three seasons and has led Harbor Springs to a combined 66-13 record, including a 9-2 start this winter. In addition to becoming her school’s all-time leading scorer as a junior, she finished just a few rebounds and assists per game shy of averaging a triple-double. Flynn also runs track and was part of a 3,200 relay as a sophomore in 2023 that finished third at the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 4 Finals.

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Previous 2024-25 honorees

Jan. 17: Levi Rozema, Holland Christian swimming - Report
Jan. 10:
McRecco McFadden, Burton Bentley basketball - Report
Dec. 18:
Nash Leonard, Bay City Western hockey - Report
Dec. 11:
Blake Cosby, Dundee wrestling - Report
Dec. 4:
Keaton Hendricks, Zeeland West football - Report
Nov. 29:
Kate Simon, East Grand Rapids swimming - Report
Nov. 22:
Ella Kokaly, Essexville Garber volleyball - Report
Nov. 15:
Caroline Bryan, Grosse Pointe South swimming - Report
Nov. 8:
Kaylie Livingston, Whitmore Lake cross country - Report
Oct. 25:
Oliver Caldwell, Grand Rapids West Catholic tennis - Report
Oct. 18:
Alex Graham, Detroit Cass Tech football - Report
Oct. 11:
Victoria Garces, Midland Dow cross country - Report
Oct. 4:
Asher Clark, Bay City John Glenn soccer - Report
Sept. 26:
Campbell Flynn, Farmington Hills Mercy volleyball - Report
Sept. 19:
TJ Hansen, Freeland cross country - Report
Sept. 12:
Jordan Peters, Grayling soccer - Report
Sept. 6:
Gabe Litzner, Sault Ste. Marie cross country - Report
Aug. 30:
Grace Slocum, Traverse City St. Francis golf - Report

(Photos courtesy of the Flynn family.)