Experience Pays for Veteran Saints
March 14, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
EAST LANSING – Senior Sarah Cullip and junior Kelley Wright learned a few things during their previous trips to Breslin Center that surely came to mind during Thursday’s Class D Semifinal against Climax-Scotts.
And with neither team able to find the back of the net, both had to call on those lessons to lift the top-ranked and undefeated Saints back to a familiar spot among those who will play on the final day of the season.
Wright made only 6 of 20 shots from the field, but connected on the go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:54 left in regulation. Cullip missed more than half the game because of foul trouble, but made two free throws with her team up only three and 25 seconds to play as the Saints held on for a 42-36 victory.
St. Ignace (26-0) will face three-time reigning champion Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes at 10 a.m. Saturday to try to earn a second MHSAA championship in three seasons. The Saints fell in last season’s Class C Semifinals, but won Class C in 2011 and finished runner-up in 2010.
“I think it was really crucial that I’d been here and played in this gym multiple times before, to know I have to calm down in a pressure situation,” said Cullip, who has been on the floor during all four of her team’s Breslin trips. “It’s just another free throw. It could be the first play of the game or the play that saves the game.”
The Saints have proven plenty this season that they can win big. Their first and only game closer than 10 points before Thursday came in the Regional Final, a 74-68 win over No. 6 Posen. St. Ignace has scored more than 80 points six times this season and more than 90 on three occasions.
But unranked Climax-Scotts (20-6) didn’t allow the Saints to get into their usual rhythm.
The Panthers finished with more field goals, 17-15, and the same number of rebounds. They actually shot better from the floor, 38 percent to 32. But Climax-Scotts got to the free throw line for only two attempts and had 20 turnovers. St. Ignace made 10 of 20 free throw tries and turned the ball over only 10 times.
The trip to Breslin was Climax-Scotts’ first to Finals weekend since finishing Class D runner-up in 1986.
“I can’t be prouder of my girls. They took on the number one ranked team in the state – number one from the get-go – and gave them probably the best game they’ve played all year,” Climax-Scotts coach Dana Perrin said. “I told the girls after the game they had nothing to hang their heads about, be sad about.”
St. Ignace coach Dorene Ingalls, meanwhile, recalled some of the tears in her players’ eyes after they fell during last season’s Class C Semifinals to eventual champion Morley-Stanwood – and how those likely paid off in extra resolve this time around.
Senior guard Brook Chambers could play only seven minutes Thursday because of an ankle sprain she re-aggravated during the Quarterfinal. Cullip, the team’s second-leading scorer and best defender, played only 15 minutes because of foul trouble.
“It obviously wasn’t the prettiest of games,” Ingalls said. “But at this state of the game, if you can win ugly, it’s a good thing."
Senior center Fallon Froberg led Climax-Scotts with 14 points and seven rebounds, but she had nearly half of her team’s 17 field goals. “Just them making chaos is the toughest thing,” Climax-Scotts senior guard Janae Langs said of the Saints’ defensive pressure.
Wright finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and three steals. Freshman forward Abbey Ostman grabbed 13 rebounds for the Saints.
PHOTOS: (Top) St. Ignace three-year starter Kelley Wright pushes the ball up court during Thursday's Semifinal. (Middle) Wright defends Climax-Scotts' Destiny Froberg (10). (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
Breslin Bound: 2023-24 Girls Report Week 7
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 22, 2024
The second half of this girls basketball regular season is upon us, and with it several teams are finding their ways into our “Breslin Bound” conversation.
The biggest headliner of last week certainly was East Kentwood, and we explain why below. The Falcons have just one loss this winter, but 19 teams have reached this point without experiencing defeat – and we discuss five of those as well, along with others continuing to emerge with six weeks remaining until the start of District play.
“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. East Kentwood 60, Rockford 54 The Falcons (10-1) handed reigning Division 1 champion Rockford (10-1) its first loss since Dec. 22, 2022, breaking the Rams’ 33-game winning streak and taking over first place alone in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red.
2. Portage Central 54, Stevensville Lakeshore 44 The Mustangs (9-0) won this matchup of undefeated teams to move a game ahead of Lakeshore (8-1) in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference West standings.
3. Goodrich 44, Lake Fenton 36 The Martians (11-0) remained perfect and further avenged last season’s three regular-season losses to reigning Flint Metro League Stars and overall champion Lake Fenton (8-4).
4. Frankfort 59, St. Ignace 45 The Panthers (8-3) crossed the Bridge and won St. Ignace’s B.C. Pizza Classic, defeating the Saints (9-3) in the final after downing Menominee on Friday to advance.
5. Freeland 67, Chelsea 61 Freeland’s Falcons (9-1) won a matchup of Division 2 hopefuls, avenging last season’s 58-52 loss to the Bulldogs (8-3).
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Detroit Renaissance (12-0) Coming off last season’s 23-2 finish and run to the Division 1 Semifinals, Renaissance has raced back into contention with an early 53-46 win over reigning Division 2 champion Lansing Catholic and victories over Romulus and Detroit Country Day also among the most impressive. The Phoenix downed Muskegon 65-43 on Saturday and can clinch at least a share of the Detroit Public School League Blue title in its next game, next Monday against Detroit Cass Tech.
Rochester Hills Stoney Creek (9-0) With five of six teams in the Oakland Activities Association Red at 6-4 or better, and reigning Division 1 runner-up West Bloomfield sharing the league lead, Stoney Creek’s start is even more impressive. But the Cougars put themselves in this conversation a few seasons ago and have built on last year’s 17-7 run with victories over nine-win Romeo and Clarkston and by handing Royal Oak its lone loss. The first meeting with West Bloomfield comes up Jan. 30.
DIVISION 2
Adrian Madison (9-2) The Trojans moved into Division 2 this season after several in Division 3, and also switched to the Lenawee County Athletic Association from the Tri-County Conference. So far, so very good, as Madison already has bettered last season’s 7-15 record and sits just a half-game behind Blissfield in the league standings with their first of two meetings coming up Tuesday. What’s more, all but one of Madison’s opponents has a winning record or would if not for losing to the Trojans.
Paw Paw (8-1) The Red Wolves have finished second in the Wolverine Conference the last two seasons but could be the team to chase this winter. They defeated reigning champion Vicksburg 60-50 in their second game this season, which remains the Bulldogs’ only loss. Paw Paw did follow up that win with an 87-85 double-overtime loss to Edwardsburg, but the Red Wolves came back to defeat the Eddies 58-53 last week and then handed Otsego its first conference loss Friday, 55-39. Paw Paw plays Vicksburg again Feb. 2.
DIVISION 3
Kalamazoo Christian (8-1) Last season’s 22-4 run included a perfect 10-0 record in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley, and the Comets are halfway to repeating the latter accomplishment as they sit in first, one game ahead of rival Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep. Christian’s only loss was 68-44 to Grand Rapids Covenant Christian on Jan. 5 in their first game after break, and Martin and Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian are among upcoming opponents that should give the Comets similar tests as they ready for an intriguing postseason.
Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (8-2) Arbor Prep’s opponents have won 78.4 percent of their games this season, and yet Arbor Prep has bested that with losses only to undefeated Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard and one-loss Jackson Northwest. The Gators handed the only defeat to Flint Powers Catholic, 51-43, and as usual for the Division 3 contenders have a schedule loaded with challenges the rest of the way including undefeated Detroit Edison. Only one of Arbor Prep’s final 12 regular-season opponents doesn’t have a winning record at this point.
DIVISION 4
Gobles (6-3) As we move toward the midway point of the regular season for most of the state’s girls teams, Gobles ranks high in Division 4 Michigan Power Rating in part because of good losses to SAC Central rivals Martin and Saugatuck, both 8-1, and with its third defeat coming from Kalamazoo Christian (see above). Gobles also has defeated Hackett and opened the season with a 52-39 win over Watervliet, which ended the Tigers’ 2022-23 in the District. The Saugatuck rematch comes up Friday, and the second meeting with Martin is Feb. 2.
Portland St. Patrick (7-2) The Shamrocks have loaded the schedule again this winter, taking a loss to 2023 Division 2 semifinalist Grand Rapids West Catholic but handing Division 3 Ovid-Elsie its first defeat last week 51-45. St. Patrick followed the latter with a 56-33 win over reigning Central Michigan Athletic Conference champion Dansville. The Shamrocks also fell to one-loss Fowler 69-63 on Dec. 14, and that rematch is coming up Feb. 2 – but they certainly will be dialed in first for Wednesday’s home game against undefeated Bath, which with Fowler leads the CMAC this winter.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Thursday – Harbor Beach (10-1) at Sandusky (10-1) – These two are first and second, respectively, in the Greater Thumb Conference East, after Harbor Beach won the first meeting 30-26 on Jan. 2.
Friday – East Kentwood (10-1) at Grand Haven (10-1) – They join Rockford at 10-1 overall and as noted above, East Kentwood defeated Rockford last week to move into first alone in the O-K Red.
Friday – Fowler (9-1) at Bath (8-0) – Both are undefeated in CMAC play heading into their first of two meetings, the second set for Feb. 27.
Friday – Frankenmuth (8-2) at Freeland (9-1) – The Eagles hold a one-game edge in the Tri-Valley Conference Red thanks to their 53-51 win over the Falcons on Dec. 8.
Saturday – Rockford (10-1) vs. Lansing Catholic (7-3) at Calvin University – The reigning Division 1 and 2 champions, respectively, meet in the 6 p.m. game at the Calvin University Showcase.
MHSAA.com's weekly “Breslin Bound” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTOS (Top) Otsego's Tessa Prough (31) puts up a shot during her team's 61-31 win over Sturgis last week. (Middle) A Clare player gets to the basket during her team's 51-36 win over Ithaca. (Top photo by Gary Shook; middle photo by High School Sports Scene.)