Flashback: Cass Tech Comes Back
July 12, 2016
By John Johnson
MHSAA Communications Director
The third week of this summer’s "80s Finals Flashback" series on MHSAA.tv features one of the largest Finals comebacks in girls and boys basketball history.
Great game-winning shots, monumental comebacks and late-game touchdown drives will be featured for nine weeks this summer as part of the Flashbacks series. See the links below for the first two installments, and click to watch this week's on MHSAA.tv. DVDs may be purchased directly from the MHSAA.tv Website – just click the “Get DVD” button below the player.
Week of July 11 – Detroit Cass Tech 52, Saginaw 51 – 1987 Class A Girls Basketball Final – Trailing by 20 with two minutes to play in the third quarter, Detroit Cass Tech rallied to defeat Saginaw, 52-51, in the Class A Final at Grand Valley State University in Allendale. The Technicians held the reigning champion scoreless over the final 4:16, while scoring the final nine points to grab the title. LaTonya Tate finished with 20 points, including the game-winning 3-point field goal with 1:43 remaining. Sheronda Mayo added 14 points, including eight in the fourth quarter. Sentaria Johnson finished with a career-high 20 points for Saginaw.
Previous Flashbacks
July 5: Traverse City 24, Detroit Catholic Central 14 – 1988 Class A Football Final - Watch
June 28: Saginaw Buena Vista 33, Flint Beecher 32 – 1986 Class B Boys Basketball Final - Watch
Also, the championship games of the 2016 MHSAA Boys & Girls Basketball Tournaments, presented by Sparrow Health, will receive encore airings this week on FOX Sports Detroit.
Here’s the complete schedule, with links to the archived games on MHSAA.tv:
Girls Finals – Tuesday (July 12)
- Class D - Pittsford (48) v. Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart (30) - 4 p.m.
- Class A - Warren Cousino (67) v. Detroit Martin Luther King (65) - 6 p.m.
- Class C - Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (52) v. Traverse City St. Francis (37) - 8 p.m.
- Class B - Marshall (51) v. Grand Rapids South Christian (42) - 10 p.m.
Boys Finals – Thursday (July 14)
- Class D - Powers North Central (59) v. Waterford Our Lady (48) - 4 p.m.
- Class A - Detroit U-D Jesuit (69) v. North Farmington (49) - 6 p.m.
- Class C - Flint Beecher (63) v. Grandville Calvin Christian (61) - 8 p.m.
- Class B - Detroit Henry Ford (61) v. Stevensville Lakeshore (47) - 10 p.m.
NOTE: Some portions of the games may be edited out due to time constraints.
Moment: Powers Avenges 1999 Defeat
April 20, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
After being stung by Detroit Country Day’s fourth-quarter comeback and buzzer-beating game winner in the 1999 Class B Final, the Flint Powers Catholic girls basketball team would not offer an opportunity for the same dramatic ending in the teams’ 2000 rematch.
This time, the Chargers halted Country Day’s fourth-quarter surge a few points short, holding on for a 47-42 victory.
Senior Kelly Koerber – Powers’ leading scorer in the 1999 defeat – again set the pace, putting up 19 points while connecting on 9 of 12 shots from the floor. The Chargers actually trailed Country Day by two at halftime before going on a 15-4 third-quarter run to take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Koerber’s future Western Michigan teammate Carrie Moore led Country Day in scoring this time with 19 points as well.
The win gave Powers a 27-1 record for the season, its only loss coming to Flushing by a point. Powers would go on to also win the third-straight Class B Final matchup between the Chargers and Yellowjackets in 2001, 54-53, to cap a perfect 28-0 season.
Here’s the full broadcast of the 2000 Final from FOX Sports Detroit.