Kent City Shooting for Long Tourney Run
March 7, 2019
By Tom Kendra
Special for Second Half
RAVENNA – As Zara Weber explains it, part of growing up in Kent City is learning how to properly shoot the basketball.
“They start us young at camps, working on our form and things like that,” said Weber, one of two senior starters for Kent City (18-4), which rolled over Holton 55-13 on Wednesday and into Friday’s Division 3 District Final against Muskegon Western Michigan Christian at Ravenna.
“They get us started, and then it’s up to all of us to put in the time. We spend a lot of time in the gym. A few of us made it our goal to shoot 10,000 3-pointers over the summer.”
So, for Weber, the 3-pointer that she made late in the first quarter on Wednesday was just another shot – but it was also the shot that tied the team state record for most 3-pointers made in a season.
It was fitting that the record-breaking trey, which came less than a minute later, was made by a reserve, senior Janelle Krueger – because all of these Eagles can shoot.
“Almost every girl on the team can shoot it,” said 10th-year Kent City coach Scott Carlson, who knows something about scoring as the all-time leading scorer in school history with 1,263 career points. “I don’t think the record really mattered. We knew we were getting close. I just have a great shooting team.”
Kent City, which was ranked No. 8 in the final Associated Press Division 3 poll, finished with eight 3-pointers on Wednesday, pushing its season total to 244 – and breaking the old record of 237 triples by Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central set in 2005.
The boys state record is 356 by Whitmore Lake in 2009-2010.
Carlson did not make a big deal about the state record. The game was not stopped after Krueger’s record-setting shot, and no announcement was made; in fact, most of the Eagles did not know until after the game.
Earlier this year, Kent City broke the state record for 3-pointers in a single game, making 25 in a home win over Holton. Kent City had the previous record of 23 in a single game, set during the 2012-2013 season, when current assistant coaches Kendal Carlson and Aleah Holcomb were on the roster.
How do they do it?
The Eagles’ motion offense normally features four players spotted up at different points along the 3-point arc, with players taking turns driving and kicking it back out to one of those players, who are always ready to shoot. KC shoots 32 percent from 3-point range and averages 11 treys per game.
The “big three” for KC all season long has been Weber and sophomore standouts Jenna Harrison and Kenzie Bowers – who have all made more than 50 3-pointers this season. The other starters for the Eagles are sophomore Audrey Dreyer and senior Lauren Freeland, an all-state track and cross country standout who will run at Michigan State next year.
“Shooters got to shoot,” explained Harrison, who led all scorers on Wednesday with 13 points, including two 3-pointers. “We know that we have to shoot if we are open; that’s the way our offense works. If the defense comes out on us, then we have to drive.”
The Eagles know their games will keep getting tougher, starting with Friday’s District championship game against Western Michigan Christian. If the Eagles prevail, it could set up a blockbuster Regional Semifinal matchup at home Monday against top-ranked Pewamo-Westphalia.
“That’s the game everyone in town is talking about, but we’re just taking them one at a time,” Harrison said.
The Eagles’ outstanding season has been a pleasant diversion for Carlson, who has experienced more family tragedies resulting from car crashes than any one man should ever have to endure.
In 1989, his younger brother Todd was paralyzed in a car accident. One year later, his younger sister Shannon was paralyzed and suffered a closed head injury in a car accident. In 2009, his mother, Jane, died in another car accident (Todd lost his right leg in the same accident).
Then last August, Todd – who served as an assistant coach for the Eagles and helped run Kent City’s youth basketball program for 15 years – died in yet another crash at the age of 49.
“It’s been tough because he was such a big part of this team,” said Carlson. “I’ve learned you just have to keep going forward. Basketball is something we have always had to focus on and work on.”
Tom Kendra worked 23 years at The Muskegon Chronicle, including five as assistant sports editor and the final six as sports editor through 2011. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, Lake, Oceola, Mecosta and Newaygo counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Kent City’s Jenna Harrison lines up to shoot a 3-pointer against Cedar Springs during a Feb. 19 win. (Middle) Mikayla Loew (21) looks for an opening around the perimeter. (Photos courtesy of the Kent City athletic department/Sue Harrison.)
Breslin Bound: 2023-24 Girls Report Week 10
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 12, 2024
As we begin the final three weeks of this regular season, we’re keeping an eye on all of the usual signs of this point in the season – league title clinchers, conference tournament winners, and ratings climbers playing to earn a top-two seed when District brackets are released Feb. 25.
But this week’s “Breslin Bound” definitely has another theme woven throughout – revenge, with plenty taking place over the last few weeks and a few more opportunities we’ll be watching for especially this week but also as we surge into the postseason.
“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. West Bloomfield 61, Detroit Edison 42 The best rivalry in Michigan girls basketball the last few years continued with the reigning Division 1 runner-up Lakers (15-1) making it three straight over Division 2 contender Edison (13-2).
2. Frankenmuth 51, Hemlock 31 The Eagles (14-2) played their third game this season against a team that also reached Breslin Center last year, and ran their winning streak to 11 with this one over the reigning Division 3 champion Huskies (13-3).
3. Negaunee 65, Ishpeming 56 The Miners (17-1) moved into a first-place tie with the Hematites (15-1) in the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference East by avenging a 57-53 loss to Ishpeming from Jan. 12.
4. Detroit Edison 46, Detroit Renaissance 38 Edison bounced right back from the West Bloomfield loss to hand another Division 1 contender Renaissance (15-1) its only defeat this season.
5. South Lyon East 47, South Lyon 41 The Cougars (12-4) stand alone atop the Lakes Valley Conference after completing a regular-season sweep of the rival Lions (15-2).
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Holland West Ottawa (12-4) The Panthers’ four losses this season have come to opponents that are a combined 60-8, and they won Ottawa-Kent Conference Red rematches with East Kentwood (53-50) and Grand Haven (54-45) over the last 10 days with a trip to Rockford coming up Feb. 20. East Kentwood and Grand Haven both have 14 wins, and West Ottawa also has defeated Byron Center (13-4), Zeeland West (11-5) and Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills (11-5) among notables. Grand Haven and Zeeland West will be among those joining the Panthers at the District at Zeeland East as they also look to bounce back from last year’s first-game exit against Grandville.
Midland Dow (12-2) The Chargers have strung together 10 straight wins over the last two months, a streak that started with a 47-40 victory over reigning Division 3 champ Hemlock and also has included solid wins over Mount Pleasant and Flushing (both 11-6). Dow and Grand Blanc are the only teams without a loss in Saginaw Valley League play, and they meet Feb. 27 after originally being scheduled to play Jan. 23. Dow fell to the Bobcats during last season’s 17-8 run, but the Chargers already have avenged losses to Hemlock and Howell – and Tuesday will attempt to do the same at Flint Carman-Ainsworth.
DIVISION 2
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (17-0) The Eaglets have quickly ascended from their first season as a program in 2020-21 and have already doubled their win total from last winter’s 8-13 finish. They clinched the Catholic High School League AA championship outright with a 44-31 win over second-place Jackson Lumen Christi on Friday, and they haven’t played a single-digit game since Dec. 22. They’ll have a bye to start the league tournament later this week as they prepare for a District that will include CHSL Intersectional #1 champ Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood.
Tecumseh (12-3) A nine-game winning streak began Dec. 30 and has Tecumseh atop the Southeastern Conference White standings heading into arguably its biggest game of the season. Tecumseh travels to Chelsea for a make-up from Jan. 12, and its 60-57 win in the teams’ first meeting Jan. 30 broke a 17-game losing streak against the Bulldogs. That remains Chelsea’s only league loss, and Tecumseh is undefeated in SEC White play, with its only setbacks to Temperance Bedford (13-1), Detroit Country Day (12-5) and Grass Lake (13-4) during the first three weeks of the season.
DIVISION 3
Morley Stanwood (13-2) Last season, as the Central State Activities Association moved to one 11-team league instead of splitting into two divisions, Morley Stanwood finished lower than second in its standings for the first time since 2016-17 (coming in third). But the team is only a half-game out of the lead this winter, with the single matchup against first-place Grant set for Feb. 23. A 38-34 loss to Big Rapids two weeks ago put Morley Stanwood in position to chase, but its only other defeat was to Lake City (15-2) – and wins over Fremont (13-3) and Kent City and Brethren (both 12-4) have been attention grabbers.
Saugatuck (14-1) The Trailblazers are fresh off avenging their lone loss of the season, defeating Martin 47-36 to also move past the Clippers into first place alone in the SAC Central. No other opponent has come within single digits of catching Saugatuck, including South Haven (12-3), Gobles (11-4) twice, Bridgman (10-4) and Lawton (10-6). Two more 10-win teams – North Muskegon and Muskegon Western Michigan Christian – will provide more prep as the Trailblazers look to build as well on last year’s District title.
DIVISION 4
Lake Linden-Hubbell (16-1) The Lakes are in second place in the overall Copper Mountain Conference standings, and only because that lone defeat came to Baraga – last season’s Division 4 runner-up. One more win will give Lake Linden-Hubbell as many as it finished with a year ago, which itself was a jump from eight victories in 2021-22 and three in 2020-21. The Lakes also defeated Baraga (14-3) by three points in December and have wins over Houghton (13-5), Ewen-Trout Creek (12-3) and Ironwood (11-6) – with a chance to meet Baraga one more time in a Regional Final.
Mendon (14-2) The Hornets are another very good second-place team, with a chance to move up, as they trail leader Colon by a game in the Southern Central Athletic Association West after falling to the Magi 54-31 on Jan. 18. Mendon also lost to Colon during last year’s District, after finishing second in the Southwest 10 Conference South before joining the SCAA this season. But the Hornets will host the Magi for the second meeting this season, Feb. 29, and already have swept third-place Climax-Scotts (10-4). The only other defeat came to Division 1 Sturgis.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Lansing Catholic (12-3) at Portland (14-1) – The Cougars’ 62-34 win when these rivals met Jan. 9 has them a game ahead in the Capital Area Activities Conference White standings.
Friday – East Kentwood (14-2) at Rockford (17-1) – Statewide eyes will be watching this one after East Kentwood broke Rockford’s 33-game winning streak 60-54 on Jan. 19, and first place in the O-K Red also will be on the line.
Friday – Lake Fenton (14-4) at Goodrich (17-0) – The Martians own a one-game lead in the Flint Metro League Stars over Lake Fenton heading into this conference finale, thanks to a 44-36 win Jan. 19 that was Goodrich’s second-closest victory this season.
Saturday – Detroit Catholic High School League Tournament at Detroit Mercy – The Semifinals on Tuesday have Farmington Hills Mercy (8-8) facing Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (18-0) and Toledo Central Catholic facing Toledo Notre Dame for the opportunity to play in this 5 p.m. finale.
Sunday – Detroit Public School League Tournament at Wayne State – Quarterfinals are Monday and Semifinals are Thursday leading into this 1 p.m. championship game.
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) Houghton's Jacey Sleeman drives between Marquette's Lexi Curran and Lexi L'Huillier (3) during Marquette's 48-41 win Feb. 5. (Middle) Mount Pleasant puts up a shot on the way to its 46-42 win over Saginaw Heritage last week. (Top photo by Cara Kamps; middle photo by High School Sports Scene.)