King Rises Again to Reach Class A Final
March 18, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
EAST LANSING – Micaela Kelly was a big fan of the Detroit Martin Luther King football team in November when it won its first MHSAA championship since 2007.
Now she and her teammates are receiving that support in return as they pursue a first Class A title since 2006.
The Crusaders earned the opportunity for the first time since that championship season with a 56-48 Semifinal win over St. Johns on Friday at the Breslin Center.
King will next face Warren Cousino in the noon Final on Saturday seeking a sixth MHSAA championship – but first in nine seasons.
“It’s my last year of high school and I’ll never get this chance again. And I want to go to college with something,” said Kelly, who will continue her career next season at DePaul University. “(The football players) talk to me all day. They said, ‘We’ve got one. You should get one too.’ I look up to them; they worked hard.”
King (24-1) entered this postseason ranked No. 4 and always is in the conversation of the state’s elite. The Crusaders have made Quarterfinals four of the past five seasons and advanced to the Semifinals a year ago before falling to eventual Class A champion Bloomfield Hills Marian.
But they looked tough to beat Friday.
Kelly said because she’d never played St. Johns, she hoped her team would get off to a quick start – and she played a big part, making two 3-pointers as junior Tia Tedford drilled a third to give the Crusaders a quick 9-6 lead after their first three shots from the floor.
King ended up making half of its 3-pointers – nine total, and kept a 7 to 10-point lead most of the third and fourth quarters until St. Johns made a last run late to get as close as six during the final minute.
The Redwings had defeated three other top-10 teams during the tournament run and another twice during the regular season.
“We’ve played a lot of different styles, but King was a little different in the fact they shot really well from the perimeter consistently,” St. Johns coach Mark Lasceski said. “And shots that normally went in for us the past three weeks went off the front of the rim, rattling out, those types of things. In a game like this against a top-10 team like that, they have to go down for you to have a chance to win.”
Kelly led King with 18 points, hitting 5 of 7 shots from the floor including a pair of 3-pointers. Junior guard Alicia Norman made all three of her 3-point attempts and finished with 14 points, and sophomore guard Erica Whitley-Jackson also made three 3-pointers and finished with 10 points.
“If you’re a 3-point shooting team, you’re always going to have those highs and those lows. We always expect that, and hopefully our defense would hold up until we started hitting again,” 33-year King coach William Winfield said. “We wanted to make sure they were taking good shots, and that was the difference. They played with poise, very sure of themselves.”
St. Johns – playing in its first Semifinal since 1997 – got offensive contributions from a number of players. Sophomore guard Maddie Maloney led with 12 points and six assists, but five others scored at least five points.
Junior forward Jamie Carroll and junior guard Erika Ballinger each added eight. Senior Brooke Mazzolini had seven points, six rebounds and six assists, and with forward Jessica Hafner was one of only two seniors on the team.
“I felt we had a chance to win all game long,” said Lasceski, who completed his 20th season leading the program. “They hit shots, and we struggled at times.
“These kids … made this an outstanding season, for the St. Johns community, for the basketball program and for them. … Through this run, they grew together, as I would say, family. They’ve been one of the closest group of kids that I’ve coached.”
The Girls Basketball Finals are presented by Sparrow Health System.
PHOTOS: (Top) Detroit Martin Luther King’s Alicia Norman drives past a St. Johns defender Friday. (Middle) St. Johns’ Jessica Hafner looks for an open teammate as Jasmine Flowers (55) and Micaela Kelly defend.
Breslin Bound: Girls Report Week 8
January 27, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
We could list the 20 most standings-shaking matchups coming up in girls basketball this week and probably call it good for this “Breslin Bound” report.
At least 15 games statewide will pit teams tied for first in their leagues, or teams that could be tied for first when the final buzzer sounds.
We make mention of many of those below as we look toward the final month of the regular season. “Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com. Send corrections or missing scores to [email protected].
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Brighton 41, Hartland 33 – The veteran Eagles have been seen as Division 1 contenders – and that hasn’t changed – but this win moved Brighton into a first-place tie (with Howell as well) in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West and also into that discussion of elite.
2. Hudsonville 45, Rockford 44 (2OT) – Two of Hudsonville’s three closest games have come the last two Fridays, and the Eagles moved to 10-0 following up a four-point win over 9-3 East Kentwood on Jan. 17 with this nail-biter against the 10-2 Rams.
3. Kent City 75, Morley Stanwood 33 – Six Kent City players combined for 16 3-pointers as the Eagles remained the only Central State Activities Association Silver team unbeaten in league play after handing Morley Stanwood its first loss overall.
4. Michigan Center 61, Springport 49 – After a 3-3 start facing some of the state’s top competition, Michigan Center is still making its way back up the Division 3 MPR but got another boost against Big 8 Conference leader Springport.
5. Hemlock 40, Ithaca 29 – Hemlock saw its 19-game league winning streak snapped by Saginaw Nouvel earlier this month but pushed back into a first-place tie in the Tri-Valley Conference West with Ithaca less than two weeks later by handing the Yellowjackets their first loss overall this winter.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
East Grand Rapids (11-1) The Pioneers sent league foe Grand Rapids Christian to 9-2 overall with a 64-40 win last week and can finish a perfect first run through the Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold on Friday at Middleville Thornapple Kellogg. The Pioneers – 20-3 last season – proved they were more than just league contenders in December with wins over Kalamazoo Central and Southfield Arts & Technology. EGR’s lone loss is nearly as impressive, 59-55 to still-unbeaten Hudsonville.
Jackson Northwest (10-1) The Class B runner-up and Interstate 8 Athletic Conference champion in 2017-18 fell back to second in the league a year ago. But the Mounties are working toward taking the title back, and a big week coming up will tell a lot about the chances to accomplish that and possibly more. Northwest opens Tuesday with Division 3 power Ypsilanti Arbor Prep and then Friday hosts rival Parma Western hoping to avenge a four-point loss to the Panthers from Dec. 13. Battle Creek Harper Creek also is tied with those two for first in the I8AC, and Northwest won their first meeting 44-41 in overtime.
DIVISION 2
Detroit Cody (11-1) After its most recent league title in 2016-17, Cody has hovered just above .500 over the last two seasons. But the Comets are contenders again and absolutely dominating, with their loss to Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern on Dec. 7 their only game that wasn’t a double-digit win. Cody is tied for first in the Detroit Public School League West with 10-1 Detroit Renaissance and faces the Phoenix in the league finale Thursday – although Cody also must be watchful against Mumford tonight.
Grand Rapids West Catholic (10-1) A win Tuesday against Comstock Park would give West Catholic as many victories this season as all of last, as the Falcons have made a massive jump with their only loss this winter to 10-2 Muskegon Reeths-Puffer by seven on Dec. 20. A win over the reigning league co-champ Panthers also would put West Catholic in first alone in the O-K Blue after it finished sixth in 2018-19.
DIVISION 3
Lake City (10-1) Coming off last season’s Division 3 Semifinal run, Lake City continues to ride high with its only loss two weeks ago to Morley Stanwood (see above). The Trojans quickly bounced back and handed rival Manton its only defeat 48-37 on Jan. 17. Although Manton remains No. 1 in Division 3 MPR, that win pushed Lake City ahead of Manton into first alone in the Highland Conference – and their rematch Feb. 18 is shaping up as one of the state’s biggest games of February.
Ishpeming Westwood (10-1) The Patriots’ rise from very good to elite in 2018-19 was not a one-and-done as they have continued to dominate this winter with their only loss to undefeated Menominee 52-47 on Dec. 18. Westwood sits alone atop the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference East thanks to Friday’s 45-35 win over rival Negaunee. That victory ran the Patriots’ win streak over the Miners to three – after losing their first meeting last season, Westwood won the second on the way to clinching the league title and then downed Negaunee again in District play.
DIVISION 4
Bellaire (11-0) After finishing second to Gaylord St. Mary in the Ski Valley Conference the last three seasons and losing 10 straight to the Snowbirds, Bellaire is the team to chase the rest of this season thanks to a 49-36 win over St. Mary on Wednesday. In addition to being in the league mix the last few years, Bellaire also won a District title last winter to set up this run that has included 10 straight double-digit victories.
Kingston (11-0) The Cardinals will put their 62-game league winning streak on the line Thursday against Deckerville, the last team to win a league game against Kingston – in 2013-14. The Cardinals have continued to roll after making last season’s Division 4 Semifinals and actually beat the Eagles 41-28 in their first meeting Dec. 16. With four teams at 7-4 or better, the North Central Thumb League Stars is among the state’s toughest small-school leagues this winter – and Kingston also has a 34-point win over NCTL Stripes leader Bay City All Saints.
Can't-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Farmington Hills Mercy (11-0) at Bloomfield Hills Marian (9-2) – The Marlins can pull within one more win of clinching the Detroit Catholic League Central title if they can follow up their 46-34 win over rival Marian from Jan. 7.
Thursday– Detroit Martin Luther King (9-0) at Detroit Cass Tech (10-1) – These rivals are the only unbeaten teams left in PSL East play; last season they shared the PSL Midtown title before Cass Tech downed King in a District Final.
Friday – Edwardsburg (11-1) at Three Rivers (10-1) – The Eddies are in jeopardy of seeing their three-season league-title streak come to an end as this will determine if Edwardsburg shares the Wolverine Conference South championship or Three Rivers clinches it outright.
Friday – Chesaning (10-1) at Byron (11-0) – The Eagles have shared three straight league championships, but have a one-game lead on Chesaning as they go for the outright Mid-Michigan Activities Conference title. Byron won the first meeting 48-32 on Dec. 20.
Friday – Midland (11-0) at Midland Dow (9-2) – With this perfect start including a 38-31 win over Dow on Dec. 19, Midland High has taken back local bragging rights and could accomplish much more this winter – but the Chargers await as potential spoilers.
Second Half’s weekly “Breslin Bound” reports are powered by MI Student Aid, a part of the Office of Postsecondary Financial Planning located within the Michigan Department of Treasury. 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 529 college savings programs (MET/MESP), as well as 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.
PHOTO: Ishpeming Westwood’s Tessa Leece drives to the basket while being defended by Negaunee's Chloe Norman on Friday. (Photo by Cara Kamps.)