Moment: Wilburn Winner Caps Comeback
April 20, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The 1999 Class B championship game clash of Detroit Country Day and Flint Powers Catholic finished with one of the most memorable game-winning shots in Michigan high school girls basketball history – and started a string of three straight MHSAA Finals matchups between the titans.
Kim Wilburn’s driving buzzer beater capped a fourth-quarter comeback for the Yellowjackets, who came back from seven points down in the final period to win 49-47.
Wilburn finished with game highs of 21 points, nine rebounds and eight steals. Just a sophomore at the time, she later starred at Ohio State. Powers was paced with 18 points and eight rebounds by then-junior Kelly Koerber, who later starred at Western Michigan.
Below is the full-length broadcast including the awards ceremony from FOX Sports Detroit.
In Memoriam: Brenda Henry (1967-2021)
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 30, 2021
Brendaettie “Brenda” Henry, a dedicated academic and athletic presence at Detroit Western International High School for more than three decades and an integral member of the tournament management staff annually for the MHSAA Girls & Boys Basketball Finals at Breslin Center, died unexpectedly April 21.
Henry had served on staff at Western since 1989, most recently as an academic interventionalist in charge of working with seniors and getting them scholarships, and she also oversaw Western’s night school IMPACT (formerly Second Chance) Program that assists high school students with credit recovery.
She also had served as Western’s athletic director for four years and coached volleyball, basketball and track & field, and she was a registered MHSAA basketball official for 14 of the last 16 seasons.
Every winter for nearly 15 seasons, Henry’s educational service extended to her MHSAA basketball family as she contributed to championship weekends at Breslin and previously Eastern Michigan University.
“Brenda had a huge heart for people, and that’s why she was such a valuable part of our basketball tournament staff for so many years,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said. “She was a huge reason the Breslin experience has been special for so many people.”
Henry, an alum of Detroit Northern High School, worked in Detroit Public Schools for more than 35 years total. She also was a sign language interpreter and active part of her church community.