Riley Sisters, Fowler Hold Off Baraga Rush to Earn Repeat Opportunity
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
March 17, 2022
EAST LANSING – With Thursday night’s Division 4 Semifinal hanging in the balance, Fowler coach Nathan George knew who he could count on.
In fact, he knew two players he could look lean on in tense moments, and they happen to be from the same family.
Emma and Mia Riley made clutch free throws during the final minute to stave off a furious comeback attempt from upset-minded Baraga.
The Eagles hung on to defeat the Vikings 51-45 at the Breslin Center and advance to the Finals for the second straight year as they seek to repeat as Division 4 champions.
“They play a lot of basketball, so there’s not a lot of situations where they get truly overwhelmed,” George said. “So I had confidence in them that they were going to hit free throws. It got crazy late, but we were lucky the ball bounced our way and we were able to put the game away.”
Mia Riley, a senior, delivered a double-double with a game-high 24 points and 11 rebounds, while Emma, a junior, had 17 points and nine rebounds.
Clinging to a one-point lead (45-44) with 54 seconds left, Mia Riley made a pair of free throws to extend the lead.
After Baraga’s Reide Osterman made 1 of 2 free throws, it was Emma Riley’s turn with 29 seconds left, and she too calmly knocked down both to give the Eagles a four-point cushion.
“It’s like everything you’ve ever practiced for and it makes all that hard work pay off when you can be in that position and finally get the chance to prove yourself,” Mia Riley said. “That was the time to step up, and I’m thankful that I did it.”
Said Emma Riley: “It was pretty scary to be up there and just knowing that we needed the free throws, but we just had to do exactly what we always practice and they should fall.”
Fowler (23-3) will have the opportunity to repeat as Division 4 champion facing Plymouth Christian Academy in Saturday’s 10 a.m. Final.
“Since we've been here before, we’re somewhat used to playing at the Breslin so it’s kind of a comforting thing to know that we’ve been here and we’ve done it before,” Mia Riley said. “We can do it again, and we have those capabilities. It’s a lot nicer since we can have the stands filled and it's not so quiet like last year.”
Fowler built a commanding first-quarter lead as its defense forced turnovers that led to easy baskets on the other end.
Avery Koenigsknecht knocked down a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cap a 12-0 run as the Eagles held a 17-4 advantage.
Baraga trimmed the deficit to 28-18 by halftime and got as close as one from the lead twice during the decisive fourth quarter.
“Give Baraga a lot of credit because they played a good game and probably worked harder than us overall,” George said. “That's something I didn’t expect, and we need to be much more focused and play with more energy come Saturday. I fully believe we will, but I hope this was a wake-up call for the girls and I know it was for me.”
Baraga (23-2) was making its first trip to the Semifinals since 1992, and was the only Upper Peninsula school to make it this far this week.
First-year coach Tyler Larson was proud of his team’s effort in nearly erasing the early double-digit deficit and upsetting the reigning champion.
“Just a tough one,” Larson said. “We didn’t come out the way we wanted to, but we kept it close enough where we could hang around in the second half.
“It was like a boxing match with taking turns swinging and landing punches. We climbed our way back, and I’m very proud of the way the girls handled a little adversity on such a big stage. We just fell a little short in the end.”
Osterman, a senior, led the Vikings with 17 points and nine rebounds, while sophomore Makenna Hendrickson added eight points and eight rebounds.
PHOTOS (Top) Fowler’s Mia Riley (25) drives the lane during Thursday’s Division 4 Semifinal win at Breslin Center. (Middle) Baraga’s Kylie Michaelson (15) gets a shot up over the Eagles’ defense. (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
Countdown to Calvin: Girls Report Week 11
February 19, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
It’s championship time in Michigan high school girls basketball.
With all of the recent snow-outs pushing rescheduled games into these final two weeks of the regular season, it seems like hardly a day goes by without at least one team celebrating a league title – and there’s plenty more to come, as we highlight below.
Countdown to Calvin is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com. To offer corrections or fill in scores we’re missing, email me at [email protected].
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Ann Arbor Pioneer 53, Monroe 44 – Although Pioneer went on to lose its next game, in overtime to reigning Class D champ Adrian Lenawee Christian, this win over Monroe locked up the program’s first league title since 2000.
2. Detroit Edison 57, Bloomfield Hills Marian 51 – Edison dealt Marian its only loss this season as both turned up for anticipated long tournament runs in Divisions 2 and 1, respectively.
3. Detroit Mumford 59, Detroit Martin Luther King 49 – By an impressive margin, Mumford repeated as Detroit Public School League Tournament champion with this title game win.
4. Rockford 59, Grand Haven 49 (2 OT) – The Rams pushed into first in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red with this victory over Grand Haven and then Friday’s over East Kentwood; those opponents are now tied for second place.
5. East Grand Rapids 71, Grand Rapids South Christian 51 – The Pioneers are a win away from a perfect run through the O-K Gold after finishing second a year ago and clinched the league title outright with this victory over the reigning champ.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
• DeWitt (15-1) – The Panthers actually improved to 16-1 on Monday with a 58-46 win over East Lansing – which entered the night as the only undefeated team left in Division 1. The Panthers and Trojans this winter are in the same league for the first time and tied for first in the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue, both with a league game to play. DeWitt’s only defeat came to the Trojans by four Dec. 14, and the Panthers own a 12-point win over Ann Arbor Pioneer and 13-pointer over Jenison among other standout victories.
• Grand Rapids Northview (13-1) – The Wildcats have clinched a share of the O-K White and can claim the title outright Friday against second-place Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern. It’s a solid improvement on last season’s 12-8 finish, and comes with an impressive 13-game winning streak after opening this winter with a loss to Rockford.
DIVISION 2
• Freeland (14-2) – To see the Falcons in the mix locally and statewide is nothing new. Freeland has made Class B Quarterfinals the last two seasons and could have another run ready to launch – although first the Falcons have a chance to clinch the Tri-Valley Conference Central championship Friday against Shepherd. Losses to Division 1 state powers Midland Dow and Saginaw Heritage should prove valuable next month.
• Muskegon Oakridge (15-2) – The end to its 82-game league winning streak Jan. 8 against Whitehall can fall further into the rearview mirror if Oakridge can clinch the West Michigan Conference title again Thursday against Shelby. Oakridge avenged that loss to Whitehall in their rematch Feb. 8 and took its only other defeat Dec. 22 against likely Division 3 contender Ypsilanti Arbor Prep.
DIVISION 3
• Grass Lake (14-1) – After finishing second to Michigan Center a year ago, Grass Lake could be closing in on its second Cascades Conference title in three seasons. The Warriors have won 12 straight since falling to the Cardinals on Dec. 13 – including a 42-39 victory in the rematch Feb. 1 – and without another loss are guaranteed to at least share the championship. A nonleague matchup with Adrian Lenawee Christian on Feb. 26 could also be an indicator of the program’s potential to win a third straight District title.
• Houghton Lake (14-0) – After finishing 8-13 just two seasons ago, Houghton Lake is a win away from clinching a share of the Jack Pine Conference championship and hasn’t had a game closer than 13 points this season. The Bobcats did show improvement last year finishing 15-8 and winning a District title, but could have their sights set on more with Lake City next week a great test heading into the postseason.
DIVISION 4
• Ann Arbor Rudolf Steiner (15-1) – The Storm is already three wins better than last season’s 12-10 record, with its only defeat to non-MHSAA Ann Arbor Christ the King on Dec. 17. Rudolf Steiner’s conference dissolved before this season, so it didn’t have that chance to contend this winter – but the Storm can look forward to postseason possibilities in two weeks after reaching the District Final a year ago.
• Baraga (14-2) – The Vikings can clinch a share of the Copper Mountain Conference Copper Country title Thursday against Republic-Michigamme, a nice jump after last season’s third place and 10-11 overall finish. Baraga has won six straight since falling to Ontonagon on Jan. 15, with a 22-point victory over L’Anse avenging its only other defeat this winter.
Can't-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Hartland (15-2) at Wayne Memorial (15-2) – This Kensington Lakes Activities Association semifinal pits the East outright champion hosting the West co-champ.
Tuesday – Byron Center (14-3) at Hamilton (16-0) – The Hawkeyes can clinch the O-K Green title outright against second-place Byron Center and after winning their first meeting by 21 on Jan. 22.
Thursday – Brown City (14-2) at Sandusky (13-3) – Brown City holds a one-game lead in the Greater Thumb Conference East after beating Sandusky 48-43 in overtime on Jan. 22.
Friday – Detroit Edison (15-1) at Michigan Center (14-1) – This week’s big game featuring Division 2 favorite Edison sees it traveling to take on an anticipated Division 3 contender.
Friday – Grass Lake (15-1) at Hanover-Horton (12-4) – Hanover-Horton is likely out of the Cascades Conference race, but can mix it up at the top by taking down the leader.
Second Half’s weekly “Countdown to Calvin” reports are powered by MI Student Aid, a part of the Student Financial Services Bureau 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, including various student financial assistance programs to help make college more affordable for Michigan students. MI Student Aid administers the state’s 529 savings programs (MET/MESP) and eight additional aid programs within its Student Scholarships and Grants division. Click for more information and connect with MI Student Aid on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTO: Kingston and Croswell-Lexington are both leading their leagues as we head into the final two weeks of the girls basketball regular season. (Click to see more from Varsity Monthly.)