Senior Leads Arbor Prep to New Heights
March 19, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
EAST LANSING – Ypsilanti Arbor Prep finished its fifth season of high school girls basketball Saturday. Nastassja Chambers finished her fourth season on the varsity.
That makes her the first star in the program’s young history – and one that will be remembered for years to come thanks to the Class C championship she helped the Gators earn in her final high school game.
Chambers scored 14 points to go with three assists and three steals, and 10 of those points came as Arbor Prep put Traverse City St. Francis nearly out of contention during the first half on the way to a 53-37 title game win at the Breslin Center.
Arbor Prep opened for the 2011-12 school year, and was first eligible for MHSAA Tournament play in 2012-13. Chambers has been part of the team for all of its postseason games, including two straight trips to Finals weekend, and for a combined run of 86 wins and only 15 losses.
“She’s someone to look up to, because no matter how much pain or how tired she is, she works hard,” Arbor Prep junior Adrienne Anderson said. “And that’s what she pushes us to do. And because she pushes herself, she’s in the position she’s in today. It’s an example that we want to follow.”
Arbor Prep (25-2) finished its final opponent this season the way it’s taken on a schedule loaded with top Class A and B programs all winter.
The top-ranked Gators jumped out to a 9-0 lead, and after allowing the Gladiators to get back within three by the end of the first quarter, took off again to carry a 25-18 lead into halftime.
“We knew we had to come after them. We’re normally the team that always gets the lead, so we knew if we came out hard we could maintain the lead, and that would have them on their toes,” Chambers said. “And we knew once they called that timeout (with Arbor Prep up 4-0), we knew we had gotten in their heads."
The teams played almost evenly during the third quarter, with Arbor Prep taking a nine-point lead into the fourth – where the Gators turned on the jets again and changed up defenses a few times as they pushed the lead to as large as 18.
Arbor Prep took advantage of 29 St. Francis turnovers, scoring 33 points off takeaways, and had 16 fastbreak points to the Gladiators’ zero.
“I was worried early in the game, but I thought we’d adjust. They never let us. We never got in a rhythm. We never got in a routine,” St. Francis coach Keith Haske said. “Obviously that’s the best team we’ve seen this year. We got them a few times on the press, but obviously not enough to make a difference.
“Just watching them against Ithaca (in the Semifinal), they are just a little bit quicker than what we’re used to seeing. They’ve got more quick kids than I ever want to see in my life again. Usually when they have one or two quick kids, it’s OK. They’d take out three more, and three more came in.”
Junior Cydney Williams added 10 points and 11 rebounds for Arbor Prep, which spread the scoring among seven players – with Chambers the only senior. Her contributions were not lost on the Gators once the championship ride was done. The 5-foot-8 guard will continue her career next season at Wayne State University and averaged a team-high 11.2 points per game heading into the week.
“These last two games she led us in scoring, but previous games in the state tournament she didn’t always lead us in scoring. She’s grown as a player, understanding you don’t have to lead us in scoring to be a good player, and I think that’s the biggest thing she got out of this season,” Arbor Prep coach Rod Wells said.
“She’s’ always helped push us to our greatest potential, and when we’re down she helps pick us all back up,” Williams added. “She’ll always be there with a smile to help you move along.”
St. Francis, which played in its first MHSAA championship game and suffered its first loss since the second game of the season, also will say good-bye to only two seniors who played significant minutes Saturday – although they were the leading scorers.
Forward Annie Lyman had 15 points and center Lauren McDonnell had 10 points and six rebounds. Junior forward Juliana Phillips, a standout in the Semifinal, added nine points and 10 rebounds.
The Gladiators finished 26-2 and entered the postseason tied for No. 3 in The Associated Press' rankings.
“I’m just so proud of our team and what we accomplished this year together,” Phillips said. “We just love each other a lot. … This moment is as far as you can make it in a season. We’re all pretty sad it’s over, but super proud of what we did.”
The Girls Basketball Finals are presented by Sparrow Health System.
PHOTOS: (Top) Ypsilanti Arbor Prep players celebrate the first MHSAA championship in their school’s history. (Middle) The Gators’ Ro’zhane Wells drives to the basket with a pair of St. Francis defenders moving to clog the lane.
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.)