Beecher Earns Opportunity to 'Complete the Task' with Semifinal Win
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
March 23, 2023
EAST LANSING — Flint Beecher and Ecorse entered their Division 3 Semifinal on Thursday with at least one common thread of motivation.
Both lost in last year’s Semifinals, so both the Buccaneers and Raiders were looking to leave Breslin Center with some vindication.
Ultimately, Beecher was the team that did so, earning a 64-54 win over Ecorse and advancing to its seventh championship game since 2012.
Senior guard Robert Lee and senior forward Kevin Tiggs both scored 17 points to lead the way for Beecher (23-4).
“We’re not satisfied with this,” Beecher head coach Marquise Gray said. “This is just one part of completing the task.”
The difference in the game turned out to be that Beecher simply had more depth, which eventually wore down Ecorse.
Beecher featured an eight-player rotation, while Ecorse, with the exception of one substitution late in the third quarter, played its starters throughout until the game got away late.
“We figured we would wear them down,” Gray said. “Looking at their bench, we saw that they didn’t have a deep bench. But the focus, energy and effort was on us, and us executing defensively and offensively.”
A big reason why Ecorse was short-handed was because one of its best players, senior Kenneth Morrast, was out after suffering a broken wrist in a Regional Final.
Ecorse head coach Gerrod Abram said he believes his team would have won this weekend’s championship if his squad was at full strength, but also heaped praise on Beecher and its playmakers.
Abram said before Morrast’s injury, his squad didn’t play any zone all year. But after he was injured, Abram said his team had to adjust on the fly and start playing a zone defense that he didn’t want to employ, but had to in order to keep players out of foul trouble.
Senior Malik Olafioye scored 22 points, and sophomore point guard Darrien Reddick scored 14 to lead Ecorse (20-5).
“Extremely proud of the effort we put out,” Abram said. “We knew it was going to be a big task with the way they play. We gave everything that we had. We just ran out of gas at the end.”
Beecher took a 40-34 lead into the fourth quarter, but Ecorse scored the first five points of the fourth to cut Beecher’s lead to one with 6:10 remaining in the game.
The Buccaneers answered, going on a 9-0 run to grab a 49-39 lead with 4:30 left.
Ecorse closed to within seven at 51-44 with 3:37 remaining following a 3-pointer by Reddick, but Beecher responded with four straight points to take a 55-44 lead with 2:42 remaining.
Beecher ultimately punctuated the win on a flying dunk by Lee with 1:09 remaining. Lee was also fouled on the dunk, and he made the free throw for a three-point play to give Beecher a 60-48 lead.
“What I really focused on was just trying to get my teammates involved,” Lee said. “Not try to force shots. Just let the game come to me.”
Now, Beecher will turn its focus to reclaiming its status as the best in the state.
“That’s something we have talked about, remembering the feeling that we had last year when we didn’t complete the job,” Gray said. “Guys have been taking it to heart. It’s not a rite. You have to earn your way here. It’s not a given.”
PHOTOS (Top) Flint Beecher’s Robert Lee Jr. (22) sends a pass into the post during Thursday’s Semifinal win over Ecorse. (Middle) The Bucs’ Kevin Tiggs Jr. (1) pulls in a rebound while Ecorse’s Deontae Jude (11) also grabs for the ball.
Breslin Bound: 2024-25 Boys Regional Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 4, 2025
The final 128 Michigan boys basketball teams still playing are just three wins away from booking a trip to East Lansing.
That team total will be cut in half again tonight in Regional Semifinals played across the state, and then once more during Thursday’s Regional championship round.
Find everything you need to know this week about tickets, brackets and more as the tournament continues on the Boys Basketball page. To watch any of several games online, visit the NFHS Network, and see below for several of the intriguing matchups. Host sites are in bold.
“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. Rockford 64, Muskegon 62 The Ottawa-Kent Conference Red champion Rams (22-2) sank a last-second game-winner to get past the O-K Green title-winning Big Reds (19-2) in a Division 1 District Final.
2. Bridgman 45, Niles Brandywine 39 The Bees (18-5) ended this season’s run for last year’s Division 3 champion Brandywine (12-11) in the District Finals, also avenging a 64-60 overtime loss to the Bobcats from Jan. 7.
3. Goodrich 68, Flint Powers Catholic 54 The Martians (19-5) claimed a Division 2 District title, avenging an 81-57 loss to the Chargers (19-2) from Dec. 7.
4. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice 64, Birmingham Groves 61 The Warriors (22-2) navigated one of their closest wins this season to down Oakland Activities Association Red champion Groves (18-6) in a Division 1 District clincher.
5. Frankenmuth 48, Bay City John Glenn 38 These teams split during the regular season and John Glenn (20-4) won the second meeting and the Tri-Valley Conference Red title, but Frankenmuth (18-6) won this rematch to claim a Division 2 District championship.
Regionals at a Glance
These could be among our most competitive brackets. Host sites are in bold:
DIVISION 1
Detroit Renaissance
Farmington (19-5) vs. Wayne Memorial (21-3)
Detroit U-D Jesuit (20-3) vs. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (22-2)
A lot of statewide eyes will be on the Jesuit/Brother Rice Regional Semifinal, and with good reason – Jesuit won their lone meeting on Dec. 6, 58-44, and then the Catholic High School League Central title with the Warriors finishing second. The winner will still have a tough road ahead to finish the week. Farmington has won 10 of its last 11 games, and Wayne is the Kensington Lakes Activities Association East champion and winner of 17 of its last 18.
Lansing Eastern’s Don Johnson Fieldhouse
Battle Creek Lakeview (14-10) vs. Kalamazoo Central (18-4)
East Lansing (23-1) vs. Okemos (17-7)
East Lansing has been a favorite all season to get to MSU next week, with its only loss in overtime to Muskegon on Dec. 21. But this bracket is likely to provide some challenges. The Trojans swept Okemos during the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue season but won the first game in double overtime, 78-67, and the second 53-46. Kalamazoo Central must add to their regular-season sweep of Lakeview first, but the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East champion would be another formidable foe in the Regional Final.
Hudsonville
Hudsonville (18-5) vs. Holland West Ottawa (13-11)
Grand Rapids Northview (19-5) vs. Byron Center (18-6)
Half the O-K Red won District titles last week, and second-place Hudsonville will look to add to its regular-season sweep of fifth-place West Ottawa – which upset third-place Grand Haven to advance. Northview shared the O-K Gold title, and Byron Center was runner-up in the O-K Green – and also defeated Hudsonville 61-59 on Feb. 4. The Bulldogs’ four most recent losses came to teams that have won at least 19 games this season, and Northview played one of the toughest schedules in the state; they are two of only four to defeat reigning Division 2 champion Warren Lincoln.
DIVISION 2
Central Montcalm
Frankenmuth (18-6) vs. Freeland (20-3)
Flint Hamady (16-6) vs. Portland (21-2)
Frankenmuth may haver ended the season for TVC Red champion John Glenn (see above), but now the Eagles must take on runner-up Freeland after losing to the Falcons by six in overtime and then 57-56 in their second meeting Feb. 7. On the other side of the bracket are a pair of league champions – Hamady from the Genesee Area Conference and Portland from the CAAC White. Hamady rebounded last week after closing the regular season with four losses in five games. The Raiders have won 10 of their last 11, including avenging their lone league loss by downing Lansing Sexton in overtime in the regular season finale to clinch that title outright.
Ferndale
Detroit Old Redford (18-2) vs. Detroit University Prep (19-5)
Detroit Denby (15-6) vs. Warren Lincoln (18-4)
Two of these teams played at Breslin last season – Lincoln is the reigning Division 2 champion, and Old Redford finished Division 3 runner-up. But to make their matchup happen, they must of course advance to the Regional Final. Old Redford must defeat University Prep – they finished second and third, respectively, in the Charter School Conference Gold, thanks to Old Redford’s 61-54 win Jan. 27. Denby finished fourth in a strong Detroit Public School League Blue and will be the latest to challenge Lincoln, which played a schedule against opponents that combined to win 70 percent of their games during the regular season.
Grand Rapids Christian
Spring Lake (15-10) vs. Sparta (13-11)
Grand Rapids Catholic Central (18-7) vs. Grand Rapids South Christian (20-4)
The attention is going to be given primarily to the teams playing in the second Regional Semifinal. South Christian shared the O-K Gold title with Northview and won a 50-40 meeting Jan. 28 with GRCC, which went on to win the O-K White. But there’s intrigue on the other side of the bracket as Spring Lake emerged last week to defeat three of the top five from the West Michigan Conference Lakes, including champion Whitehall. Sparta has won four of its last five games.
DIVISION 3
Ithaca
Ovid-Elsie (19-5) vs. Chesaning (21-3)
Stockbridge (20-4) vs. Jackson Lumen Christi (21-3)
A Mid-Michigan Activities Conference showdown kicks off this bracket, as champion Chesaning will seek to add to its 57-52 win over runner-up Ovid-Elsie from Jan. 31 after the Marauders won the first meeting 58-55 on Dec. 16. Chesaning has won 18 straight games since that defeat. Big 8 Conference champion Stockbridge is 17-2 over its last 19 games – but with those losses 61-50 to Ovid-Elsie on Feb. 10 and 69-59 to Lumen Christi on Dec. 20.
Millington
Millington (22-2) vs. Flint New Standard Academy (14-8)
Harbor Beach (22-1) vs. Brown City (13-11)
Harbor Beach won the Big Thumb Conference Black and Millington won the BTC White, and Harbor Beach also won their meeting Feb. 10, 60-54. To earn a rematch, Millington must get past a New Standard team that has taken losses from several top teams including Brother Rice, and also won five straight including avenging a defeat to International Academy of Flint. Harbor Beach’s lone loss came by two points to Yale on Jan. 3, and the Pirates swept Brown City, which finished fourth in the BTC Black.
Sault Ste. Marie
Ishpeming Westwood (19-5) vs. Iron Mountain (21-3) at Gladstone
Harbor Springs (21-3) vs. Maple City Glen Lake (22-1) at Elk Rapids
These powerhouses will play Regional Semifinals at separate sites before meeting in Sault Ste. Marie. Iron Mountain won the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference East, but its one league loss was to Westwood on Jan. 3, 61-56, before winning the rematch three weeks later 58-32. Glen Lake won the Northwest Conference and Harbor Springs was runner-up in the Northern Shores Conference, and they also met during the regular season with Glen Lake taking a Dec. 18 meeting 71-63.
DIVISION 4
McBain Northern Michigan Christian
Mio (15-7) vs. Bellaire (20-4)
Traverse City Christian (22-2) vs. Marion (18-6)
Mio and Traverse City Christian have crossed paths, with TCC winning their Battle of the Bridge championship game at Mackinaw City 45-26 on Dec. 7. Bellaire shared the Ski Valley Conference title, and three of its four losses were to Division 2 and 3 teams. Marion finished third in the West Michigan D League but notably downed Northwest Conference runner-up Onekama by 13 to claim their District last week. TCC has won 15 straight since falling to Onekama on Jan. 3, and Mio finished runner-up in the North Star League Little Dipper and has won eight of its last 10 games.
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart
Muskegon Heights Academy (11-10) vs. Pentwater (21-2)
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (20-3) vs. Fowler (21-3)
Pentwater and Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart are league champions and Fowler finished runner-up in the Central Michigan Athletic Conference only to Division 3 contender Pewamo-Westphalia, with two of its losses to the Pirates and the third to Division 2 Fruitport. Pentwater ran its winning streak to 11 with a buzzer-beating District Final win over Baldwin, and Sacred Heart’s losses were to Division 3 Lumen Christi and Glen Lake and league rival Fulton. Enter an intriguing possibility in Muskegon Heights Academy, which as an independent has played all over and is riding a six-game winning streak. The Tigers also lost to Fruitport, but by only a point in their season opener, and have taken on several much larger schools and played in five overtime games.
Negaunee
Bessemer (15-9) vs. Dollar Bay (20-4) at Houghton
Felch North Dickinson (18-5) vs. Crystal Falls Forest Park (22-2) at Kingsford
These teams also will play at separate Regional Semifinal sites before convening in Negaunee. Dollar Bay shared the Copper Mountain Conference championship, that run including a 53-43 win over Bessemer on Jan. 24. The Speedboys have won 10 of their last 12 games, while Dollar Bay brings a 10-game winning streak into tonight. Forest Park was a Regional champion last season and has lost this winter only to Division 1 Marquette and Division 2 Kingsford, with 11 and nine-point wins over North Dickinson contributing to a Skyline Central Conference small-school title. But North Dickinson has improved five wins from a year ago and won nine of its last 10 games.
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PHOTOS (top) Rockford’s Lucas Pitsch (10) works to protect the rim as Muskegon’s Keashaun Johnson drives during their District Final on Friday. (Middle) Ishpeming Westwood’s Tristan Miller (22) goes to the basket with Marquette’s Jacob MacPhee defending during their teams’ December matchup. (Rockford/Muskegon photo by Tim Reilly. Westwood/Marquette photo by Cara Kamps.)