Benton Harbor Back in Breslin Spotlight
March 21, 2014
Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
EAST LANSING – Benton Harbor’s players came off the court Friday night to their band playing and fans who had filled most of the horseshoe at the north end of the Breslin Center.
It’s hard to believe the Tigers hadn’t played in an MHSAA Semifinal since 1993. But Benton Harbor basketball is back in a big way – and one win from the school’s first title since 1965.
Led by coach Corey Sterling – who played on that 1993 team – the Tigers continued their longest run in more than a decade with a 69-52 win over Cadillac to earn a spot in Saturday night’s Class B Final.
“What Benton Harbor is known for is basketball,” Tigers senior guard John Robinson, Jr., said. “For us to come back in 2014 and make a run is really big for the community and for the Benton Harbor program.”
Benton Harbor will face either Milan for Detroit Douglass at 6:30 Saturday night.
Sterling is in his second season leading his alma mater, guiding it to a 17-9 record this winter after the Tigers went 17-7 a year ago. That 1993 team was the last to make a championship game as well, where it fell in a heartbreaker 67-64 to Detroit Pershing.
Benton Harbor had won two Regional titles since, the last in 2001. But the Tigers’ reputation as a basketball power has faded only a bit, getting a boost in part during the middle of last decade when Wilson Chandler starred before moving on to DePaul and now the NBA’s Denver Nuggets.
“One thing we try to do is have the guys come in who played back in the day,” Sterling said. “(These players) are aware that the last champion was in 1965. They’re aware that I played here at Breslin in ’93 and lost by three. We remind them that Benton Harbor is a basketball school with a rich tradition. And they’re just really hungry. They don’t want their season to end.”
It took only about a quarter Friday to realize it wouldn’t end until the final day.
Benton Harbor took its first double-digit lead 1:09 into the second quarter and kept it for good over the final 18 minutes. Four players scored in double figures, led by senior forward Cortez Moore with 18 points plus 11 rebounds.
Sophomore forward Jaton Gunn added 13 points and nine rebounds, Robinson had 11 points and sophomore point guard Curtis Dawson had 10 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Senior forward Jalen Brooks led Cadillac with 30 points despite constant attention from one or multiple defenders. But the next highest Vikings scorer totaled only five points.
Brooks was the team’s second-leading scorer last season when it fell to Detroit Country Day also in a Semifinal.
“It’s really exciting, especially for our juniors and after what we came off of from football (Cadillac finished 11-1 and won its District),” Brooks said. “That translated to the basketball court. People look at our team, and we’re not the biggest. Most people wouldn’t think we’d get where we’ve gotten. But we have a lot of heart, and I think that has a lot to do with it.”
Both teams entered the postseason unranked. Cadillac finished 19-7, with two losses by two points or fewer.
Five of Benton Harbor’s losses were by three or fewer points, which no doubt has helped as the Tigers have taken down two top-five teams over the last two weeks.
“We might’ve lost nine games this year, but we play in one of the toughest conferences in the state,” Sterling said, referring to the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference West. “All our losses built character. So when teams make a run on us, we overcome it. We know how to finish games.”
Click for a full box score and video from the press conference.
PHOTOS: (Top) Benton Harbor's John Robinson, Jr., brings the ball upcourt during Friday's first Class B Semifinal. (Middle) Cadillac's Jalen Brooks dunks for two of his 30 points.
HIGHLIGHTS: (1) Cadillac's Jalen Brooks led all scorers in the Class B Semifinal against Benton Harbor with 30 points. Here he drives the lane for a basket and the foul - a 3-point play! (2) Cortez Moore led Benton Harbor with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Here he scores on a putback.
Breslin Bound: 2025-26 Boys Report Week 1
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 8, 2025
Winter has certainly arrived in Michigan over the last few weeks – at least from a snowy standpoint – and right on the time to signal the start of boys basketball season and our first report on the annual march to Michigan State's Breslin Center.
Big matchups already are happening, and every game against an MHSAA Tournament opponent counts toward seeding for District brackets, and once again we're diving into the results you need to know from the previous week, teams that are showing up big in each division and matchups coming up that you won't want to miss.
“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. Grand Rapids South Christian 75, Grand Rapids Christian 71 The Sailors (2-0) opened by adding to last season’s District Final win over Grand Rapids Christian (1-1), and after having lost to the Eagles 72-55 in their season opener a year ago.
2. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice 71, Detroit U-D Jesuit 42 Brother Rice (2-0) enjoyed some significant payback after falling to Jesuit twice last season, during the regular season in what eventually decided the Catholic High School League Central title and then in their Regional Semifinal matchup.
3. Saginaw United 67, Detroit Catholic Central 57 The Phoenix (2-1) opened their new fieldhouse with a notable season-opening victory over the Shamrocks (2-1), who defeated United 69-55 in their opener a year ago.
4. Grand Blanc 76, Hamtramck 75 (OT) The Bobcats (2-0) opened the season with this notable win at the Horatio Williams Tip-Off Classic.
5. Warren Fitzgerald 41, East Kentwood 40 This was another exciting finish at the Horatio Williams event, again in a faceoff of teams with high aspirations this season.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Grand Haven (3-0) The Buccaneers finished an opening week of road games without a loss, defeating Coopersville 65-42 and then Traverse City Central 83-71 and Traverse West 79-77 over the weekend. Grand Haven improved from 11-12 in 2023-24 to 18-6 last season and will have some opportunities to get rolling heading into the new calendar year with a Dec. 22 matchup against Freeland and its Lake Michigan Cup on Dec. 29-30.
North Farmington (2-0) The Raiders are coming off a 12-10 finish and third place in the Oakland Activities Association Red last season, and got off to a fast start under first-year coach Peter Mantyla with a 41-35 win over Canton and a 62-47 victory over Davison while hosting the Horatio Williams Tip-Off Classic. Reigning league champion Birmingham Groves is up next, on Friday, and the first matchup with Farmington – which ended the Raiders’ season last winter – is Dec. 19.
DIVISIION 2
Dundee (3-0) The Vikings appear on track to bounce way back after going 21-5 in 2023-24 but then only 5-18 last winter. They opened last week with a 12-point win over Saline Washtenaw Christian, a 47-46 victory over Milan and a 51-45 triumph over Britton Deerfield – and after losing to Washtenaw Christian by six points during the early going a year ago.
Freeland (3-0) The Falcons are coming off a 22-4 finish and run to the Division 2 Quarterfinals last winter, so a fast start isn’t a surprise. But it was still impressive; Freeland opened with a 22-point win over Bridgeport, then defeated Menominee by 22 and Petoskey by 15 at the latter’s Sean Pollion Invitational. Showcase games against Auburn Hills Avondale and Grand Haven later this month will be opportunities to impress.
DIVISION 3
Ishpeming Westwood (3-0) The Patriots reached the Semifinals last season for the first time since 2003 with Ethan Marta leading the way, and he’s doing so again to begin his senior year as Westwood opened with sizable wins over West Iron County and Hancock. They finished a perfect first week with an 83-64 victory over rival Ishpeming.
North Muskegon (3-0) The Norsemen are off to the right start as well after last season’s 23-2 finish and Regional Final run. They won all three of their games last week by at least 20 points, defeating Division 1 Walled Lake Western 64-44 in the championship game of the Will Lynch Invitational at Benzie Central. And they celebrated senior Adam Dugener reaching 1,000 points in the season-opening win over Holton.
DIVISION 4
Clarkston Everest Collegiate (2-0) A Regional finalist and 24-2 overall last season, Everest jumped 10 wins from 2023-24 and is off to a fast start again. The Mountaineers opened with a 61-42 win over Livonia Clarenceville and followed with a 59-42 victory over Flint Beecher. Clarenceville is a Division 2 team, and the great majority of Everest’s regular-season opponents play in Division 2 or 3 with a date as well against Division 1 South Lyon East on Feb. 19.
Eben Junction Superior Central (3-0) Two of last season’s first four losses came to Hannahville Nah Tah Wahsh as Superior Central went on to finish the season 9-14 – after going 16-8 in 2023-24. But the Cougars got on the right track immediately this winter with a 57-42 win over Nah Tah Wahsh to open last week before defeating Cedarville 42-41 and Mackinaw City 48-41 on successive days to win the Battle of the Bridge hosted by the latter.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Monday – Ishpeming Westwood (3-0) at Kingsford (2-0) – These two both made it to Breslin Center last season, Westwood reaching the Division 3 Semifinals and Kingsford the same in Division 2.
Tuesday – Flint Powers Catholic (2-0) at Bay City John Glenn (1-1) – These two Division 2 hopefuls both won 20 games last season.
Friday – Grand Rapids Catholic Central (0-0) at Rockford (1-0) – The Division 1 Rams may have won their matchup last season 70-43, but the Cougars went on to finish their season in the Division 2 Semifinals.
Saturday – Warren Lincoln (1-0) vs. Arts & Technology Academy of Pontiac (0-0) at Detroit Mercy – These two also both reached Breslin Center last season, Lincoln winning the Division 2 title and ATAP finishing Division 3 runner-up, and they will face off at the U-D Mercy Showcase.
Saturday – East Lansing (1-0) vs. Detroit Martin Luther King (0-1) at Lansing Eastern – The reigning Division 1 champion Trojans should get a strong challenge at the Moneyball Tip-Off Classic from King, which made the Quarterfinals last winter.
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PHOTO While being defended by Ishpeming's Dax Kakkuri on Friday, Ishpeming Westwood's Ethan Marta makes a move to the basket. (Photo by Cara Kamps.)