Defenders Rise Again at Breslin
March 21, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
EAST LANSING – Wyoming Tri-unity Christian on its own has been plenty to contend with for Class D opponents over the last two decades.
At Michigan State University’s Breslin Center, the Defenders have been nearly unbeatable – which wasn’t good news for first-timer Powers North Central on Thursday.
The top-ranked Defenders – champions on this floor only two seasons ago – improved to 12-4 in playoff games on MSU’s home court with a 51-36 Semifinal win over the Jets. Tri-unity will face reigning champion Southfield Christian at 10 a.m. Saturday in one more Breslin game to finish the season.
“It’s going to give me a little bit of an advantage,” said Tri-unity senior Joey Blauwkamp, who also started on Defenders’ 2011 championship team. “It gives me just a feel for what’s coming.”
Tri-unity (25-2) has four titles over the last 17 years, and coach Mark Keeler’s recipe is proven – the Defenders haven’t had a losing season since 1992.
Once again this winter, Tri-unity played about one third of its regular-season games against Class A and B schools, and in the process built an edge that likely contributed to a deciding fourth-quarter run in this Semifinal.
“Those are the games that really make it so when we go here, we’re ready for this atmosphere,” said Keeler, who is finishing his 26th season. “And this game will help Powers next year. You’ve got to be in it to experience, carry it out. That’s just the way it is for us.”
For playing its first tournament game at Breslin – and coming off its first Regional title in 29 years – No. 10 North Central (23-4) didn’t show any signs of being uncomfortable in the cavernous surroundings.
The teams were tied 27-27 into the final seconds of the third quarter.
But that was despite North Central scoring only one field goal in the period. Blauwkamp dropped in a basket at the quarter buzzer to give the Defenders a two-point lead, and it seemed to get the ball rolling for a big Tri-unity fourth quarter.
“It was a little bit deflating, especially because we were struggling offensively at the end of the third quarter as well,” Jets coach Adam Mercier said. “If we got that one stop, we get the ball coming out of the fourth quarter and maybe make a run. That was a little blow to us mentally.”
Tri-unity held the North Central to only one field goal in the fourth quarter as well, and it didn’t come until 1:19 remained in the game. Meanwhile, Defenders senior Daniel Cole scored 11 of his game-high 18 points as his team pulled away.
Blauwkamp added 10 points and 14 rebounds for Tri-unity. Most impressive, it was the 15th time this season the Defenders held an opponent to 40 or fewer points.
“We rely so much on good defense. We trust one another, and we’ve been playing with one another since … seventh grade at the latest,” Tri-unity senior Evan Przybysz said. “So we know one another. We’ve got each other’s backs. And we know how to get stops when we have to.”
Junior forward Rob Granquist led Powers North Central with 13 points, and junior center Trevor Ekberg had eight and seven rebounds.
But here’s the kicker: The Jets won’t graduate anyone from this season’s roster, allowing them the opportunity to build off some of the experience Tri-unity uses so well to its advantage.
“It was the first end-of-the-season speech where I didn’t see any tears. They’re hungry for more,” Mercier said. “If we do the right things in the offseason, individually pick it up and get better, I hope the kids will be back in the same position next year. This was a great experience for our kids to be here against a great team … and they’ve got a hunger in their eyes.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Wyoming Tri-unity's Daniel Cole drives between Powers North Central defenders Rob Granquist (15) and Trevor Ekberg (40) on Thursday. (Middle) Tri-unity's Joey Blauwkamp prepares to shoot against the Jets' Travis Vincent. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
Western Takes Next Step to Make History
March 27, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
EAST LANSING – Brailen Neely and his Detroit Western International teammates have heard plenty about Detroit Redford’s glories past.
Their coach, Derrick McDowell, coached Redford from 1993-94 through 2005 and took two teams to Class A runner-up finishes.
“When they win, I won’t mention Redford anymore,” said McDowell, of his Western team. “It will be all Western stories.”
This Cowboys’ season has been filled with historic accomplishments. But one more win will be the biggest of all – and definitely put this team in the same breath as the greats McDowell coached in the past.
Western will play Saturday for its first MHSAA title, thanks to a 55-46 Semifinal win over Detroit U-D Jesuit on Friday at the Breslin Center.
“That’s a tremendous honor coming from Coach Mac,” Neely said of his coach's comment. “He always tells us how tough Redford (was), what they accomplished. To accomplish this under Coach Mac is tremendous.”
Western (25-0), winner of its first Detroit Public School League title since 1922, then its first Quarterfinal since 1974, will face Saginaw Arthur Hill to decide the Class A title at noon Saturday.
The Cowboys had beaten U-D Jesuit, the Detroit Catholic League A-B champion, 58-49 in the annual Operation Friendship game to close the regular season three weeks ago.
And McDowell and his team knew all the more that the key would be at least slowing down Jesuit junior Cassius Winston.
Winston had 27 points in the teams’ first matchup. This time, Neely and company worked to keep the 6-foot-1 shooting guard out of lane – and then, after Winston hit 7 of 9 free-throw attempts during the first half, off the line as well.
Winston did finish with 21 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals, but made only 4 of 12 shots from the floor.
Western led from start to finish, and by as many as 10 during the second quarter. The margin did fall to three points twice during the fourth – the final time when Winston drilled a 3-pointer that pulled the Cubs (22-4) to within 43-40 with 3:55 to play.
Neely led Western with 16 points, and senior guard Josh McFolley added 11 and five rebounds.
“We have been winning ugly, defensively, grinding it out at the defensive end,” Jesuit coach Pat Donnelly said. “We ended up shooting just under 29 percent from the field for the game, well below our average. Coming in we were averaging 46 percent from the field, but we struggled inside the arc, outside the arc and at the free-throw line.
"I thought we did a pretty good job defensively, and even through we struggled to score, we still had our opportunity.”
Only one starter returned this season after Jesuit made the Semifinals in 2014 for the first time in program history. But the Cubs anticipate eight of their top nine returning for 2015-16.
“They always had a lead, but I always felt we had a chance to win the game,” Winston said. “It was a great experience. … But that’s two years in a row we’ve made it this far and lost, and I don’t plan on going through this again.”
Click for the full box score and video from the postgame press conference.
PHOTOS: (Top) Detroit Western International players celebrate Friday during the final moments of their first MHSAA Semifinal win. (Middle) U-D Jesuit’s Cassius Winston (5) ascends toward the hoop.