Glen Lake Dials Up Winning Number
March 22, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
EAST LANSING – The numbers may not lie, as the saying goes. But sometimes they tell an unexpected story.
Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central entered Thursday’s Class C Semifinal undefeated, and then made 52 percent of its shots from the floor.
But Maple City Glen Lake will play for its first MHSAA boys basketball championship since 1977 thanks to one other number in particular – the powerful 3.
The Lakers made 10 3-pointers – and three players combined to score all of their points – as they handed St. Mary its first and only loss, 62-56 at the Breslin Center.
The numbers nearly caught up to Glen Lake. After leading by as many as 13, the Lakers saw their advantage dwindle to two with two minutes to play. But junior guard Xander Okerlund scored four of his game-high 23 points to close out the historic victory.
“The way we looked at it is (it’s) another good basketball team that knows what they’re doing,” Glen Lake senior forward Cade Peterson said. “We expected coming into the game that they were going to make their runs. We were going to make our runs. What I love about this team is just we bounce back no matter what. Even after our two (regular-season) losses to a really good Buckley team, we come back, we just keep on going. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing.”
Glen Lake (24-2) earned its first championship game appearance since 1996 and will take on Detroit Edison in Saturday’s 4:30 p.m. Final.
The Lakers’ first four baskets Thursday were 3-pointers. They made 10 of 22 from beyond the arc – 46 percent of their tries, better than the 42 percent they shot from the field overall.
“I thought we did a nice job of not forcing them. We didn’t want to come out and start firing them,” Glen Lake coach Rich Ruelas said of the long-range shots. “Our big thing is inside-out – let’s get touches inside, and once they collapse, let’s open it up. We have guys who can absolutely knock them down … but we wanted to really make that defense work.
“We didn’t always take the greatest shots. But for the most part, we did.”
Monroe St. Mary (25-1) also plays inside-out, and had plenty of success inside. Senior 6-foot-8 forward C.J. Haut made 7 of 12 shots for 15 points as St. Mary scored 32 total in the paint, compared to Glen Lake’s 12.
Junior guard Hunter Kegley added 13 points, and senior guard Mitchell Sherrard and junior forward Tyler Welch both had 10 points.
But the Falcons had a hard time containing Glen Lake’s big three. In addition to Okerlund’s 23 points, Peterson finished with 20 and sophomore guard Reese Hazelton had 19.
The 62 points were the second-most St. Mary had given up this season – opponents had averaged only 40.4 points per game against the Falcons heading into this weekend.
“We got a lot of good shots. I just felt like early we gave up too many 3s,” St. Mary coach Randy Windham said. “We let them be a little comfortable. I just felt that they settled in, and when teams settle in and get their feet under them – our whole thing is to make them uncomfortable, get them off their spot.”
This was St. Mary’s second Semifinal – its first was in 2013 – and the Falcons took the next step after falling in the Quarterfinal a year ago.
“This final game doesn’t define us as people. We still had a really rewarding season,” Haut said. “We were 25-0 coming into this game, and we were undefeated in our league. We were ranked number one in the state for a long time. I don’t think this game has anything to do with the success of our season. We were still very successful.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Maple City Glen Lake’s Reece Hazelton launches a 3-pointer Thursday at the Breslin Center. (Middle) Monroe St. Mary’s Mitchell Sherrard works to get a shot around Glen Lake’s Cade Peterson.
Breslin Bound: 2022-23 Boys Report Week 1
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 12, 2022
Several of Michigan’s anticipated boys basketball contenders wasted no time last week opening with matchups against more of the best our state is expected to offer this winter.
And we’re wasting no time talking about it.
Below is our first installment of “Breslin Bound” for the 2022-23 boys season, and we’ll again highlight intriguing results and teams on the rise all the way through their season-ending trips to Breslin Center in March.
“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. Lake Leelanau St. Mary 63, Menominee 45 In a matchup of teams that finished last season at Breslin, 2022 Division 4 semifinalist St. Mary (3-0) got off to an impressive start against the reigning Division 3 runner-up Maroons (1-1).
2. Detroit U-D Jesuit 57, Ferndale 55 One of the most anticipated first-week games statewide saw Jesuit (2-0) trail nearly the entirety before a big fourth quarter pulled them just ahead of the Eagles (0-2).
3. Rockford 68, Grand Rapids Catholic Central 64 The Rams (2-0) edged the reigning Division 2 runner-up Cougars (0-1) at Calvin University.
4. North Farmington 49, Detroit Martin Luther King 36 Another highly-anticipated opener saw teams that combined for 37 wins last season face off with North Farmington (2-0) earning the early boost.
5. St. Ignace 79, Boyne City 74 (OT) The Saints (1-0) avenged last season’s 68-50 loss to Boyne City (1-1) with Jonny Ingalls scoring 36 points including 16 during overtime.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Dearborn Fordson (2-0) The Tractors more than reversed their 2020-21 record of 6-11 in improving to 15-6 last season, and they’re off to the right start again. They defeated Dearborn Edsel Ford by 23 and Allen Park by 24, and have a few more tests coming up as they prepare to take on Belleville, Dearborn and more in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association East.
Petoskey (2-0) The Northmen are coming off a 17-8 finish that included a Regional Final appearance against eventual Division 1 runner-up Grand Blanc, and they’re off to a strong start winning their home invitational over the weekend. Petoskey defeated Brighton 74-66 on Friday and then Grand Ledge 70-68 in overtime to clinch the title.
DIVISION 2
Kingsford (2-0) The Flivvers improvement from 8-6 two seasons ago to 15-7 last winter was substantial, especially considering those seven losses came to just three teams. Three of the defeats were to Escanaba, but Kingsford took an early step in Great Northern Conference play this time with a 67-50 win over the Eskymos.
Ogemaw Heights (2-0) After starting 0-2 and then 2-4 last season, Ogemaw Heights rallied to finish 11-9. The Falcons have reversed that start so far this winter, starting with a 63-57 win over Sanford Meridian, which won 16 games last season.
DIVISION 3
International Academy of Flint (3-0) The Phoenix finished 8-11 last season, and after a week they’re nearly halfway toward equaling that success. What’s more, those first three victories over Genesee, New Haven Merritt Academy and Burton Atherton all came by at least 17 points.
Mason County Central (2-0) The Spartans are seeking their first winning season since 2017-18, and they improved four wins last season from the year before to 7-15. They remain on the right track, with a 25-point win over Manistee last week followed by a 51-44 victory over North Muskegon – which handed Mason County Central two of its defeats last winter.
DIVISION 4
Fowler (2-0) The Eagles were a solid 13-8 last season, but quickly made themselves a team to watch for potentially more this winter. They opened with a 39-36 win over Carson City-Crystal – 17-4 last winter – and followed with a 47-39 win over Dansville after splitting with the Aggies in 2021-22.
Pittsford (2-0) Last season’s 11-11 finish began with an 0-2 start, but Pittsford has reversed that to open this winter. Those losses came to Britton Deerfield and Athens, but last week the Wildcats edged Britton Deerfield 54-53 in overtime and then defeated Athens by 45.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Thursday – Hamtramck (2-1) at North Farmington (2-0) – These two both are expected to be among the Division 1 elite this winter, with the only first-week loss between them Hamtramck’s to King by two in double overtime.
Friday – Flint Carman-Ainsworth (1-1) at Warren De La Salle Collegiate (2-0) – The reigning Division 1 champion Pilots have loaded December with nonleague tests, and this might be one of the tougher ones.
Friday – Rockford (2-0) at Muskegon (0-0) – These two reigning league champions combined for 39 wins last season before both ran into eventual Division 1 semifinalist Grand Rapids Northview.
Friday – Chesaning (3-0) at Ovid-Elsie (2-0) – The Marauders edged Chesaning by a game last season to win the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference, but then lost to Chesaning by a point in their District Semifinal.
Saturday – Saginaw (2-0) at Kalamazoo Central (1-0) – The Trojans finish a busy week at the Maroon Giants’ Don Jackson Invitational after also hosting Grand Blanc and facing Lansing Everett at Delta College.
MHSAA.com's weekly “Breslin Bound” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a part of the Office of Postsecondary Financial Planning 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. MI Student Aid administers the state’s 529 college savings programs (MET/MESP), as well as scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTO Otsego opened with wins last week over Portage Central and Niles. (Photo by Gary Shook.)