Moment: Rouge Runs Title Streak to 5

April 16, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

After setting the Lower Peninsula record the season before, River Rouge completed the streak that remains the standard for boys basketball programs with a fifth-straight MHSAA Finals title in 1965.

The Panthers won Class B for the fifth-consecutive season by downing South Haven 87-65. Rouge led only 54-52 after three quarters, but scored 33 points during the final period to seal the clincher.

The 87 total points also broke a Rouge Class B Final record set the year before (86) and remained the record (tied in 2003 by Grand Rapids South Christian) until Class was replaced by Division for basketball tournament classification in 2019.

Frank Price led with 28 points. Sam Campbell added 16. Rouge finished the season 24-2. (Side note: Price's daughter Franthea led Rouge to its first MHSAA girls basketball title, in 1984.)

Only Crystal Falls (now Forest Park), with six straight championships from 1938-44, has won more consecutive MHSAA titles in boys basketball, and that streak came during a time when separate tournaments were conducted by peninsula. Crystal Falls’ streak skips the 1943 season, when Finals weren’t played because of World War II.

Highlight Reel: Class C-D Semifinals

March 25, 2016

By John Johnson
MHSAA communications director

The first four finalists for the 2016 MHSAA Boys Basketball Tournament, presented by Sparrow Health System, were determined on Thursday at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. 

Check out these video highlights from the Class C and D Semifinals. Click on the score to watch a game in its entirety and order DVDs.

Class C

Grandville Calvin Christian 65, McBain 42

Squire On Fire - Tony DeWitte scored the first 10 points of the game for Grandville Calvin Christian, and 26 of his game-high 31 points in the first half against McBain in this Class C Semifinal.

From Another Area Code - Logan Eling led McBain with 18 points, including this bomb from long range in the first quarter.

Flint Beecher 60, Detroit Loyola 59

Bulldogs Finally Take The Lead - Detroit Loyola never led in its Class C Semifinal with Flint Beecher until there were fewer than two minutes to play when Keith Johnson hit a 3-pointer.

Un-bee-leeve-able - Malik Ellison hits the game-winning shot for Flint Beecher. Ellison finished the game with 11 points.

Class D  

Waterford Our Lady 64, Wyoming Tri-unity Christian 53

Going Coast To Coast - This Class D Semifinal went back and forth deep into the final period. Here's Braydon Sherrod of Wyoming Tri-unity Christian going downcourt for a basket. 

Roback Puts Lakes Back In The Lead - Waterford Our Lady ended its Class D Semifinal with Wyoming Tri-Unity Christian on a 12-point run, starting with this 3-pointer by Noah Roback.

Powers North Central 64, Fulton 23 

Steal-Scoop-Score - Powers North Central converts a steal into points in the first quarter of a Class D Semifinal against Fulton as Jason Whitens takes the turnover and converts it into points.

Antes For Three -  Colton Antes canned a couple of 3-pointers for Fulton against Powers North Central in their Class D Semifinal.

The Boys Basketball Finals are presented by Sparrow Health System.

PHOTO: Flint Beecher's Jordan Roland pushes the ball upcourt during the Thursday Class C Semifinal against Detroit Loyola.