Season Low High Enough for Resilient Rockford to Earn Saturday Return
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
March 13, 2026
EAST LANSING – Forget about the value of running up huge point totals. The only thing that mattered to Rockford's boys basketball team was staying alive to fight another day.
Despite being held to their lowest point total of the season, the resilient Rams made enough key plays down the stretch to knock off Auburn Hills Avondale 38-35 in Friday's first Division 1 Semifinal at the Breslin Center.
The 38 points were the fewest scored by Rockford (24-4), seven less than the team totaled in its regular-season finale against Grand Haven and just the fifth time the Rams had scored fewer than 60 points in a game this season.
No problem, said Rams coach Kyle Clough, whose team advanced to Saturday's 12:15 p.m. championship game.
"It shows we have various strengths against a team like Avondale, which is electrifying. They took away some of the things we're good at," Clough said. "We didn't know about scoring (how many) points, but it could've been 10-9 as long as we can play tomorrow."
Rockford nearly let a 34-29 lead with four minutes left in the game slip away as the Yellowjackets turned two turnovers into two layups to cut the margin to 34-33 with 52 seconds remaining. But the Rams' Jake Bascom broke away with a clutch dunk with 50 seconds to go, and Avondale missed a potential game-winning layup with two seconds left. Josh Bascom sealed the win with two free throws.
The Yellowjackets' last lead was 23-22 with 2:21 left in the third quarter, although they did tie the game 27-27 during the first minute of the last quarter.
The win upped Rockford's record in games decided by eight points or fewer to 10-2, an impressive number for a team that starts two sophomores and a freshman. Clough said much of the credit goes to the Rams' two senior starters – Bascom, who had 13 points, and guard Dylan Gross, who had 12.
"Dylan and Jake are both three-year starters, so that's a lot of comfort," Clough said. "We won a couple games early, and that helped build our confidence."
Sophomore forward Josh Bascom said experience isn't the only factor in success.
"We're built for the now," he said. "There have been a lot of games where it's been a five-point game and we know what we have to do to win. We trust our teammates to make the right plays."
Jake Bascom said he and Gross have thrived in the role of senior leaders.
"I think they look to us to get through a tough year," he said. "We've had some great games, some battles this year, and we know what we have to do to win."
Jaidon Bourgeois led Avondale with 12 points.
Yellowjackets first-year coach Aaron Fox said it wasn't as much poor shooting by either club that led to the low point totals as it was strong defense. Avondale made only 1 of 14 3-point attempts while Rockford shot just 40 percent (14 of 35) from the floor.
"It was a hard-fought game. We made a couple mistakes at the end, and it kind of took us out of it," Fox said. "Rockford is a very disciplined team, and that's always a struggle for us. We've worked on it and we did some good things, but there were some things we'd like back.
"I thought we executed well, we just missed (a shot) at the end. Against a team like Rockford, little things are magnified. It's all about doing the little things against a high-caliber team like Rockford."
PHOTOS (Top) Rockford’s Jace Opoku-Agyeman lines up to take a shot while defended by Avondale’s Maxwell Muhl on Friday. (Middle) Avondale’s Qualaeb Ross (3) gets up a shot in the lane. (Photos by Adam Sheehan/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
Breslin Bound: 2024-25 Boys Report Weeks 1 & 2
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 9, 2024
A late Thanksgiving this year led to the first week of boys basketball games this 2024-25 season being played during the short week, and even a few days before the final football championship games of the fall.
But with that rare crossover out of the way, we’re on track and moving forward on another four-month trip that for 16 teams will end at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center in March.
We’ll catch up with several of the highlights from the last two weeks as we debut this winter’s “Breslin Bound” reports with our traditional look back at some key results, teams on the move and games to go see during the week to come.
“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. Warren Lincoln 56, Ann Arbor Huron 51 Reigning Division 2 champion Lincoln (2-0) is off to another impressive start with this Horatio Williams Tip-Off Classic win over Huron (0-1), which made the Division 1 Semifinals last season.
2. Grand Rapids Christian 72, Grand Rapids South Christian 55 Grand Rapids Christian (2-0) – last season’s Division 2 runner-up – put much more distance between itself and the Sailors (1-1) this time compared to last year’s three-point District Final win.
3. Alcona 54, Hillman 44 Both are reigning league champions (different divisions) in the North Star League, and Hillman (1-1) also had finished 22-3 last season while Alcona (2-1) is looking to build off an 18-6 run.
5. Detroit Catholic Central 69, Saginaw United 55 The Shamrocks (4-0) spoiled the program debut for United (0-2), which formed from the previous Saginaw High and Arthur Hill.
5. Detroit Martin Luther King 53, East Kentwood 46 This was another Williams Tip-Off Classic matchup as King (3-0) earned a notable early win against another Division 1 team with tons of potential in the Falcons (1-1).
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Livonia Churchill (3-0) A 68-64 win over Gibraltar Carlson on Friday kept Churchill undefeated under first-year coach Cameron Scott – and it’s been an incredible turnaround already. The Chargers didn’t win a game last season, with their only victory over the last two coming by forfeit, and this is guaranteed to finish as their first season with at least three victories since 2017-18. Churchill opened with an 84-46 win over Dearborn Heights Annapolis and also has a 64-54 victory over Garden City.
Oxford (4-0) Jake Champagne became the program’s all-time leading scorer at 1,146 points with 26 in a 46-32 win over Grosse Pointe North at Sunday’s D Zone Rising Team Tip Off, and all four of the Wildcats’ victories have come by double digits – including as well a notable 64-39 victory over Davison last week. Oxford is in the Oakland Activities Association White this winter after finishing second in the Blue and 14-9 overall last season.
DIVISION 2
Cheboygan (3-0) Coming off a 9-13 run last season – which concluded with a 10-point District-opening loss to Kalkaska – Cheboygan is off to a fast start capped Friday by a 66-60 victory over the Blazers. That also was the league opener for the new Northern Shores Conference, which Cheboygan joined after previously playing in the Straits Area Conference. A 76-63 season-opening win over Rudyard also avenged a pair of defeats from last season.
Marshall (3-0) A 62-60 victory over Hanover-Horton at the Carl Lee Invitational at Albion College gave Marshall its first three all by six points or fewer, to go with a 53-49 win over Battle Creek Lakeview and 48-42 victory over Battle Creek Harper Creek. Those had to generate plenty of excitement as the Lakeview win avenged a loss from last season – when Marshall finished 9-14 – and Hanover-Horton was a league and District champ last winter.
DIVISION 3
Ithaca (3-0) The Yellowjackets also picked up a couple of close wins last week – 54-52 over Standish-Sterling and then 49-43 over Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary – as they began building on last season’s 16-9 campaign that included a second-place finish in the Tri-Valley Conference White and District championship. Ithaca had started 2-4 a year ago and will get a chance to avenge one of those losses, to Beal City, next week.
North Muskegon (3-0) The Norsemen traveled to Benzie Central over the weekend and won the Will Lynch Season Tip Off with a 49-37 victory over Menominee – a Division 3 quarterfinalist last winter – followed by a 52-34 win over Division 1 Lapeer. North Muskegon is coming off a 24-1 run last winter, when its only loss came in overtime, 43-40, to Pewamo-Westphalia in a Regional Semifinal.
DIVISION 4
Dollar Bay (4-0) The Blue Bolts are coming off three straight sub-.500 finishes, including 10-14 last season. But they are quickly making those distant memories with this start that’s included wins over Chassell, Painesdale Jeffers, Houghton and Hancock. The Houghton win was by just four points in overtime, but the other three were all by 18 or more – more impressive as Dollar Bay went a combined 0-5 against Chassell, Jeffers and Houghton last season, losing to Jeffers by more than 30 points twice and Houghton by 28.
Traverse City Christian (4-0) The Sabres averaged nearly 16 wins per season over the last three, finishing 16-7 last winter, and could take another step if this start is an indication – all four wins came by at least 14 points. A 45-26 victory over Mio gave Traverse City Christian the Battle of the Bridge championship at Mackinaw City, after it had defeated Cedarville 66-42 to advance.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Niles Brandywine (2-1) at Schoolcraft (2-0) – This is a rematch of a Regional Final from last season won by Brandywine 41-32 on the way to claiming the Division 3 championship.
Saturday – East Lansing (2-0) vs. Warren Lincoln (2-0) at Lansing's Don Johnson Fieldhouse – The Moneyball Tip-Off Classic features this matchup of the reigning Division 2 champion Lincoln against an East Lansing team that reached the Division 1 Quarterfinals last season.
Saturday – Grand Rapids Catholic Central (2-1) vs. Hudsonville Unity Christian (2-0) at Calvin University – These two are annually two of the best in West Michigan and will meet in The Invite in the second of the day’s four games.
Saturday – Rockford (2-0) vs. Grand Rapids Northview (2-0) at Calvin University – These two also will meet at The Invite, capping off the evening.
Saturday – Detroit Catholic Central (4-0) at Hudsonville (2-0) – This matchup at the Hudsonville Showcase should provide a nice indication of potential for both promising teams.
MHSAA.com's weekly “Breslin Bound” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). 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 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.
PHOTOS (Top) Ishpeming's Caden Luoma (1) scoops in a shot for two points, but the Hematites lost 67-59 to Gladstone on Dec. 2. (Middle) An Otsego player attempts to get to the lane while defended during a 72-54 season-opening loss to Vicksburg. (Top photo by Cara Kamps. Otsego/Vicksburg photo by Gary Shook.)