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: 2025-26 Boys Report Week 11
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 16, 2026
A season’s worth of work resulted in 128 fully-seeded Boys Basketball Districts published Sunday.
Michigan’s high school teams know when, where and who they will play beginning next week. But there’s one more left before the playoffs begin, and plenty more stories to tell before the championship chase gets underway.
“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. Brooklyn Columbia Central 59, Michigan Center 56 The Golden Eagles (17-4) clinched their first Cascades Conference title since 1983 and avenged a 56-52 loss to Michigan Center (18-2) from Dec. 15.
2. Detroit Martin Luther King 68, Detroit Cass Tech 63 The Crusaders (17-4) finished a perfect run through Detroit Public School League play with their second win this season over Cass Tech (16-5), this time to seal a city championship.
3. Romulus Summit Academy 35, Harper Woods Chandler Park 33 The Dragons (21-1) emerged from a second close call this season with Chandler Park (12-5), this time to win the Charter School Conference Tournament and after getting past Arts & Technology Academy of Pontiac to advance.
4. Freeland 54, Frankenmuth 48 The Falcons (17-3) pulled within a game of the Eagles (18-1) in the Tri-Valley Conference Red, but more notably handed Frankenmuth its only loss and after falling in the first meeting 47-43.
5. Grand Blanc 51, Muskegon 48 The Bobcats (17-3) added to their momentum heading toward the postseason with a close road win over another Division 1 contender in the Big Reds (16-2).
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Muskegon (16-2) Despite Saturday’s loss to Grand Blanc, Muskegon has done more than enough to once again be considered a team to watch next month. The Big Reds won their first 11 games, with their most notable of that run over Wayne Memorial (16-3). They’ve also defeated Lansing Waverly (15-5) and clinched the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green title outright with two games remaining. The only other loss came to Kalamazoo Central (16-2), and a matchup with Hudsonville (16-4) this week could be a nice jumpstart for District play.
Rochester (20-0) The Falcons have improved from five wins in 2022-23 to eight the next winter, to 19 last season and now a 20-0 start as the only remaining undefeated team in Division 1. Rochester, which will be pursuing a second-straight District title next week, can finish an outright title run in the Oakland Activities Association White on Tuesday against second-place Rochester Adams and has won 14 games by double digits this winter – including 66-45 over Adams in their first meeting Jan. 27.
DIVISION 2
Dearborn Divine Child (18-2) The Falcons defeated Detroit Loyola 69-50 on Saturday to add a Catholic High School League AA Tournament title to its regular-season championship. Divine Child has won 17 straight games since opening with losses to Loyola (17-4) and Detroit Catholic Central over its first three in December. Divine Child also has a pair of important wins over Jackson Lumen Christi (14-5) and another notable victory over Dearborn (15-4).
Grant (20-0) The Tigers have reached 20 wins for the second-straight season but this time without a loss as they seek to finish a perfect regular season with victories this week over Morley Stanwood and Big Rapids. Grant defeated Big Rapids 66-40 last week to clinch the Central State Activities Association Red title outright. The team’s only single-digit games came during the first two weeks of December, a one-point win over Cedar Springs in the season opener and three-pointer over Belding a week later.
DIVISION 3
Comstock (15-4) The Colts have enjoyed a magnificent turnaround with their first winning season since 2022-23 and after winning 15 games combined over the last two. They have a half-game lead on Cassopolis in the Southwest 10 Conference with two games left – including the regular-season finale hosting Cassopolis on Friday, and having defeated the Rangers by 20 in their first meeting Jan. 16. Comstock also has locked down the second seed in a tough District behind only Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep.
Springport (15-5) A 62-44 win over Concord on Friday gave Springport a one-game lead on the Yellow Jackets atop the Big 8 Conference with two to play. One more win also will give the Spartans their most in a season in at least 15 years and after entering January at 4-4. The only loss during the current 10-1 run came Jan. 17 to Battle Creek Pennfield, which won the Interstate 8 Athletic Conference, and four of Springport’s five losses came against Division 2 opponents.
DIVISION 4
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (14-4) The Irish have locked up the Mid-State Activities Conference West title and will play East champion Breckenridge twice in a row this week – the second time in Friday’s league championship game. Division 4 runners-up only two seasons ago, the Irish will be playing next week for a fourth-straight District title and with losses this season to three opponents with at least 17 wins and the fourth to Division 1 Flint Carman-Ainsworth. Sacred Heart avenged a two-point defeat to Beal City from Dec. 20 with a 46-24 win Feb. 9.
Southfield Christian (16-5) The Eagles have guaranteed their winningest season since 2021-22 and last week avenged one their losses from this winter, defeating Whitmore Lake in a rematch 54-40 after losing their Jan. 20 meeting by three. Southfield Christian will finish second to Allen Park Inter-City Baptist in the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Blue, with two losses to the Chargers (18-3). The other defeats came to Genesee Christian (16-4) in overtime and Division 1 Royal Oak.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Gladwin (19-1) at Beaverton (17-4) – These longtime rivals meet a second time this season, this time for the overall Jack Pine Conference title and after Gladwin won the Feb. 3 meeting 61-49.
Tuesday – Macomb Dakota (17-4) at East Kentwood (17-2) – One of the most exciting prep games for the start of the playoffs pits the Macomb Area Conference Red champion Dakota and a Falcons team that has clinched a share of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red title.
Friday – Dearborn Heights Robichaud (15-3) at Redford Thursday (17-2) – These two also play Monday at Robichaud, and Friday’s rematch will either end in a shared Western Wayne Athletic Conference championship or outright title for tonight’s winner.
Friday – Wayne Memorial (17-3) vs. Hartland (17-3) at Northville – The Kensington Lakes Activities Association overall championship game will be a second chance for Wayne after it lost to Novi in last season’s decider.
Friday – Yale (18-2) at Croswell-Lexington (16-4) – Croswell-Lexington leads Yale by a game in the Blue Water Area Conference with two league games left for both and this rematch the regular-season finale; the Pioneers won the Jan. 20 meeting 64-57 in overtime.
MHSAA.com's weekly “Breslin Bound” reports 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. Click to connect with MI Student Aid and find more information on Facebook and X @mistudentaid.
PHOTOS (Top) Lansing Waverly’s Derek Thomas (22) works to get to the basket during his team’s 101-76 win over Flint Hamady on Saturday. (Middle) Saginaw United’s Lemonte Ramon-Wiley (1) finds a teammate during an 81-78 win over Flint Powers Catholic on Friday. (Photos by Terry Lyons.)