'Top Shooters' Reign at Breslin
March 27, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan awarded its top 3-point and free-throw shooters at the championship game halftimes during the Boys and Girls Basketball Finals over the last two weekends.
Four champions were crowned, including a girls free-throw winner who finished runner-up a year ago.
All four championship matches were broadcast on MHSAA.TV and can be watched by clicking the links below.
Girls free throw: Lincoln Alcona senior Karina Cole, last season's runner-up, finished first this time just ahead of St. Clair Shores Lakeview's Leah Charrette. Click to watch.
Girls 3-point: Macomb Dakota's Rio Dudgeon, who will play next season at Oakland University, finished first with Ada Forest Hills Eastern's Kaleese Jeffries coming in second. Click to watch.
Boys free throw: Saugatuck's Michael Winowiecki finished first, followed by Walled Lake Northern's Trent Lansa. Click to watch.
Boys 3-point: Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern's Tommy Dozeman was the champion, with Traverse City Christian's Kris Crosby the runner-up. Click to watch.
PHOTO: (In clockwise order) Top Shooters champions for girls free throw, boys free throw, boys 3-point and girls 3-point contests pose at the Breslin Center.
Moment: Future Pro Stars Clash in Class A
April 16, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The 1958 Class A Boys Basketball Final pitting Detroit Austin and Benton Harbor has been considered among the classic MHSAA Tournament games of the 20th century.
The matchup featured two of the state’s all-time great prep players, Austin senior Dave DeBusschere and Benton Harbor senior Chet Walker. Both would go on to memorable college and professional careers, Walker playing 13 season in the NBA with seven all-star selections and DeBusschere playing 14 seasons with eight all-star selections. DeBusschere later would be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame.
They would close their high school careers with DeBusschere scoring 32 points and Walker 25 as Austin won its only Finals championship in boys basketball with a 71-68 victory.
MHSAA historian Ron Pesch recalled the game for the "Legends of the Games" celebration honoring both teams. As Pesch noted, "it was the key contributions by some unsung teammates in the final minutes of the title game that would leave a lasting impact and set the game apart."