Unity Makes Fast Start Stand Up, Sets Up Rematch on Season's Final Day
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
March 13, 2026
EAST LANSING – Hudsonville Unity Christian likes the idea of a rematch.
The Crusaders turned a near-flawless first half into a much-anticipated rematch after outlasting Detroit University Prep 59-44 in Friday's concluding Division 2 Semifinal at the Breslin Center.
The win means Unity Christian will play Freeland for a second time in just over a month in Saturday's 6:45 p.m. championship game.
Freeland knocked off the Crusaders 65-60 in the teams' first meeting Feb. 7. Since that game, Unity Christian (25-3) has won 11 straight, while the Falcons (25-3) have collected nine wins in a row.
Over 30 years as Unity Christian's coach, Scott Soodsma's teams have faced countless rematches in the MHSAA Tournament. His philosophy in matching up a second time in those games has never wavered.
"In the first game, we kind of gave it up or they probably took it," said Soodsma, one of the only Michigan coaches to win boys (2019) and girls (2006) Finals titles. "(Saturday) should be a really good game. They know how we play, and we know how they play. They watch a lot of tape, I watch a lot of tape. It'll be a contest of who steps up and who doesn't."
The question may be which Unity Christian team shows up. Will it be the one which lost the first meeting? Or the torrid Crusaders team which trampled its way to a 34-11 halftime lead against a University Prep club which had won 10 of its last 11? Or the Unity Christian club which was outscored 33-25 in the second half of Friday’s Semifinal, including scoring only four points during the fourth quarter?
Unity Christian senior forward Jack Kamminga thinks he knows which team will arrive at Breslin on Saturday.
"Definitely the better one," he said. "We kinda dropped off in the fourth quarter tonight. They pressured us and put us in a bad position. But we'll go full hammer tomorrow. We've got nothing to lose."
Crusaders senior guard Brogan Sherd said either way he's expecting a classic championship game.
"It'll be fun. We had a great crowd the first time, and we know we've got to play hard," he said. "We kind of got lazy the first time and fell apart."
Soodsma would give away nothing about what the Crusaders learned from the first meeting.
"They've got a very good club, well-coached. They play the right way," said Soodsma, who this season passed Kent Ingles and Kurt Keener to move into fourth place on the state's all-time coaching wins list with 694.
Owen VanderWall led Unity Chistian on Friday with 12 points and nine rebounds. Luke Tubergen had 12 points and Sherd nine points, five rebounds and three assists.
Detroit University Prep trailed by as many as 23 points twice in the third quarter, including at 55-32. But the Panthers cut the lead to as little as 57-44 with 3:37 to go.
"They're a better team than I thought they were," Panthers coach Brandon Barrett said of Unity Christian. "They're a big team, they're aggressive and for their size, they move very well. Maybe if we'd pressured them earlier it would have been a different outcome. But that's 50/50. Credit them, they played well."
Unity Christian's Tubergen said the team's first half was outstanding.
"One of our best," he said. "We rebounded great, hit some 3s, worked the ball inside and the defense was really good."
PHOTOS (Top) Unity Christian’s Owen VanderWaal (12) makes his move toward the basket during Friday’s Division 2 Semifinal against University Prep. (Middle) Maurice Jackson (21) considers his options from just outside the arc. (Photos by Adam Sheehan/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
Future Becomes Now as Freshman Oliver Pulls Douglass Past Dollar Bay
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
March 12, 2026
EAST LANSING — Judging by the Detroit Douglass and Dollar Bay rosters Thursday, one thing is for certain:
The day’s first Division 4 Semifinal might not be the last time those two schools – located 553 miles apart on opposite ends of the state – hook up at the Breslin Center over the next few seasons.
In a matchup between teams with rosters dominated by underclassmen, Douglass had a little too much on this occasion, advancing to the Division 4 championship game for the first time since winning it all in 2021 with a 58-47 win.
Douglass head coach Pierre Brooks had high praise after the game for Dollar Bay head coach Jesse Kentala and how he prepared his team, and knows the Hurricanes could be running into the Blue Bolts again.
“I heard about the young guys they have on their team,” Brooks said. “I think Coach told me they were here in 18 or 19. So hey, I wouldn’t mind seeing them again.”
One advantage Douglass had Thursday – and will if they meet again in the near future – is freshman Damani Oliver.
Entering the game leading his team in scoring at over 22 points a game, Oliver played like someone beyond his years, scoring 17 of his 21 points during the second half to help Douglass pull away.
“I (didn’t) see too many (Detroit) Lions games this year because every Sunday, he’s calling me to get into the gym,” Brooks said. “He’s definitely put in the work and I’m glad in the second half he decided to really pick it up.”
Holding a 22-17 lead at halftime, Oliver started the third quarter with a four-point play and finished the third with 10 points to help Douglass take a 40-35 lead into the fourth.
The Hurricanes put the game away from there, going up 51-38 with 3:44 remaining on a basket by sophomore Quinn Davis.
He also scored 14 points for Douglass, which didn’t shoot the ball well from the perimeter. Douglass was just 4 of 20 from 3-point range, but made that up a bit with a 30-22 rebounding advantage.
Junior Baron Colbert scored a game-high 23 points for Dollar Bay (24-3), which was making its first Semifinal appearance since 2019. With just three seniors, three freshmen and two eighth graders on the roster, Dollar Bay should be heard from again.
Kentala just hopes that if his team returns next year or beyond, the weather will be a little better.
Many of the school and community’s fans couldn’t make it down to the game as expected because the Mackinac Bridge was closed due to a winter storm.
“It’s been a great ride,” Kentala said, talking about his team’s tournament run. “I thought our plan was right. I thought these guys executed it just beautifully. I thought we did everything in our power. I thought we kept them guessing. We mixed up our zone and man pressure. I thought we attacked, I thought we were fearless, I thought we were tough. Sometimes the shots don’t fall, and (Oliver) really stuck a few key shots. A really nice player.”
PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Douglass’ Kamari Howard (12) gets a shot up over Dollar Bay’s Liam Tourtillott (20) during Thursday’s first Division 4 Semifinal at Breslin Center. (Middle) Tourtillot makes a move into the lane while guarded by Douglass’ Dimauvion Smith-Powe (35). (Photos by Adam Sheehan/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)