A-B Preview: Historic Opportunities Await
March 16, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Fans of Michigan high school girls basketball are familiar with the work over the decades of Detroit Martin Luther King, Detroit Country Day and Grand Rapids South Christian.
Five more Class A and B semifinalists have the opportunity this weekend to join them as MHSAA champions for the first time.
All four Class A and B Semifinals will be played Friday, with all four championship games Saturday.
Semifinals - Friday
Class A
Detroit Martin Luther King (23-1) vs. St. Johns (23-3), 1 p.m.
Warren Cousino (21-4) vs. Hudsonville (23-3), 2:50 p.m.
Class B
Detroit Country Day (24-1) vs. Grand Rapids South Christian (24-2), 6 p.m.
Bay City John Glenn (25-1) vs. Marshall (24-1), 7:50 p.m.
Finals - Saturday
Class A - Noon
Class B - 6 p.m.
Class C - 4 p.m.
Class D - 10 a.m.
Tickets cost $8 per pair of Semifinals and $10 per two-game Finals session. All Semifinals will be streamed live on MHSAA.TV on a pay-per-view basis. All four Finals will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Detroit’s primary channel, with the Class B game on a delayed basis at 10:30 p.m. Free radio broadcasts of all weekend games will be available on MHSAANetwork.com.
And now, a look at the semifinalists in Class A and B. Click on the name of the school to see that team’s full schedule and results from this season. (Statistics are through teams' Regional Finals except for St. Johns’, which are through the regular season.)
Class A
DETROIT MARTIN LUTHER KING
Record/rank: 23-1, No. 4
League finish: First in Detroit Public School League East Division 1 and overall
Coach: William Winfield, 33rd season
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2006), six runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 58-54 (OT) over No. 5 Ann Arbor Huron in Quarterfinal, 74-56 over No. 1 Southfield-Lathrup, 68-66 over No. 7 Detroit Renaissance.
Players to watch: Micaela Kelly, 5-8 sr. G (15 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 5.8 apg, 4.3 spg); Tia Tedford, 5-8 jr. G (15.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 5.8 apg, 5.6 spg), Alicia Norman, 5-4 jr. G (11.7 ppg, 7.3 apg, 6.1 spg).
Outlook: King made the Semifinals last season and is back riding a 20-game win streak and after also defeating reigning Class A champion Bloomfield Hills Marian in the regular-season finale. The Crusaders have only nine players, with two seniors and a freshman starting. But there’s plenty of talent in that small group; in addition to the starters mentioned above, freshman guard Del’Janae Williams adds 10 points, four assists and 3.3 steals per game and 6-2 senior center Jasmine Flowers is one of two players that tall in the rotation.
HUDSONVILLE
Record/rank: 23-3, unranked
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Red
Coach: Casey Glass, seventh season (83-77)
Championship history: Has not played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 40-32 over East Lansing in Quarterfinal, 45-44 over honorable mention Muskegon Mona Shores in Regional Final, 59-58 and 55-47 over East Kentwood.
Players to watch: Kasey DeSmit, 5-7 soph. G (12.3 ppg, 4.8 apg, 51 3-pointers); Shaina DenBesten, 5-10 sr. F (11.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg).
Outlook: Hudsonville has won 21 straight games on the way to its first MHSAA Semifinal, and few teams have as much close-game experience – the Eagles have six wins and lost twice by four or fewer points. They are eight wins better than a season ago and have taken a huge jump since going 2-19 in 2013-14. This experience to should pay off in the future as well as four starters and six of the top eight players should be back next winter. Six-foot junior center Chloe Guingrich adds 9.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and nearly two blocks per game.
ST. JOHNS
Record/rank: 23-3, honorable mention
League finish: Tied for first in Capital Area Activities Conference Red
Coach: Mark Lasceski, 20th season (328-125)
Championship history: Has not played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 46-43 over No. 2 Saginaw Heritage in Regional Final, 37-31 over No. 9 Flushing in District Final, 48-38 and 52-40 over No. 6 Haslett, 56-50 over East Lansing, 61-50 over Class C No. 10 Saginaw Nouvel.
Players to watch: Maddie Maloney, 5-7 soph. G (12.1 ppg, 4.9 apg); Erika Ballinger, 5-7 jr. G (10.9 ppg, 42 3-pointers); Brooke Mazzolini, 5-8 sr. F (10 ppg, 5.4 rpg).
Outlook: St. Johns joins Haslett and DeWitt as teams from the CAAC Red to make the MHSAA Semifinals over the last two seasons after splitting the league title with both this winter. The Redwings last made the Semifinals in 1997, but should contend to return with Mazzolini and starting forward Jessica Hafner the only seniors. St. Johns relies on balanced scoring and a gritty defense that gives up only 35 points per game despite having only one player taller than 5-8. The only losses were once to Midland early and twice to No. 7 DeWitt.
WARREN COUSINO
Record/rank: 21-4, unranked
League finish: Tied for first in Macomb Area Conference Red
Coach: Mike Lee, seventh season (124-41)
Championship history: Has not played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 41-29 over Northville in Quarterfinal, 43-39 (Regional Final) and 47-37 over Bloomfield Hills Marian.
Players to watch: Kierra Fletcher, 5-9 jr. G (21.4 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 5.2 apg, 3.6 spg); Erin McArthur, jr. G (9.5 ppg, 5.5 apg, 59 3-pointers); Mackenzie Anderson, 5-5 sr. F (9.5 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 3.2 apg).
Outlook: Cousino has won at least 15 games all seven seasons under Lee, but broke through this winter with a first Regional title in program history – and with only one senior, Anderson. A strong junior group fills most of the rest of the significant roles, with freshman Mackenzie Cook also a starter. Two of the team’s four losses came to Port Huron Northern, the co-champion in their league, which also went on to make the Class A Quarterfinals.
Class B
BAY CITY JOHN GLENN
Record/rank: 25-1, No. 2
League finish: First in North East Michigan Conference
Coach: Cory Snider, seventh season (104-51)
Championship history: Has not played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 55-47 over No. 5 Manistee in Quarterfinal, 59-27 over No. 8 Freeland in Regional Final, 49-46 (Regional Semifinal) and 41-23 over No. 9 Frankenmuth, 53-44 over Class A No. 1 Southfield-Lathrup, 61-38 over Class A No. 7 Detroit Renaissance, 52-48 and 55-41 over Class C No. 10 Saginaw Nouvel.
Players to watch: Jenai LaPorte, 5-7 sr. G (14.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.5 apg, 49 3-pointers); Kalle Martinez, 5-6 jr. G (15.5 ppg, 4.5 apg, 67 3-pointers); Cassidy Boensch, 6-3 sr. C (17.5 ppg, 12 rpg, 5.7 bpg).
Outlook: John Glenn has been near perfect on the way to its first Semifinal, save for three-point loss to Class C favorite Ypsilanti Arbor Prep. LaPorte is the program’s all-time leading scorer and Boensch was a Miss Basketball finalist this winter, and they with Martinez give the Bobcats a trio that can match any in the state. They combine to supply almost all of the scoring, but get plenty of help defensively – John Glenn gives up only 30.7 points per game.
DETROIT COUNTRY DAY
Record/rank: 24-1, No. 1
League finish: Does not play in a league.
Coach: Frank Orlando, 35th season (733-111)
Championship history: Eleven MHSAA titles (most recent 2015), four runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 68-64 over Class A No. 3 Midland Dow, 42-38 over Class A No. 5 Ann Arbor Huron, 56-50 over Class A No. 7 Detroit Renaissance, 69-56 over Class A No. 6 Haslett, 56-52 over Class A No. 1 Southfield-Lathrup, 37-33 over Class C No. 1 Ypsilanti Arbor Prep.
Players to watch: Destiny Pitts, 6-0 jr. G (15.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 3.8 apg, 43 3-pointers); Kaela Webb, 5-6 soph. G (10.7 ppg, 4.0 apg, 3.0 spg).
Outlook: The reigning champion returns its two top players, three starters total and six of nine who saw time in last season’s championship game. Four of this group are 6-0 or taller, with 6-4 junior Tylar Bennett (7.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 4.0 bpg) occupying the middle most of the time. The lone loss came to Class A No. 2 Saginaw Heritage, but Country Day played and beat five more of the top seven in Class A and have won all of their MHSAA Tournament games by at least 12 points.
GRAND RAPIDS SOUTH CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 24-2, No. 3
League finish: Tied for first in O-K Gold.
Coach: Kim Legge, first season (24-2)
Championship history: Class B champion 1988, two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 70-50 over No. 4 Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 59-53 over No. 6 Williamston in Regional Semifinal.
Players to watch: Jennifer DeBoer, 5-7 sr. G (16.8 ppg, 6.0 apg, 5.1 rpg, 3.6 spg, 71 3-pointers); Markayla Vander, 5-8 sr. F (12.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg).
Outlook: Anchored by an all-senior lineup, South Christian is striving to return to the Class B Final for the second time in three seasons; it finished runner-up to Eaton Rapids in 2014. The Sailors haven’t missed a beat under first-year coach Legge, an assistant for 20 seasons before taking over the program this winter. DeBoer runs the point and is the top shooter in school history, this season leading a group that had made 147 3-pointers entering the week. The only losses came by two to Caledonia, also a league champion, and in the regular-season finale to GRCC, the other champion in the O-K Gold.
MARSHALL
Record/rank: 24-1, No. 7
League finish: First in Interstate 8 Athletic Conference
Coach: Sal Konkle, 16th season (281-95)
Championship history: Class B runner-up 1981.
Best wins: 41-30 over No. 4 Grand Rapids Catholic Central in Quarterfinal, 62-44 over honorable mention Stevensville Lakeshore in Regional Semifinal, 54-53 and 46-35 over Jackson Northwest.
Players to watch: Nicole Tucker, 5-10 jr. C (12.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg); Emily Delmotte, 5-9 jr. F (8.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg).
Outlook: Marshall played in its third Quarterfinal in five seasons Tuesday, but will return to the Semifinals for the first time since that 1981 runner-up finish. A balanced lineup has made Marshall dominant, with the only loss on opening night to No. 6 Williamston. Six players average at least 4.5 points per game; junior Jill Konkle follows Tucker and Delmotte scoring 7.7 ppg to go with 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 steals and 2.2 assists per game.
The Girls Basketball Finals are presented by Sparrow Health System.
PHOTO: Bay City John Glenn has reached the Class B Semifinals in part because of its defensive excellence. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Countdown to Calvin: Girls Report Week 7
January 21, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Let the second half of Michigan high school girls basketball season begin. We have plenty to watch for right away.
Pewamo-Westphalia and Detroit Edison kick things off immediately with a huge matchup, and many more are on the way this week – we’ve listed a few of them below. Teams also are reaching the midpoints of their league schedules – with at least a few championships possibly being decided this week.
Countdown to Calvin is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com. To offer corrections or fill in scores we’re missing, email me at [email protected].
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Flint Carman-Ainsworth 65, Detroit Country Day 60 – The Cavaliers bounced back in part from the previous week’s loss to reigning Class A champ Saginaw Heritage with this win over the 2018 Class B title winner.
2. Detroit Cass Tech 55, Ypsilanti Arbor Prep 44 – Downing Division 3 contender Arbor Prep on the Gators’ court Saturday should boost Cass Tech as it rolls into this week’s rematch with rival Detroit Martin Luther King.
3. Negaunee 46, Ishpeming Westwood 36 – The one-loss Miners handed Westwood its first defeat of the winter, lining up their second meeting Feb. 15 as the likely decider in the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference Iron.
4. Centreville 44, Schoolcraft 42 – Centreville won this highly-anticipated nonleague matchup of undefeated teams both highly-regarded in Division 3.
5. Charlotte 51, Portland 33 – The Orioles handed the Raiders their first defeat this winter to move into first place alone in the Capital Area Activities Conference White.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
• Ann Arbor Pioneer (8-1) – The Pioneers won nine games total last season and tied for fifth in the Southeastern Conference Red. Last week Pioneer handed Saline its first loss of the season, holding onto a first-place tie in the league with Monroe. Pioneer’s only loss was to one-loss DeWitt.
• West Bloomfield (8-1) – The Lakers are unbeaten aside from a loss to still-undefeated Walled Lake Western on Dec. 11, a vast improvement from last year’s 7-14 finish. West Bloomfield in turn handed Avondale its only loss of this season and is closing in on guaranteeing its first winning record since 2010-11.
DIVISION 2
• Carleton Airport (8-1) – The Jets have won 17 games in back-to-back seasons and could be making another jump; their only defeat this winter was to reigning Class D champion Adrian Lenawee Christian by six Dec. 13. A major matchup is set for Thursday: Airport faces one-loss Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central for first in the Huron League.
• Kingsley (9-1) – The Stags are coming off arguably the best week of any team in the state. The opened with a 42-point win over Highland Conference leader Manton and finished by taking over first place alone in the Northwest Conference with a 47-39 victory versus Maple City Glen Lake. An early loss to always-solid Goodrich aside, Kingsley hasn’t slowed down after making last year’s Class B Semifinals.
DIVISION 3
• Michigan Center (10-0) – The Cardinals, also Class B semifinalists last season, have had one of the most memorable first halves of this winter. They sit atop the competitive Cascades Conference and have nonleague wins over Adrian Lenawee Christian and Flint Carman-Ainsworth. They also beat Williamston 95-90 in five overtimes, tying the longest game and ranking second for highest-scoring in MHSAA history.
• New Haven (8-1) – The Rockets just missed reaching .500 last season, but did win reportedly their first District title. And the momentum has continued to build; New Haven lost early to St. Clair Shores South Lake, but is undefeated and atop the standings after the first run through the Macomb Area Conference Bronze schedule. The Rockets also have a chance to avenge that South Lake loss in a Feb. 8 rematch.
DIVISION 4
• Athens (8-1) – The Indians finished 21-5 overall and second a year ago in their first season in the Southern Central Athletic Association West. They’re lining up for a possibly similar run – they’ve won eight straight since falling to one-loss Battle Creek Calhoun Christian in the season opener, and they are tied for first in the SCAA West with one-loss Climax-Scotts coming up this week and undefeated Bellevue on the last day of the month.
• Bear Lake (6-0) – With one more league game played (and won), Bear Lake has a slim lead atop the West Michigan D League over Pentwater after those two shared last season’s title. They meet for the first time next week; no team has come closer than 17 points to catching the Lakers so far this winter.
Can't-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Monday – Detroit Edison (10-1) at Pewamo-Westphalia (8-0) – This sets up as one of the best matchups statewide of the regular season after these two met in the 2017 Class C Final and 2018 Semifinals, both Edison wins.
Tuesday – Sandusky (9-1) at Brown City (9-1) – The matchup for first place in the Greater Thumb Conference East features two teams that also have statewide Division 3 aspirations.
Wednesday – Detroit Cass Tech (9-2) at Detroit Martin Luther King (10-0) – King won the first meeting by three two weeks ago and can clinch a share of the Detroit Public School League Midtown title with another victory in the rematch.
Thursday – Detroit Mumford (10-2) at Detroit Renaissance (8-4) – Mumford faces Cody first Wednesday, but with a win that night could head into this one able to clinch the PSL West-Town championship outright after winning the first meeting with Renaissance by two.
Friday – East Kentwood (8-2) at Grand Haven (9-0) – Two teams with Division 1 statewide possibilities will be playing this one for first in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red. Both are undefeated in league play.
Second Half’s weekly “Countdown to Calvin” reports are powered by MI Student Aid, a part of the Student Financial Services Bureau located within the Michigan Department of Treasury. MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information, including various student financial assistance programs to help make college more affordable for Michigan students. MI Student Aid administers the state’s 529 savings programs (MET/MESP) and eight additional aid programs within its Student Scholarships and Grants division. Click for more information and connect with MI Student Aid on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTO: Ithaca, here against Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary, is hoping to surge in the Tri-Valley Conference West during the season’s second half. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)