Breslin Bound: 2021-22 Girls Report Week 10
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 7, 2022
Things may be winding down on the girls basketball regular season – but only in the fact that there are three weeks remaining until the playoffs begin.
Parma Western earned one of the most eye-popping wins of the winter last week, and this week may well feature two of the top matchups of this entire regular season.
“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. Parma Western 56, Ypsilanti Arbor Prep 55 The Panthers (14-1) handed Division 3 powerhouse Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (12-1) its lone defeat and just second game decided by single digits.
2. Portland St. Patrick 58, Fowler 51 (OT) The Shamrocks (14-0) strengthened their status as Division 4 contenders by completing a regular-season sweep of league rival and reigning Division 4 champ Fowler (11-2).
3. Harbor Springs 57, Traverse City St. Francis 47 The Lake Michigan Conference has four teams within two wins of each other at the top of the standings, and Harbor Springs (14-1) has a slim lead on the field after this win over the Gladiators (10-4).
4. Grass Lake 61, Detroit Renaissance 57 The reigning Division 3 champ Warriors (9-4) would have been excused for falling back after losing their top player to a season-ending injury in December, but this win over the 2021 Division 1 runner-up Phoenix (10-4) reaffirmed Grass Lake as a challenger.
5. St. Ignace 47, Sault Ste. Marie 36 The Saints (13-2) avenged a 51-29 loss to the Blue Devils (11-4) from Dec. 16 to move into first alone in the Straits Area Conference.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
Division 1
Farmington Hills Mercy (12-2) The Marlins enter the final week of Detroit Catholic League Central play tied for first after avenging their lone league loss, to co-leader Dearborn Divine Child (14-1), on Jan. 28. Mercy’s only other defeat came in December to Brighton (9-5), and the Marlins sit second in Division 1 MPR behind only reigning champion Hudsonville.
Rockford (13-1) The Rams are No. 3 in Division 1 MPR, helping to make Friday’s rematch at top-ranked Hudsonville one of the state’s biggest games of the entire season. The Eagles won the first meeting 62-48 on Jan. 14, but the Rams otherwise have piled up impressive victories over Byron Center (11-2), Grand Rapids Catholic Central (11-3), Grand Rapids West Catholic (13-1) and Holland West Ottawa (10-4) among others.
Division 2
Chelsea (11-2) The Bulldogs have a 1½-game lead in the Southeastern Conference White after handing second-place Tecumseh its only loss and with that rematch coming up Feb. 22. Chelsea’s only defeats were to reigning Division 2 champ Portland (13-1) and Marshall (10-5), and it has wins over Freeland (11-4), Riverview (11-4), Stockbridge (10-4) and Grass Lake (9-4) among others.
Redford Westfield Prep (15-1) In its third year as a program, Westfield is a contender with an impressive set of wins and its only loss 54-51 to Arbor Prep (see above). The Warriors defeated Detroit Cass Tech and Kalamazoo Central by double digits most recently, with wins as well over Dexter (12-2), Riverview (11-4), Grand Blanc (10-4), Hart (12-2) and Rochester Hills Stoney Creek (11-4).
Division 3
Kent City (15-0) The Eagles’ only loss last season was by two to Grass Lake in the Division 3 Final, and they haven’t slowed a bit under first-year coach Aleah Holcomb despite also graduating two of the state’s most prolific 3-point shooters of the last few seasons. Friday’s 50-38 win over second-place Morley Stanwood (11-3) put Kent City a win from clinching a share of the Central State Activities Association Silver title. The Eagles also have wins over Grand Rapids Christian (10-4) and Sparta (11-2).
McBain (14-2) The Ramblers are a combined 28-3 over the last two seasons and looking to finish a Highland Conference championship run after sharing last season’s title with Lake City. McBain lost to Lake City 44-42 on Jan. 18 but have a half-game lead in the standings with the rematch with the Trojans (13-1) set for Feb. 17. McBain’s only other defeat was in the season opener to Big Rapids (9-5), and last week the Ramblers finished a regular-season sweep of Northern Michigan Christian (10-3).
Division 4
Bellaire (9-4) Last season’s Division 4 runner-up navigated a rough stretch early, finishing December with three straight losses. But over the last two weeks the Eagles have avenged all three including handing Gaylord St. Mary (13-2) its lone league defeat, 36-25 on Feb. 2. Lake City (13-1) and Mackinaw City (14-1) will present challenges over the next two weeks, and Bellaire also will get a chance to avenge its fourth defeat with a rematch against Johannesburg-Lewiston (9-3) on Feb. 15.
Colon (11-2) The Magi are riding a two-season District title run and have a chance to affect the Southern Central Athletic Association West race this week with a rematch Thursday against Athens – which defeated Colon on Jan. 14. The Magi’s only other loss was two weeks ago to Pittsford (8-3), and they have a slim lead after Athens for the second seed in their District – with an important opportunity to up their MPR at Schoolcraft (12-1) on Feb. 16.
Can't-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Howell (11-3) at Hartland (13-1) – Howell won the first meeting 37-31 on Jan. 11 to take its current one-game lead in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West.
Tuesday – Sparta (11-2) at Belding (12-1) – Both are undefeated in Ottawa-Kent Conference Silver play and will see each other again less than a week later, Feb. 14.
Friday – Rockford (13-1) at Hudsonville (12-2) – As noted above, the Eagles lead the O-K Red and handed second-place Rockford its only defeat.
Friday – Detroit Edison (6-2) at Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (12-1) – These two could make strong arguments to be the favorites in Divisions 2 and 3, respectively, as the postseason approaches.
Friday – Saginaw Swan Valley (13-2) at Frankenmuth (12-1) – The Eagles’ 42-30 win over the Vikings on Jan. 7 remains the difference at the top of the Tri-Valley Conference 8 race.
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PHOTO Flint Carman-Ainsworth defenders create a wall near the basket during last week’s 56-40 win over Davison. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)
Tecumseh Finds 2nd-Half Stride Again to Reach 1st Final in 50 Years
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
March 21, 2025
EAST LANSING – Tecumseh coach Kristy Zajac wasn’t too worried when her team got off to a sluggish start during the first half of Friday’s Division 2 Semifinal.
The second half has proved to be when her team is at its best.
Tecumseh overcame a double-digit deficit and rallied to defeat Frankenmuth 52-43 at the Breslin Center, earning the program’s first championship game appearance in 50 years.
“Every game all year we start slow, but finish strong, and we were able to pull it out tonight,” Zajac said. “I’m super proud of these girls because they fought back, and this is a great win for our program.”
Tecumseh will play for the Division 2 championship at 6:15 p.m. Saturday, seeking its first Finals title since 1974 and after also finishing Class B runner-up in 1975.
Tecumseh, which outscored Frankenmuth 34-20 during the second half Friday, improved to 26-1. It's only loss was to Division 1 finalist Rockford.
The win was bittersweet, though, after junior Maddy VanBlack suffered an apparent leg injury during the final minute.
“Super special for our girls, but that last play of the game is just so hard,” Zajac said. “She’s worked so hard to get back to us after missing almost two years of seasons, and that’s why these girls are all in tears. I feel so terrible for her, and we’re hoping she’s OK.”
Frankenmuth led 30-20 midway through the third quarter after a 3-pointer from Clare Conzelmann. However, Tecumseh slowly chipped away at the deficit and eventually tied it at 32-32 with a 10-2 run to end the third quarter.
Miss Basketball Award finalist Alli Zajac struggled with foul trouble, but her teammates picked her up and ignited the second-half blitz.
“It’s not a great thing that I was in foul trouble, but I’m kind of glad that I was just so I can see how well they work together when I'm not in there with them,” Alli Zajac said. “It was amazing to see other girls step up.”
One was senior Ashlyn Moorhead, who drained 4-of-6 3-point attempts and finished with 14 points.
“I loved seeing her knock down those 3s and hit those pull-up jumpers,” Kristy Zajac said. “She stepped into beast mode in the second half. She started slow, but I knew she had it in her and stepped up that confidence.”
Said Moorhead: “I knew that my teammates and coaches had confidence in me. I just went up and let it fly.”
Sophomore Addi Zajac also fueled the comeback with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
“She’s one of the best rebounders I’ve ever seen, and we knew that other people had to step up and they did,” Kristy Zajac said. “That’s what is great about this team. There’s not one person you can shut down and then try to beat us. You have to beat all of us.”
An 11-0 run in the fourth quarter sealed the win.
“These girls deserve this,” Kristy Zajac said. “They’ve worked hard for this, and they’ve put in the time.”
The Eagles were in search of a return trip to the Final after finishing runner-up in 2023, but suffered through a five-minute scoring drought during the final quarter and shot a dismal 8-of-27 during the second half.
“One day short of what our goal was,” Frankenmuth coach Joe Jacobs said. “The first half went in our favor, but then they made shots in the second half and the game got away from us. But it doesn’t take away from what these girls accomplished, and we have three seniors that have been here two times, so it was a special opportunity for them.”
Conzelmann led the Eagles with 15 points and three blocked shots. Macy Donovan and Isabelle Bernthal finished with nine and eight points, respectively.
PHOTOS: Tecumseh’s Makayla Schlorf (3) makes her move toward the basket with Frankenmuth’s Grace Brenner guarding her Friday at Breslin Center. (Middle) Chloe Bullinger (10) keeps the ball inbounds, sending it over Brenner’s outstretched arms. (Photos by Keionna Banks/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)