Breslin Bound: 2022-23 Girls Report Week 11
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 13, 2023
It’s just about time for 12 weeks of results to provide the first signs on the roadmap for the final three weeks of this girls basketball season.
The District seeding process, based on Michigan Power Ratings (MPR), will produce the top two seeded teams in every District bracket this upcoming Sunday – and by noon those full Districts will be drawn based also on the formula for this year’s brackets determined this past Sunday. See the MPR page of the MHSAA Website for explanations of the formula and all other things MPR-related.
“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. Detroit Edison 51, Ypsilanti Arbor Prep 35 The Division 2 Pioneers (14-3) won this matchup of 2022 Finals champions, downing Division 3’s Arbor Prep (12-5).
2. Calumet 59, Escanaba 57 The Division 3 Copper Kings (13-4) bounced back from a one-point loss to Negaunee three days earlier to hand the Division 2 Eskymos (15-1) their lone loss this season.
3. Coldwater 57, Jackson Northwest 51 These two are tied atop the Interstate 8 Athletic Conference standings after Coldwater (17-1) avenged a four-point Jan. 10 loss to the Mounties (16-2).
4. Traverse City St. Francs 47, Elk Rapids 43 (OT) The Gladiators (15-2) pulled a half-game ahead of Elk Rapids in the Lake Michigan Conference standings thanks to finishing a regular-season sweep of the Elks (14-3).
5. Hancock 36, Houghton 29 The Calumet win above may have caught more eyes statewide, but Hancock’s over the rival Gremlins (15-2) clinched a share of the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference West title and moved the Bulldogs to 15-1 overall.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Temperance Bedford (18-1) The Kicking Mules are staring down a possible first league title in more than a decade, which tells you plenty about the Southeastern Conference Red as they’ve averaged 17.3 wins total over that time. They’re in line for that opportunity with three league games to play thanks to a 37-29 win over co-leader Saline (16-3) on Friday, after taking their only defeat from the Hornets – by 17 – just two weeks earlier. Bedford sits No. 8 in Division 1 MPR.
Utica Ford (16-1) The Falcons won the Macomb Area Conference White by four games, and lost this season only on Dec. 6 to Rochester (15-3). The league title was Ford’s first since 2016-17, and the 16 wins equal last season’s total and include nine over teams that are or would be .500 or better without losses to the Falcons. They’ll play Macomb Dakota in a MAC Red/White Tournament semifinal on Tuesday.
DIVISION 2
Detroit Edison (14-3) The reigning Division 2 champions moved into the top spot in Division 2 MPR this week, with a 9-1 record against in-state MHSAA opponents after opening with six of their first seven games against teams from Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. The Pioneers came back from a Jan. 31 loss to West Bloomfield (17-2) with wins over Farmington Hills Mercy (16-2), Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Detroit Cass Tech and Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (12-5). They’ll finish their in-state schedule against Frankenmuth and Grosse Pointe South.
Warren Fitzgerald (18-0) The Spartans arguably have undergone the most significant turnaround of any program, girls or boys, statewide this season after finishing 1-16 a year ago. They won the MAC Silver by five games and take on New Haven in a Tuesday MAC Bronze/Silver Tournament semifinal after winning their first meeting this season by 39. Early victories over Hazel Park (13-5) and Marine City (14-3) were signs of the program’s rebound, and no opponent has gotten within single digits since Jan. 5.
DIVISION 3
Hemlock (15-3) The Huskies wrapped up an outright Tri-Valley Conference 10-1 championship with a 72-53 win over second-place Standish-Sterling (15-3). Their only losses came to three Division 2 teams in the TVC-8 – Saginaw Swan Valley (14-4), Freeland (14-4) and Frankenmuth (15-2), and in addition they have notable wins over St. Charles (16-2), Ithaca (15-3) and Division 1 Midland Dow (11-7). The St. Charles win avenged Hemlock’s loss in last year’s District.
Niles Brandywine (15-2) The Bobcats will finish second in the Lakeland Athletic Conference with those two losses to league champion Buchanan, but can secure second alone Friday against Benton Harbor. Brandywine also has wins over league leaders Bronson (15-3), Colon (14-4) and Cassopolis (13-4). The Bobcats finished 18-3 a year ago but ran into Buchanan in their first District game, and it’s possible they could meet again although at this moment they’ll be seeded on opposite sides of a strong bracket.
DIVISION 4
Hillman (15-3) The Tigers have won 11 straight in claiming the North Star League Little Dipper championship outright after sharing it last season. Some solid wins are bolstered by strong losses as well, as Hillman has fallen only to Eastern Upper Peninsula Athletic Conference champion Cedarville (13-3), twice, and Johannesburg-Lewiston (13-5). A second matchup with Division 3 Alcona (12-5) and a season-ender against Division 3 Oscoda should provide additional postseason prep.
St. Charles (16-2) The Bulldogs can clinch a share of the Mid-State Activities Conference championship Tuesday against Ashley, which would be their third in three seasons since joining the league. What’s new is that St. Charles is in Division 4 this season, coming off a Division 3 District title in 2022, and will almost assuredly enter this year’s bracket as the top seed thanks in part to a pair of wins over Carson City-Crystal (14-4) and those losses to Hemlock and Swan Valley.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Wednesday – Holt (15-2) at Flint Carman-Ainsworth (14-0) – Both are moving in on potential league championships but also are building high hopes for the Division 1 tournament.
Friday – Goodrich (17-1) at Lake Fenton (19-0) – Lake Fenton leads the Flint Metro League Stars by a game thanks to its 50-44 win over Goodrich on Jan. 20, but this will decide if the title is shared or outright.
Saturday – Haslett (19-0) at Rockford (16-1) – These league leaders also have high postseason hopes, with Rockford No. 1 in Division 1 MPR and Haslett No. 5 in Division 2.
Saturday – Detroit Catholic High School League finals – Championship games in both brackets will be played at University of Detroit Mercy.
Sunday – Detroit Public Schools League final – The championship game will tip off at 3 p.m. at Wayne State University.
MHSAA.com's weekly “Breslin Bound” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a part of the Office of Postsecondary Financial Planning 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. MI Student Aid administers the state’s 529 college savings programs (MET/MESP), as well as scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTOS (Top) Farmington Hills Mercy's Owynn Evans runs the offense as her team clinched a share of the Catholic League Central championship last week with a 60-55 win over Dearborn Divine Child. (Middle) Ada Forest Hills Eastern's Amelia Elms (4) looks for an open teammate during Friday's 56-40 loss to Grand Rapids Catholic Central. (Below) A pair of Paw Paw defenders work to wall off Otsego's Madison Hoffman during their matchup earlier this season. (Photos by Douglas Bargerstock, Michigan Sports Photo and Gary Shook, respectively.)
Breslin Bound: 2025-26 Girls Report Week 10
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 17, 2026
Three months of Michigan high school girls basketball results are soon to be poured into the sorting of 128 District brackets, which will be published Sunday on the Girls Basketball page after teams are seeded based on their Michigan Power Ratings this winter.
A week’s worth of games certainly still can make a difference, and there are plenty of matchups coming up that could tilt how teams line up at several locations. Follow along on the MPR page and see below for some of what we’re watching as we move toward one of the most highly-anticipated days of the 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. Belleville 56, Wayne Memorial 54 The Zebras (15-2) made this much closer than Belleville’s 28-point win in their first meeting, but the Tigers (20-0) still prevailed to clinch the Kensington Lakes Activities Association East title.
2. Jackson Lumen Christi 48, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 36 The Titans (15-2) claimed the Catholic High School League Bishop Tournament championship, adding to their CHSL Central East title by downing the CHSL Central West champion Eaglets (15-3).
3. Detroit Renaissance 63, Detroit Mumford 37 The Phoenix (15-2) finished an undefeated run through the Detroit Public School League with a second win this winter over Mumford (8-8), this time in the PSL Tournament championship game.
4. Mio 50, Au Gres-Sims 46 These North Star League Little Dipper rivals played each other twice in four days, Au Gres-Sims (16-3) winning the first matchup 53-46 before Mio (14-4) took this one; both have just the one loss, to each other, in league play.
5. Brooklyn Columbia Central 59, Hanover-Horton 52 (OT) Columbia Central (15-2) earned a one-game edge atop the Cascades Conference West with these two set to meet again tonight and Hanover-Horton (15-3) playing to secure a share of the title.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Muskegon (15-2) The Big Reds have clinched the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green championship with two league games to play and after finishing third and 11-12 overall just a season ago. Muskegon certainly is a contender statewide in Division 1 as well with wins over Rockford (16-1) and Hudsonville (12-7) and losses to only Wayne Memorial (15-2) and Grand Haven (16-2) – the latter by just a point. Haslett (15-2) and Holt (14-3) are league champions and will provide two more solid prep games heading into the postseason.
Saginaw Heritage (15-5) The Hawks have won four straight to clinch the outright Saginaw Valley League North championship after finishing second in the one-division SVL a year ago. Heritage also has moved up to No. 3 in statewide Division 1 MPR with its success coming against opponents with a combined .688 winning percentage and the five losses to teams that all have at least 13 wins. The team’s final two regular-season games are against league champions – Flint Powers Catholic (18-2) and Yale (17-1).
DIVISION 2
Grand Rapids West Catholic (14-4) Last season’s Division 2 runner-up can’t catch Grand Rapids South Christian in the O-K Gold but still has plenty of chances to make noise this season and plenty of quality wins showing what’s possible – including victories over reigning champion Tecumseh (17-2), Saginaw Heritage (15-5), Parma Western and Wyoming (both 13-5). Two of West Catholic’s losses came to the undefeated Sailors, with the others to Muskegon (15-2) and Middleville Thornapple Kellogg (10-7). Thursday’s matchup with Grand Rapids Catholic Central (16-2) should be especially interesting heading into seeding.
Redford Westfield Prep (12-5) The Warriors defeated Hamtramck on Friday to win the Charter School Conference Tournament, and they have only one loss this season to an in-state school – Riverview (15-4), by a point – with the other four coming against opponents from Chicago. All but an earlier win over Hamtramck came by double digits, and Westfield went from defeating the Cosmos by two on Jan. 30 to 22 last week. Tonight’s matchup with Milford (14-4) highlights the final weeks of the regular season.
DIVISION 3
Hemlock (17-1) The Huskies are enjoying another dominating run in the Tri-Valley Conference Blue, carrying a 37-game league winning streak into this week as they seek to clinch a fourth-straight title Friday against second-place Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary. Hemlock has five wins over opponents with at least 12 victories this season, including by 20 points the first time it faced MLS (14-4) and more recently over Beaverton (16-2) on Feb. 9. The lone loss came to Division 2 Freeland (12-6). The Huskies will head into the postseason seeking a second-straight District title.
Kalamazoo Christian (13-3) The Comets clinched a share of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley title Friday with a 35-33 win over Schoolcraft and can make the championship outright against Lawton this Friday. The league crown is K-Christian’s fourth-straight, and the Comets will head into the postseason seeking at least a fourth-straight District title. The only losses came against Division 1 and 2 opponents that are a combined 42-12. They see second place Hackett Catholic Prep (15-3) one more time Feb. 24 and could see the rival Irish as well in the District.
DIVISION 4
Ewen-Trout Creek (16-2) Last season’s Division 4 runner-up has played like a contender again, with a six-point loss to Division 2 Negaunee (17-1) just like last winter and also one against L’Anse (15-2), but with wins over Baraga (16-3), Norway (14-4) and Wakefield-Marenisco (12-5) twice – and with W-M likely to be the second seed in E-TC’s District in two weeks. Division 2 Houghton (13-5) on Feb. 24 will be another nice test heading into the playoffs.
L’Anse (15-2) The win over Ewen-Trout Creek noted above appears likely to decide the overall Copper Mountain Conference championship in favor of the Purple Hornets and came after they lost to E-TC by 24 a year ago. L’Anse did finish 18-6 last season so this progression may be just the next step, and they’ve shown it even during this winter avenging an early 12-point loss to Baraga with a 16-point win Jan. 29. The other defeat came to Division 1 Marquette, by just three points, also in mid-December.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Friday – Grand Haven (16-2) at Rockford (16-1) – The Rams’ third game in four days this week could clinch them the outright title in the O-K Red, as they look to add to a 64-48 win over the second-place Buccaneers from Jan. 30.
Friday – Pewamo-Westphalia (14-2) at Bath (16-2) – The Pirates’ 37-game Central Michigan Athletic Conference winning streak will be on the line as they look to finish a repeat championship and after defeating Bath 64-41 on Jan. 15.
Friday – Morley Stanwood (15-2) at Kent City (15-4) – Morley Stanwood can clinch the Central State Activities Association White title outright, or Kent City can move into a first-place tie with one league game left for both.
Friday – Beaverton (16-2) at Standish-Sterling (17-1) – These two are set to meet in next week’s Jack Pine Conference championship game as well, but this matchup could provide a preview.
Saturday – Cascades Conference Championship at Spring Arbor – Grass Lake (16-1), Michigan Center (15-3), Brooklyn Columbia Central (15-2) and Hanover-Horton (15-3) all remain in the mix to reach this game.
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) Belleville’s Sydney Savoury (21) pulls up for a shot during her team’s 56-54 win over Wayne Memorial. (Middle) Holt’s Olivia Gadson (11) follow’s a teammate’s screen during the Rams’ 51-42 win over Okemos on Feb. 10. (Belleville/Wayne photo by KMS Photography. Holt/Okemos photo by John Johnson.)