Breslin Bound: 2022-23 Girls Report Week 9
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 30, 2023
We are down to the final four weeks of this MHSAA girls basketball season. And while the schedule is full of an increasing number of must-see games across the state, all of them fit into some serious crunching of numbers going on behind the scenes at our East Lansing office.
Seeding the top two teams in every District requires thousands of data points – and a season-long process of collecting them all. We’re sitting at 694 member girls varsity teams this winter, and we’ve nearly completed a process of checking their schedules one by one – about a 23-hour task by itself to make sure all scheduled games are showing, league standings are set up correctly, etc.
Additionally, daily we’re sorting through disputed scores, changes to schedules because of weather or teams that have discontinued their seasons, and other adjustments. But we’re always striving for perfection – for just scores alone, we’ve been able to collect more than 98 percent from an estimated 4,500 games that have been played so far this winter. We’ll be working to track down the rest before District pairings are announced Jan. 19. And then we’ll finish the same process for boys schedules and results.
“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. Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard 33, Farmington Hills Mercy 26 The Irish (12-3) broke reigning Detroit Catholic League Central champion Mercy’s 12-game league winning streak, handing Mercy its first defeat of the season and also avenging a 46-33 loss to the Marlins (13-1) only three weeks earlier.
2. Saline 41, Temperance Bedford 22 The Hornets (13-2) not only became the last undefeated team in Southeastern Conference Red play, but earned it by handing Bedford (13-1) its first defeat overall.
3. Traverse City St. Francis 54, Harbor Springs 31 The Gladiators (11-1) avenged their lone loss and in the process joined Elk Rapids in a tie atop the Lake Michigan Conference standings, with Harbor Springs (12-2) half a game back.
4. Byron Center 48, East Grand Rapids 35 The Ottawa-Kent Conference White is one of the top leagues in the state, and Byron Center (12-3) sits atop the standings after defeating third-place EGR (11-4) and then fourth-place Lowell during a big week.
5. Detroit Renaissance 50, Detroit Cass Tech 46 The undefeated Phoenix (14-0) moved into first place alone in the Detroit Public School League Blue, with one more league game to play, as Cass (6-6) fell a game back.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Byron Center (12-3) As noted above, Byron Center had a massive week heading into Tuesday’s rematch with O-K White second-place Grand Rapids Christian. The Bulldogs won the first meeting with the Eagles 54-34 on Dec. 15, hence their one-game lead atop the league standings. That victory also started a 10-game winning streak after Byron Center took early losses from O-K Red contenders East Kentwood, Rockford and Hudsonville. Total, the Bulldogs have won 41 straight league games in the O-K White and before that Green, going back five seasons.
Grosse Pointe North (12-2) The Norsemen can clinch a share of the Macomb Area Conference Red championship against Port Huron on Tuesday, which would run their league title streak to three seasons. North’s only losses this winter were to still-undefeated Lake Fenton and Red second-place Utica Eisenhower, the latter by a point in their second meeting Jan. 19. Seven of GPN’s 12 wins have come against teams that would be .500 or better if not for losing (once, or twice) to North.
DIVISION 2
Grand Rapids West Catholic (14-0) The reigning Division 2 runner-up has won 35 of its last 36 games and avenged last season’s lone regular-season loss, defeating Rockford this time 61-54 to win the Cornerstone University Holiday Tournament Gold championship. West Catholic’s 71-32 win over former league co-leader Hamilton last week put the Falcons in first alone in the O-K Blue, and only Division 1 contenders Hudsonville and East Grand Rapids have joined Rockford in coming within single digits of catching them.
Wixom St. Catherine (12-1) The Stars have clinched a share of the Catholic League AA championship, after sharing it with Royal Oak Shrine Catholic last season. St. Catherine defeated Shrine 54-35 on Jan. 13 and will face the Knights again Friday to close the league schedule. The only loss this winter came to Detroit Country Day on Dec. 6, and only 11-win Flint Powers Catholic has come within single digits since that lone defeat.
DIVISION 3
Hancock (11-1) In a loaded Western Peninsula Athletic Conference, Hancock could emerge as the best starting tonight with the second of two meetings against Calumet (10-2), and with two against Houghton (12-1) coming up as well. The 45-39 win over Calumet on Dec. 13 was among Hancock’s best victories, and the lone loss came Jan. 13 to still-undefeated Escanaba, 50-49. The Bulldogs tied for second in the West-PAC West last season before losing their District opener to Ishpeming, but they’ve defeated Ishpeming 42-27 this winter and face the Hematites again Wednesday.
Traverse City St. Francis (11-1) Coming off avenging that lone loss to Harbor Springs (see above), St. Francis would seem to have the upper hand in the Lake Michigan Conference even with Elk Rapids also having just one league loss – they meet again Feb. 9, and St. Francis won the first matchup 43-26 on Jan. 13. The Gladiators are seeking their first league title since 2017-18 and annually are in the hunt; they’ve also had their last three seasons ended with playoff losses to Maple City Glen Lake, which they see Wednesday for the first time this winter.
DIVISION 4
Cedarville/DeTour (11-2) The Islanders lead the Eastern Upper Peninsula Athletic Conference and haven’t lost for more than a month, their defeats coming to still-unbeaten Mackinaw City and then Oscoda three days later in early December. It’s an impressive turnaround from last season’s 8-12 finish, and has included six victories against teams .500 or better and five against opponents with at least eight wins. A Feb. 14 home game against St. Ignace will provide another big opportunity.
Indian River Inland Lakes (10-4) An 0-2 start to this season is becoming a memory, especially after Inland Lakes avenged the second of those defeats – by 17 to Johannesburg-Lewiston – with a 55-51 win last week. The only other losses came to Mackinaw City at the Comets’ Christmas Tournament, and to Ski Valley Conference leader Gaylord St. Mary two weeks ago. The Bulldogs rebounded from their tough start in December with wins over Bellaire and Cheboygan that avenged 2021-22 losses.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – DeWitt (12-1) at Holt (12-2) – The co-leaders in the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue face off for the first of two meetings this season after the teams split a year ago.
Wednesday – Maple City Glen Lake (11-2) at Traverse City St. Francis (11-1) – In addition to those three playoff wins over St. Francis the last three seasons, Glen Lake is looking to extend a five-game regular-season winning streak against the Gladiators.
Thursday – Buchanan (12-1) at Niles Brandywine (10-1) – Buchanan is atop the Lakeland Conference standings and Brandywine is second because of the Bucks’ 49-45 overtime win when they met the first time Dec. 15.
Friday – Detroit Edison (10-2) at Farmington Hills Mercy (13-1) – Edison’s only defeats this season were to Illinois teams in early December, and only West Bloomfield last winter has handed the Pioneers an in-state loss over the last five seasons.
Friday – Escanaba (13-0) at Houghton (12-1) – The Eskymos will take their perfect record to the Keweenaw Peninsula in what could possibly be a preview of a Division 2 District Final as well.
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PHOTOS (Top) Marquette's Siena Lingle (21) attempts to block a shot by Calumet's Laina Kariniemi (14) during the Copper Kings' 50-44 win Jan. 23. (Middle) Haslett's Maddie Fant (5) and Abigail Brooks (24) defend during the Vikings' 52-32 win over Brighton on Saturday. (Top photo by Cara Kamps. Middle photo by High School Sports Scene.)
Inland Lakes Stacking Successes as Expectations Continue to Grow
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
March 21, 2025
Now that another great girls basketball season is over, Daryl Vizina is spending more time off the court.
But the Indian River Inland Lakes coach is spending just as much time in court.
Vizina, who serves as probate judge in Cheboygan County, has been balancing coaching and estates since 2019. At the time he was first elected, he also was coaching middle school boys basketball for Inland Lakes.
He took over the girls varsity basketball program in 2020, assuming the helm of a team coming off a 3-18 season. And, the Bulldogs hadn’t won a District championship in three decades or a conference title in two.
Inland Lakes now has won three straight Division 4 District titles. The Bulldogs reached a Regional Final for second time in three years, falling to St. Ignace. And, after capturing the Ski Valley Conference trophy a year ago, the Bulldogs racked up 21 wins against just five very close losses this winter in finishing second in the league.
The Bulldogs and Vizina are looking forward to returning next winter with even higher expectations. They will graduate only two seniors this spring.
The culture has changed from expecting a few wins to winning every time the Bulldogs step on the court.
“Winning comes at a price,” said Vizina, who was riding a bus back from a middle school game at Central Lake as the election results were being tabulated for his first term on the judicial bench. “The expectations are a blessing in a lot of ways but they also cause a lot of strain on the program. The girls walk into the gym every day knowing we’re expecting to perform, expecting to play well, and it’s a different state of mind.”
Next year’s expected returnees include center Ava Belford, who just had a terrific freshman season. Junior forward Chloe Robinson, who averaged 15 points and eight rebounds, will also be back, as will defensive standouts Elizabeth Furman, a sophomore, and junior Mary Myshock.
Furman and Myshock are considered among the best defenders in the area. They combined to shut down or slow down other teams’ leading scorers and were key reasons the Bulldogs held opponents to fewer than 40 points in 18 games.
“I would expect we are going to be better next year,” Vizina said. “We’ve got some young players that if they (experience) the growth I anticipate I think they are going to become really great ball players, and we have a core of older players that will be returning that are high-level.”
But you never can be certain, Vizina noted.
“You don’t know how much time people are willing to put in during the summer,” admitted Vizina. “You don’t know about injuries and other things that happen outside our control. But if we take care of business and we have good health and keep on the trajectory we’re on, I would expect us to be really, really good next year.”
The Bulldogs were only a few points shy of an undefeated regular season as the largest margin of defeat was only seven points – to this year’s conference champion, Gaylord St. Mary. The Bulldogs played their conference rival twice, as they always do, and fell short in overtime in the other contest.
“Our four regular-season losses were by a grand total of 14 points,” Vizina recalled. “If you look at really how close to being even better than 21-5 we were, we had a lot of success.”
The Bulldogs have patterned their play after the Michigan State Spartans and longtime coach Tom Izzo. In particular, they like the Spartans’ transitional offense.
“I am a big Michigan State guy,” Vizina said. “They are such a threat to run on you the other (way).”
Pressure defense and rotating eight to 10 players most games – and sometimes all 11 rostered players – has been a point of emphasis for Vizina since his middle school coaching days.
“We want to guard people the minute they get off the bus,” Vizina said, while noting the Bulldogs’ previous history featured a sit-back zone style. “It was really a struggle to get the girls to play fast, both transitional offense and fullcourt defenses. This year is the first year they really started to buy into it.”
Other keys to the Bulldogs’ success are the establishment of more youth programs and the increase of the school’s top female athletes making basketball their number one sport.
“Most of our great athletes in the school play basketball, and with a lot of them it’s become their primary sport, and I think that’s so important because where you really make ground is in the summer time,” Vizina explained. “They can choose between softball or volleyball or going to the beach, or basketball.”
Inland Lakes started a third and fourth-grade team five years ago, and some of those players made big contributions to the varsity this year.
“With our youth programs, we’ve got girls starting to fall in love with basketball at a young age,” Vizina said. “They’re now coming in as freshmen playing good minutes on varsity, and it’s really rewarding to see that bear fruit.”
Tom Spencer is a longtime MHSAA-registered basketball and soccer official, and former softball and baseball official, and he also has coached in the northern Lower Peninsula area. He previously has written for the Saginaw News, Bay County Sports Page and Midland Daily News. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Inland Lakes junior Mary Myshock (11) defends during a game against East Jordan this season. (Middle) Bulldogs coach Daryl Vizina directs his team during a timeout. (Below) Junior Chloe Robinson (12) puts up a jumper over a pair of defenders. (Photos by Jared Greenleaf/Cheboygan Tribune.)