Breslin Bound: 2023-24 Girls Report Post-Break
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 8, 2024
A new year can allow for a fresh start as teams come back from holiday break.
But several of Michigan’s best girls basketball teams will want to remember what they accomplished during this season’s first month – and especially over these last few weeks.
Most have played anywhere from a quarter to nearly half of their regular-season schedules, and 43 teams enter this week still undefeated. Another 82 have only one loss.
A handful are highlighted below as “Breslin Bound” also begins again, 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 48, Parma Western 45 (OT) Edison (7-0) has played only three in-state opponents so far, and its scares over the last few seasons from Michigan teams have been fewer still, but the Pioneers handled this one to win the Parma Western Holiday Tournament over the host Panthers (4-5).
2. Goodrich 46, Hemlock 32 The Martians (8-0) haven’t lost since reaching the Division 2 Semifinals last season, and over the last month they’ve followed up avenging that Breslin loss to Frankenmuth on Dec. 19 with this win Dec. 29 over the reigning Division 3 champ Huskies (5-2) at the Michigan Hardwood Classic at Romulus.
3. Rockford 71, Grand Rapids West Catholic 57 This win to open the Cornerstone University Holiday Tournament Gold bracket over another 2023 Division 2 semifinalist in the Falcons (6-1) was sandwiched between wins over Frankenmuth and then Chelsea in the Gold championship game.
4. Niles Brandywine 45, Blissfield 43 The Bobcats (5-0) handed reigning Division 3 runner-up Blissfield (5-1) its lone loss of the season, also at the Hardwood Classic.
5. Ypsilanti Arbor Prep 51, Lowell 46 Arbor Prep (7-2) finished a successful holiday break run by handing Lowell (6-1) its lone loss, at the West Michigan Hoop Summit at Aquinas College.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Canton (7-0) Canton finished 11-13 a year ago, but that record may not have told the entire story; the team plays in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West and finished sixth behind five teams that all won at least 14 games. Six losses by six or fewer points seem to be going the other way, as Canton has close wins over Macomb Dakota and Bloomfield Hills, the former Dakota’s only loss. A 49-41 win over Plymouth on Friday sent the Wildcats to 7-2.
Rockford (7-0) The reigning Division 1 champion has been nothing short of excellent during its encore with wins over Frankenmuth, West Catholic and Chelsea – see above – plus notable victories of more than 20 points over Byron Center and Muskegon. The West Catholic victory avenged last season’s lone loss, as Rockford now has won 30 straight games.
DIVISION 2
Goodrich (8-0) The Martians are rivaling Rockford’s impressiveness with the wins noted above against Frankenmuth and Hemlock plus a 10-pointer over Kingston – the Cardinals’ only loss – and wins on back-to-back nights last week by 20 over Farmington Hills Mercy and two over Grand Blanc. Lake Fenton dealt Goodrich three of its four losses last season, and they meet for the first time Jan. 19.
Negaunee (9-0) The Miners have hovered between Divisions 2 and 3 the last few seasons and moved back into Division 2 after reaching the Division 3 Regional Finals a year ago. Negaunee already has defeated all four opponents it lost to last season – Escanaba, Houghton, Hancock and Calumet – and the Miners won their Christmas Tournament by handing the only loss this season to Manton and then defeating reigning Division 4 runner-up Baraga 63-48.
DIVISION 3
Manton (8-1) As noted above, Manton’s only loss came at Negaunee 57-50 – and among its eight wins, four have come against teams that defeated Manton last season as the Rangers finished 7-14. They’ve also stormed out to a 5-0 start in the Highland Conference and play Roscommon on Friday for the league lead.
Sanford Meridian (5-0) After going 20-2 last season, but running into Hemlock in the District Final, Meridian is picking up where it left off. The Mustangs have won by an average margin of 36.2 points per game, including impressively over Jack Pine Conference opponents Clare and Beaverton (both 5-2). Meridian won the league last season, and reigning runner-up Farwell comes to Sanford on Thursday.
DIVISION 4
Fowler (6-1) The Eagles opened with a 55-47 loss to Division 1 Midland Dow, but haven’t lost since despite facing two of their biggest Central Michigan Athletic Conference rivals and a New Lothrop team expected to contend in the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference. Fowler reached the Division 4 Semifinals and has played at Breslin the last three seasons but is seeking its first league title since 2021; its first game with reigning CMAC champ Dansville is Jan. 24.
Martin (6-1) Handing Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep a 40-35 loss Dec. 12 no doubt was a plus; the Irish ended Martin’s 2022-23 in a District Final. But the best win so far arguably came 10 days later, 32-27 over Saugatuck, which is perhaps the biggest threat as Martin seeks to repeat in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Central.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Portland (7-0) at Lansing Catholic (3-3) – The eventual Division 2 champion Cougars were first and Portland second in the Capital Area Activities Conference White last season, with Lansing Catholic winning both meetings by more than 20 points.
Thursday – Michigan Center (8-0) at Grass Lake (6-2) – These two and Leslie look like early favorites in the Cascades Conference East. Grass Lake’s two losses are by a combined three points to Division 1 Saline and Division 2 Parma Western.
Friday – Salem (6-1) at Canton (7-0) – Salem won all three matchups with its neighbor last season, first earning the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West championship and with the last to claim a District title.
Friday – Lowell (6-1) at Byron Center (7-2) – Byron Center won 22 games and the Ottawa-Kent Conference White title last season, sweeping third-place Lowell – which still went on to win 18 games and a District title.
Friday – Ishpeming (5-0) at Negaunee (9-0) – Negaunee claimed last season’s meetings by nine and then one point on the way to finishing just ahead of the Hematites in the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference East.
MHSAA.com's weekly “Breslin Bound” previews and reviews 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. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTOS (Top) Negaunee's Keira Waterman goes up for a shot while being defended by Ishpeming Westwood's Makayla Fisher (1) and Kaylin Doney (30) during a Dec. 21 win. (Middle) Marysville’s Avery Wolters passes to a teammate on the perimeter during her team’s loss to Davison at the Skippers Holiday Showcase on Dec. 28 at St. Clair County Community College. (Photos by Cara Kamps and Terry Lyons, respectively.)
Breslin Bound: 2024-25 Girls Report Week 11
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 17, 2025
The final basketball bracket reveal of the MHSAA winter season is coming up Sunday, when Girls Basketball District pairings will be announced. For the first time, all teams in every District will be seeded based on Michigan Power Ratings (MPR).
MPR is calculated using wins and losses for games played between teams entered into the MHSAA Tournament. Scores of games, margin of victory and location of games are not included in the MPR formula. The final MPR number is 25 percent of the team's winning percentage, plus 50 percent of its opponent's winning percentage, plus 25 percent of its opponent's opponent's winning percentage – the total rewarding both success and strength of schedule.
A number of league championship deciders will take place this week, as will a handful of nonleague matchups of potential MHSAA Finals contenders as they tune up for March.
“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 62, Wayne Memorial 38 Two weeks after suffering its only loss this season, to Wayne (14-6), Belleville (18-1) stormed back to set up a possible shared title in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association East with one league game to play for both.
2. Haslett 80, Detroit Country Day 52 The Vikings (15-2) avenged a 20-point loss from last season to the Yellowjackets (14-5) as both look forward to MHSAA Tournament aspirations in March.
3. Yale 36, Sandusky 19 Both of these teams are closing in on league titles, and maybe more as Yale (18-1) handed Sandusky (16-1) its only loss and they will go separate ways for the postseason.
4. East Jordan 54, Gaylord St. Mary 42 The Red Devils (15-4) shuffled the Ski Valley Conference standings a bit with St. Mary (15-2) and Indian River Inland Lakes now both with just one league loss and East Jordan with two and three league games to play.
5. Midland 62, Flint Powers Catholic 46 The Chemics (16-1) remain one game ahead of Saginaw Heritage in the Saginaw Valley League after Heritage also defeated Powers (12-5) on Friday.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Clarkston (13-6) The Wolves are one win away from clinching the Oakland Activities Association Red title, one spot ahead of reigning Division 1 champion West Bloomfield in the standings thanks in part to a 48-41 win over the Lakers on Jan. 31. Clarkston has won nine of its last 10 games, its only defeat during that time to Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (14-3), and with a win over OAA Blue leader Auburn Hills Avondale (15-3) during the run. The Wolves will be ready for high-level competition next month with losses as well this season to Flint Powers (12-5), Hartland (15-4), Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (18-1), Country Day (14-5) and Detroit Edison (12-3).
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (14-3) The Eaglets claimed their second-straight league championship, sharing the title in the Catholic High School League Central West division after winning the AA a year ago. They split with co-champion Farmington Hills Mercy (13-4), winning the first meeting and losing the second, and their other defeats were similarly strong against FGR and Country Day. Wins over Livonia Stevenson (15-5) and Clarkston (see above) also pop off the page, and OLSM can carry some significant momentum into the postseason with a good result Feb. 27 at Frankenmuth (16-3).
DIVISION 2
Haslett (15-2) The Vikings opened this season with a loss to Division 1 contender Rockford (19-1), but have fallen only one more time since, to Division 1 DeWitt (17-1). Add those to last week’s win over Country Day and a perfect run through the Capital Area Activities Conference Red so far, and the Vikings have steadily raised their profile again after finishing second in the league but then winning a District title a year ago. The most impressive CAAC Red win was 67-56 over second-place St. Johns (15-3), with the rematch coming up Friday. Haslett also closes the regular season with possible Regional Semifinal opponent Parma Western (17-1), although to see Western a second time Haslett must first navigate a District that includes Wixom St. Catherine (15-3).
Vicksburg (16-2) Back-to-back losses to Paw Paw (14-3) and Niles Brandywine (17-0) as January turned to February have been just a momentary detour as Vicksburg has clinched at least a share of the Wolverine Conference title, the Bulldogs’ third straight. They reached the Division 1 Quarterfinals a year ago and have continued to impress again, winning the first meeting with Paw Paw and earning other notable victories over Stevensville Lakeshore (12-3) and Coldwater (12-6) among others. Vicksburg can clinch the league title outright against Edwardsburg on Friday and should be the favorite in its District that also includes Marshall (13-5) but three sub-.500 teams.
DIVISION 3
Bronson (15-2) A 51-32 win over Concord on Feb. 4 has Bronson in position to share the Big 8 Conference title with the Yellow Jackets (16-4), who won the first meting 49-46 on Jan. 3. That would be a jump from finishing third in the league and 16-7 overall a season ago, and the only other loss this time was to undefeated Brandywine. Games against Division 1 Sturgis (11-7) and Division 2 Buchanan (10-8) should provide some additional prep as Bronson prepares to host a District that will include Southwest 10 Conference leader Centreville (12-4) and Quincy (10-7), which Bronson has defeated twice.
Grass Lake (15-3) Grass Lake has clinched a share of the Cascades Conference East title, its seventh-straight league championship, and jumped from No. 15 to 12 to No. 6 in statewide Division 3 MPR over the last three weeks. The Warriors are on a 12-game winning streak that’s included pairs of victories over Michigan Center (15-2) and Leslie (13-5) and handing Division 1 Detroit Renaissance (18-1) its only loss. The run kicked off after a 3-3 start that included losses to Chelsea (14-2), Country Day and Jackson Lumen Christi (12-5) – and Grass Lake could see Lumen again in the District the Warriors will be hosting.
DIVISION 4
Clarkston Everest Collegiate (13-2) After finishing as a league runner-up the last two seasons, Everest has won its first championship since 2012-13 with a perfect run through the CHSL Intersectional 1. The only losses this season were to Division 2 Warren Regina and Wixom St. Catherine, and all of the Mountaineers’ wins have come by at least 15 points. Everest will face two of its toughest opponents to close the regular season, Division 3 Rochester Hills Northwest (13-4) and Division 2 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (12-5), both next week.
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (13-0) A 40-37 win over St. Charles last week kept Sacred Heart undefeated and atop the Mid-State Activities Conference alone after finishing a regular-season sweep of the second-place Bulldogs. A league title would be Sacred Heart’s first since 2019-20 and follow last year’s run to the Quarterfinals. The Irish will fit six league games into the next two weeks, including matchups with third-place Fulton (11-6), fourth-place Merrill (10-6) and fifth-place Breckenridge (9-6). Sacred Heart also had a notable two-point opening win this season over Beaverton (12-5).
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Rockford (19-1) at Frankenmuth (16-3) – These Divisions 1 and 2 powers, respectively, meet again with Rockford having taken last year’s matchup 67-44.
Thursday – Detroit Renaissance (18-1) at Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (18-1) – The annual Operation Friendship game between Detroit Public School League and Catholic High School League tournament champions also matches up contenders statewide in Divisions 1 and 2, respectively.
Thursday – Yale (18-1) at Armada (15-1) – At least a share of the Blue Water Area Conference title could be decided with Yale a game ahead in the standings after downing Armada 69-62 on Jan. 28.
Friday – Detroit Edison (12-3) at Belleville (18-1) – Two more potential favorites in Divisions 2 and 1, respectively, will meet again after Edison won last year’s matchup 57-46.
Friday – Utica Eisenhower (18-1) at Utica Ford (17-1) – Eisenhower has a one-game lead going into this Macomb Area Conference Red finale after handing Ford its lone defeat, 64-49 on Jan. 28.
MHSAA.com's weekly “Breslin Bound” previews and reviews 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. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTOS (Top) Oscoda’s Kingsley Backstrom (22) drives to the basket during her team’s 59-26 win over Saginaw Valley Lutheran on Feb. 11. (Middle) Pewamo-Westphalia’s Alonna Thelen (40) puts up a jumper during her team’s 59-53 victory over Fowler on Feb. 5. (Oscoda/Valley Lutheran photo by Kolleth Photo. P-W/Fowler photo by Team Arreguin Photos.)