Breslin Bound: 2024-25 Girls Report Week 2
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 16, 2024
The girls basketball season is barely two weeks old, and the showcase portion that always highlights the first month not even half over – but Division 2 especially is giving us a lot to follow already this winter.
Tecumseh’s double-overtime win over reigning champion Detroit Edison this weekend, combined with Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard’s scorching start, are enough to get the conversation going. Add in a big win from Chelsea, and notable starts from several others, and there’s plenty to talk about.
“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. Tecumseh 70, Detroit Edison 65 (2 OT) This Best of Michigan matchup at Belleville saw Tecumseh (3-0), a Division 2 quarterfinalist last season, outlast the reigning champion Pioneers (2-1).
2. Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard 55, Rockford 43 The Fighting Irish (4-0) finished up a three-win week with this one over the returning Division 1 semifinalist Rams (2-1), also at Best of Michigan.
3. Chelsea 61, Grand Blanc 58 Chelsea (4-0) is off to another great starter, with this win over the reigning Division 1 runner-up Bobcats (2-2) adding an exclamation mark.
4. Belleville 84, West Bloomfield 49 The Tigers (3-0) made a big early statement against the reigning Division 1 champion Lakers (0-3), which admittedly has had a tough start as they replace four starters from last season.
5. Grandville 48, Midland Dow 42 The Bulldogs (5-0) also are establishing themselves early, with this win over the Chargers (3-2) to open the Petoskey Invitational before Grandville defeated Bay City Western as well the following day.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Hartland (4-0) After finishing a solid 15-9 last season, Hartland might be ready to make a move after a pair of dominating wins last week over Rochester Adams and Linden coming off a 40-26 victory over Holt and 38-36 win over Clarkston during the first week this winter – Holt made the Division 1 Quarterfinals last year and Clarkston was a Regional finalist. Hartland tied for fourth in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West last season and will start that schedule Thursday at Salem.
Saline (4-0) The Hornets have dealt the lone losses this season to three of the four teams on their early schedule – Birmingham Seaholm, Livonia Stevenson and Monroe. Saline won all of those games by 14 points or more, with its closest victory by six over South Lyon East. The Hornets are prepping for a tough road ahead, as they finished second in the Southeastern Conference Red last winter to a Temperance Bedford team that reached the Division 1 Quarterfinals and lost in their District to a Belleville team that played in the Semifinals at Breslin Center.
DIVISION 2
Chelsea (4-0) As noted above, Friday’s win over Grand Blanc stands out most during this fast start for the Bulldogs – but there’s more to tell. Chelsea navigated a first week that included a 54-51 win over Grass Lake and a 50-43 victory over Sault Ste. Marie at Aquinas College – those opponents won 19 and 14 games, respectively last season – and the Bulldogs defeated another returning 19-game winner in Trenton by 32 last week. The win over the Sault the Blue Devils’ only loss so far.
Spring Lake (3-0) The Lakers jumped from 11-11 two seasons ago to 18-7 last winter, and they are prepped for another move coming off a 70-38 win over Fruitport after much closer victories over Fremont (41-37) and Big Rapids (34-32) to start this campaign – Fremont won 20 games and Big Rapids 13 last season. Nemesis Grand Rapids West Catholic – which defeated Spring Lake twice in league play last season and then in a Regional Final – is in a different league this winter, but the Lakers will get another chance to avenge a 2023-24 loss Friday at Grand Haven.
DIVISION 3
Calumet (3-0) The Copper Kings became the second team this season to deal reigning Division 4 champion Ishpeming a loss, downing the Hematites 52-32 on Thursday after losing to them by 26 a year ago. Calumet is hoping for that kind of turnaround overall this winter coming off an 11-12 finish, and wins over West Iron County and Hancock also are nice signs of what may be to come – Calumet swept West Iron during the 2023-24 regular season but lost to the Wykons by 10 in their District opener, and Calumet also split with Hancock last winter but won their matchup last week by 20.
Leslie (3-0) The Blackhawks are coming off a 19-7 run and tie for second place in what was their first season playing in a powerful Cascades Conference East last winter. Leslie this season already has a 51-43 win over Brooklyn Columbia Central, avenging one of those losses from a year ago, to go with double-digit victories over Laingsburg and East Jackson. Leslie will have nearly a half-season of prep before seeing the other Cascades East contenders, taking on Grass Lake for the first time Jan. 16 and Michigan Center for the first time Jan. 29.
DIVISION 4
Ewen-Trout Creek (4-0) Ewen-Trout Creek has won two straight District titles and reached the Regional Final last winter before falling to Ishpeming, ending that run at 20-6. The Panthers have plowed through the first two weeks with all of their wins by at least 19 points, including 58-35 over Ironwood after splitting with the Red Devils last season. E-TC will get a nice test moving into the new year Dec. 27, when it faces host Negaunee at the Irontown Holiday Bash.
Morenci (4-0) The Bulldogs also are coming off a successful 21-4 run last season as they sprinted through the Tri-County Conference and reached the Division 4 Quarterfinals. They opened this season with big wins over Division 2 Adrian and Division 3 Onsted before settling in last week with a 43-41 win over Concord and 62-46 victory over Reading. Concord also was a 20-game winner last season.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Saginaw Heritage (5-0) at Freeland (3-0) – These two annually have aspirations not only in league play but statewide in Divisions 1 and 2, respectively, and Heritage won last year’s matchup 44-42.
Friday – Rockford (2-1) vs. Grand Rapids Catholic Central (4-0) at Cornerstone University – This is among premier matchups of the Cornerstone Holiday Classic, with both also playing next Monday as well.
Saturday – Detroit Edison (2-1) at Detroit Renaissance (4-0) – This rematch highlights the Lady Phoenix Shootout, as Edison won last season’s meeting 46-38.
Saturday – Belleville (3-0) vs. Parma Western (3-0) at Detroit Renaissance – This undefeated pair will meet up as part of the Lady Phoenix Shootout as well.
Jan. 4 – Goodrich (3-1) at Grand Blanc (2-2) – As noted above, Grand Blanc is the reigning Division 1 runner-up, and Goodrich finished 26-1 a year ago with coach Jason Gray earning his 500th win in his team’s season opener this month.
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PHOTOS (Top) Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary's Charli Alcorn (12) prepares to pass during her team's 56-37 win over Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central on Friday. (Middle) Perry's Abigail Cochrane (21) and Bath's Jordyn Lira (23) chase after a loose ball during the Bees' 54-24 win Thursday. (MLS/Nouvel photo by Kolleth Photo. Bath/Perry photo by Click by Christine McCallister.)
Pittsford Caps Finals Return as Champ
March 19, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
EAST LANSING – Laura Smith's emotions whirled like a tornado Saturday afternoon.
After her team came so close a year ago to winning its first MHSAA championship, the Pittsford senior was ecstatic.
But realizing immediately that her four-year varsity career was done after an incredible 91-8 run, she was sad as well.
What a way to finish. The Wildcats, who ended their first MHSAA Finals trip with an overtime loss a year ago, all but wrapped up their first championship during the third quarter of a 48-30 Class D victory over Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart at the Breslin Center.
“Just coming here last year, I was so nervous. Then we lost, and it was devastating,” Smith said. “This year, when we won, I didn’t know how to feel. I was so happy, and then I started crying because it was my last game. I don’t want to leave these girls; they’re my best friends, and we play so well together on the court. But I’ll come back next year and watch them win again.”
Pittsford closed this winter 27-0, to go with finishes of 16-6, 22-1 and 26-1, respectively, over the last three seasons.
And “tornado” was the operative word of the day, the result of the Wildcats’ most meaningful lesson learned during last season’s championship game loss to St. Ignace.
Pittsford led that game 34-21 at halftime and by eight with a quarter to play before the Saints came back to tie it by the end of regulation and win 64-60 with the extra period.
Hence “tornado,” Pittsford’s appropriately named halfcourt pressure defense that led to many of Sacred Heart’s 29 turnovers – off which the Wildcats scored 37 of their 48 points.
“We kept our intensity up the entire game, pressuring the entire game,” Pittsford junior guard Jaycie Burger said. “Last year … we came out and our defense just fell apart. The whole game (today), at halftime, we told each other we have to play defense, we’re still playing defense, and that’s what helped us out.
“We really wanted to win this game a lot, and every time we scored a basket, got a turnover, we were just that much closer to winning the game.”
That began to become apparent during Pittsford’s 9-0 run to end the first half that included six Sacred Heart turnovers and put the Wildcats up 22-13.
The run continued with the first seven points of the third quarter, coming off three more turnovers.
“Their pressure really caused us to move a little faster than we wanted to,” Sacred Heart coach Damon Brown said. “They made it difficult for us to get into our offense, and when you can’t get into your offense it’s difficult to be effective. I thought we did a good job in the first half of managing that, but then they had that run right there at halftime. I think that got us on our heels, and we were scrambling a bit to try to adjust from there.”
The Irish (24-2) had been held to 30 or fewer points three more times this season, but had won all three of those games.
“We can still work on it,” Pittsford coach Chris Hodos joked. “No, our defense is outstanding. You saw it in our Semifinal game. Our Quarterfinal game, I think we had 24 steals. I asked them to work harder (earlier this winter). We went to some different drills halfway through the season. They did what I asked them – a pretty easy team to coach.”
Like Waterford Our Lady on Thursday, Sacred Heart also couldn’t contain Pittsford junior forward Maddie Clark. She made 10 of 15 shots for 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to go with her 24 points and 16 rebounds in the Semifinal.
She and senior Madison Ayers also combined to stifle Irish senior center Averi Gamble, who got off only five shots and finished with eight points – half her average. Freshman guard Scout Nelson was the team’s leading scorer with nine.
Gamble and senior guard Megan English also started on the team that won the Class D championship in 2014. This season they were joined in the starting lineup by three underclassmen and mentored a team that should return the other five players who saw the floor Saturday.
“It doesn’t always have to be about winning. Just being with these girls is a blessing in itself,” Gamble said.
“The way these girls competed all 32 minutes, that was just amazing,” English added. “I wouldn’t want to play with any other team and finish with any other team.”
Ayers, who like Smith played on the varsity as a freshman and sophomore, took off last season but returned this winter after being persuaded by her past and now current teammates and also by how much desire they showed during last season’s run. Ayers finished with eight points and Burger had 11, three assists and four steals.
All but Smith and Ayers should be back next season, when the Wildcats will attempt to add to the current juniors’ career record of 75-2.
“From (when we were) little, we’ve always wanted to win,” Clark said. “Seventy-five and two, that’s pretty amazing. We want to keep it going; (we've) got one more year.
“When we were little we played junior pro together, and our junior pro record growing up was like 100-10, so we don’t really know how to lose,” Burger added. “I mean, we don’t like to lose. … It’s been a great, great opportunity that we’ve had. To go through three years with only two losses is a really special thing, and I’m just thankful we get to do it together.”
The Girls Basketball Finals are presented by Sparrow Health System.
PHOTOS: (Top) Pittsford players including Laura Smith (14) and Madison Ayers (15) celebrate their first MHSAA girls basketball championship. (Middle) Sacred Heart’s Sophie Ruggles works to get to the basket as Pittsford’s Maddie Clark defends.