Breslin Bound: 2025-26 Girls Quarterfinal Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 17, 2026
The return of winter – in a massive way – has made getting into this final week of the MHSAA girls basketball season a little complicated, to put it more lightly than the snow has been falling.
But plans are set, and all Quarterfinals are a go – to be played tonight and Wednesday – with one more win needed to keep the road trip going all the way to East Lansing.
Below are quick glances at all 16 matchups. Games tip off at 7 p.m. today unless noted. Details on tickets, brackets and more can be found on the Girls Basketball page. To watch all 16 games online, visit the NFHS Network.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com. (Abbreviations below denote ppg - points per game, rpg - rebounds per game, apg - assists per game, and spg - steals per game.)
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Cass City 54, Sandusky 30 Cass City (19-5) in Division 3 clinched its first Regional championship in this sport while avenging a regular-season loss to Sandusky (23-2).
2. Onekama 49, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 47 A last-second basket over the Irish (19-6) gave the Portagers (18-7) this Division 4 win and their first Regional title since 1997.
3. Detroit Renaissance 62, Wayne Memorial 60 (2 OT) Renaissance (21-2) advanced to this week by winning this Division 1 thriller, avenging a 22-point regular-season loss to the Zebras (21-3).
4. Ishpeming 40, Ewen-Trout Creek 29 The Hematites (22-3) clinched their Regional title by downing last season’s Division 4 runner-up in E-TC (22-4).
5. Fraser 47, New Baltimore Anchor Bay 43 Fraser (24-2) claimed its first Regional title since 2006 by coming back from 11 points down to catch Anchor Bay (23-3).
Quarterfinals at a Glance
DIVISION 1
Muskegon (23-2) vs. Grand Haven (23-3) at Hudsonville
These two met Jan. 28, with Grand Haven winning 47-46. The Big Reds haven’t lost since, and they have a big-time scorer in senior guard and Miss Basketball Award finalist Marian Sain (20.2 ppg, 42 3-pointers) – who is making nearly 48 percent of her 3-point tries. Grand Haven does damage in the post led by 6-foot-4 junior center Mallory Woiteshek (15.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 3.3 bpg), one of the state’s top volleyball players.
Utica Eisenhower (23-2) vs. Fraser (24-2) at Detroit Mercy
Eisenhower is playing in its first Quarterfinal since 1982, and Fraser in its first since 2006. Guard Janielle Turner is one of three sophomore Eisenhower starters and leads four Eagles scoring in double figures at 13 ppg. Senior forward Brynn Norbeck (13 ppg, 9.1 rpg) and 6-3 freshman center Nylah Bell (11.3 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 3.1 bpg) are a powerful pair in the post for the Ramblers.
DeWitt (21-4) vs. Belleville (25-1) at Mason
This is a rematch from a year ago, when Belleville won 59-54. The reigning Division 1 champion Tigers this winter have avenged their lone loss to Howell with a 58-44 Regional Semifinal win last week and again boast Miss Basketball Award finalist Se’Crette Carter and 2027 favorite Sydney Savoury. DeWitt graduated two 1,000-point scorers after last season but has made it all the way back with senior forward Carly Dennis (12.1 ppg) leading a balanced lineup.
Dearborn (14-11) vs. Detroit Renaissance (21-2) at Detroit Mercy, 5:30 p.m.
Dearborn is coming off its first Regional championship and notably achieved that starting four sophomores and junior, with that junior – 6-2 center Zeinab Homayed – leading the way at 14 points, 11 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. Renaissance got past Wayne Memorial 62-60 in overtime to advance, avenging a 22-point loss from December. Senior forward Jaebri’an Autry sets the pace at 15 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.
DIVISION 2
Petoskey (22-3) vs. Flint Powers Catholic (23-3) at Lake City, Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Petoskey won its second Regional title this week and will play in its first Quarterfinal since 1999. Three Northmen – all underclassmen – score between 10-13 points per game, with freshman guard Elaina Flynn tops at 13 ppg and joined by sophomore guard Lyla Janes (10.3 ppg) and freshman forward Ella Sulitis (10 ppg). Two of Powers’ losses came to teams playing in Division 1 Quarterfinals. Senior guard Kendyl Smith was a Miss Basketball Award finalist and averages 17.8 points, 4.7 assists and three assists per game.
Tecumseh (24-2) vs. Carleton Airport (24-2) at Chelsea
Reigning Division 2 champion Tecumseh has given up more than 39 points only once over its last 14 wins and has five players scoring at least nine points per game led by sisters freshman Avery (13.3 ppg) and junior Addi Zajac (13.2). Airport is making its first trip to the Quarterfinals and riding a 16-game winning streak. Junior Sophia Mator (16.7 ppg) and senior Olivia Gratz (15.4) are the lead scorers from a potent guard-driven attack.
Detroit Country Day (15-9) vs. Goodrich (26-0) at St. Clair County Community College
Goodrich is playing in a Quarterfinal for the fourth-straight season and hasn’t lost since last year’s against Tecumseh. Junior guard Baylor Lauinger scores a team-high 15.5 ppg with a team-best 4.2 assists per contest for the Martians. After losses the last two seasons to Detroit Edison – including in last season’s Quarterfinal – and another in December, Country Day defeated the Pioneers 51-43 in a Regional Semifinal on the way to this week. Senior guard Naiya Krispin scores a team-high 14.9 ppg and is a strong outside shooter.
Grand Rapids West Catholic (20-5) vs. Grand Rapids South Christian (26-0) at Hudsonville Unity Christian
This will be the third meeting this season between the Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold champion Sailors and runner-up West Catholic, with South Christian winning the first two by 11 and six points. The Sailors have four players scoring between 10-13 points per game, and also four who have made at least 30 3-pointers this season – senior guard Lizzie Wolthuis is on both lists at 12 ppg and 64 3s. Sophomore guard Kenley Slanger is the top perimeter threat for the Falcons at 16.8 ppg while making 35 percent of her 3-point attempts.
DIVISION 3
Cass City (19-5) vs. Pewamo-Westphalia (24-2) at Millington
After taking its only loss last season in its Regional Final, P-W has advanced a step farther. Sophomore forward Adrianna Eklund (12.8 ppg) and senior guard Elly Bengel (12) lead a balanced lineup with several strong 3-point shooters. Cass City won its first Regional title last week, avenging a 17-point loss to Sandusky from the regular-season finale. Sophomore Skylar Ignash (19.2 ppg) and freshman Isabella Bennett (13.5) are a talented one-two scoring punch who make the future bright as well.
Roscommon (20-3) vs. Morley Stanwood (22-3) at Lake City
Roscommon is playing in its first Quarterfinal since 1996 and has advanced by winning all of its postseason games by at least 16 points. Morley Stanwood is back for the first time since winning the Class C title in 2012, with senior forward Katelynne Nawrot (17.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg) setting the pace in the post and potentially matching up with Roscommon senior forward Alex Carper (11.4 ppg, 9.0 rpg) near the basket.
Jackson Lumen Christi (22-3) vs. Plymouth Christian Academy (21-5) at Ypsilanti Lincoln
The Titans are playing in a Quarterfinal for the second-straight season, with sophomore point guard Kenna Hunt (19.9 ppg, 3.8 spg) continuing to establish herself among the top players in her class statewide. PCA has made a nice jump this season from 12-12 a year ago, paced by four senior starters and leading scorer Lauren Scott, a freshman guard averaging 16.1 ppg with 58 3-pointers.
Hart (16-9) vs. Niles Brandywine (25-1) at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix
Hart won its first Regional title since 2023 and rebounded from a few stumbles at the end of the regular season, avenging losses to Shelby and Kent City along the way. Junior guard Rilynn Porter leads at 15.3 ppg with 59 3-pointers and also more than three assists and three steals per contest. Brandywine is seeking to reach Breslin for the third-straight season and with two starters back from a year ago in junior Lily Gill (13.7 ppg) and senior Karleigh Byrd (9.3).
DIVISION 4
Morenci (25-1) vs. Kingston (26-0) at West Bloomfield
This may be the most intriguing Quarterfinal of all, with the only loss between these teams Morenci’s to Brooklyn Columbia Central two months ago. Kingston fell a game short of reaching the final week last season but is back led by senior guard Molly Walker (29.1 ppg, 71 3-pointers), who went over 2,000 career points in the team’s Regional Final win. Morenci has a top perimeter scorer as well in senior guard Emersyn Bachelder (18.1 ppg).
Ishpeming (22-3) vs. Indian River Inland Lakes (22-3) at Gaylord, Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Ishpeming is just two years removed from winning the Division 4 title and is one game away from playing at Breslin again, with senior guard Jenessa Eagle (24.4 ppg) and senior center Mya Hemmer (16.6) starters from that previous run. Inland Lakes is playing in its first Quarterfinal after playing into Regionals the last three seasons. Senior forward Chloe Robinson leads a balanced attack at 13.1 ppg.
Frankfort (17-7) vs. Onekama (18-7) at Cadillac
Both posted some of last week’s biggest headlines, Frankfort downing Mio and then handing Gaylord St. Mary just its second loss and Onekama winning its first Regional title since 1997. Frankfort defeated Onekama by six and four in their meetings this season. Senior forward Addie Jarosz (11.4 ppg, 8.8 rpg) is a stat-sheet filler for the Panthers, and junior guard Ava Mauntler leads a balanced Portagers lineup in scoring (10.5 ppg) and assists.
Portland St. Patrick (21-5) vs. Concord (24-2) at Mason
Concord is playing to reach the Semifinals for the second-straight season as it seeks a first championship to go with that won by its boys team Saturday. Senior guard Cieara Barrett (18.7 ppg) and junior guard Bradie Lehman (18.6) have both reached 1,000 career points this season. Portland St. Patrick is playing its first Quarterfinal since 2012, with junior guard Gracelyn Rockey (15.5 ppg) a force leading the team in scoring, 3-pointers, rebounds (6.8), assists, steals (3.4) and blocks.
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PHOTOS (Top) Kingston senior Molly Walker (left) leads a rush up court during her team’s Regional Final victory over Deckerville on Wednesday. (Middle) Utica Eisenhower’s Madison Repicky (0) walls off the lane during her team’s Regional Final win over Clarkston. (Below) Ewen-Trout Creek's McKayla Basel (30) and Bree Besonen (2) and Ishpeming's Mya Hemmer go after a loose ball during their Division 4 Regional Final. (Kingston/Deckerville photo by Kolleth Photo. Eisenhower/Clarkston photo by Terry Lyons. Ishpeming/Ewen-Trout Creek photo by Cara Kamps.)
St. John's Potent All-Around Game Includes Abilities To Direct, Dazzle
By
Tim Robinson
Special for MHSAA.com
February 25, 2022
HOWELL — Maeve St. John is, as an opposing coach described her, “the straw that stirs the drink” on the Howell girls basketball team.
And, at first glance, the evidence backs that assertion.
She is the team’s captain, leading scorer, one of its top rebounders, the school record-holder for assists and she also paces the Highlanders in charges taken, steals and blocked shots.
But, she said, her teammates keep her in line and focused, and that has made the difference in a Howell team that has beaten Division 1 powers Hartland and Wayne Memorial this season, with a possible rematch with Hartland in next week’s District tournament.
The difference?
“I accept criticism a lot better,” St. John says. “Last year, I was definitely more hard-headed. I feel I’m taking so much more advice from my teammates, and they hold me much more accountable. They can help me be better.”
What she’s been good at this season is helping her teammates be better, finding an open teammate, which in turn opens up more shots for herself.
Asked if she prefers scoring to feeding her teammates, St. John is quick with an answer.
“Assists are way better,” she said. “It's fun watching your teammates score, going in and getting a bucket and hitting shots. That’s exciting.”
St. John is averaging 15 points per game, with a robust 7.2 assists per contest and nearly three steals per as well.
“She’s better at harnessing her energy, and not feeling she has to be the one who does it all,” Howell coach Tim Olszewski said. “Maybe it’s an increased trust in her teammates, but she’s understanding that if she can draw an extra defender to her, then one of her teammates is open.”
St. John also occasionally makes a flashy move for no other reason than she can, sometimes looking over at the Howell bench with a smirk on her face.
“If you’re not trying to have fun out there, you’re not going to have fun,” she said. “I’m always looking to have fun out there. I’m always competing, trying new moves. Sometimes, they work. Sometimes they don’t, and I’m on the bench. Either way, it’s fun to try new things, to see what you’re capable of.”
That keeps opposing coaches, and her teammates, on alert, especially when St. John sees an opening and whips the ball to a teammate that may or may not be anticipating the pass.
“That happens a lot,” teammate Molly Duerloo said, chuckling. “But we capitalize on that. Her (on-court) vision has become better.”
Make no mistake about it: St. John has that rare combination of talent, curiosity, and joy one doesn’t often see in a top player.
“Boy, can she play this game,” Olszewski said. “She’s one of those special, special players. She just is. I don’t know how else to say it. She’s got the ability and the head about herself, and it’s going to be wonderful to watch her for four years at Northwood, because I think she’s going to excel there.”
Brighton coach Paul Ash, after watching her in a game in mid-February, also was impressed.
“I love watching that kid,” he said. “I’d pay money to watch that kid play. She’s a real, real competitor. She’s a fun kid to watch.”
St. John has little regret when it comes to sending up long-distance shots (she routinely launches 3-point tries from well beyond the arc), but also has no qualms about driving the lane or going after rebounds.
“She just plays at a high level,” Hartland coach Don Palmer said. “She’s exciting, she’s aggressive, and those kids just follow along,”
In addition to leading her team in most statistical categories, she also works closely with teammates in practice and even during games.
“She holds everyone accountable in practice,” Duerloo said. “She pushes everyone to be the best player they can be. She picks me up during a game if I’m not going good. She’ll say, ‘Hey you’ve got this. Next play. Believe in yourself.’”
The support, St. John said, goes both ways.
“They hold me accountable,” she said. “There are definitely some looks, some cussing out, ‘Hey, let’s go.’ That kind of thing. It’s a mutual respect. I think this group is something special. We’re all so close. We have all these inside jokes. Bus rides are fun. We feel so confident when we’re with each other.
“My teammates fuel me,” she added. “You look at someone going 110 percent, if you’re telling them to do something and you’re only going 80 percent, you’re not going to get any respect or anything done.”
St. John has signed with Northwood University, where she is considering majoring in personal finance or sports management.
“I love a lot of business-related things,” she said.
Right now, her increased understanding of her role as point guard and the possibilities it presents is a key reason why the Highlanders have won 14 of their last 15 games after a 1-3 start.
“She’s understanding the bigger picture,” Olszewski said. “There’s a reason why that particular shot or action, even though it might seem small or trite right now, how it could have a massive effect on the outcome of a game. And I think she’s excelled in that this year, understanding those situations.”
And, he said, St. John has been much more communicative with her teammates in helping them understand.
“Maeve’s always had an excellent basketball IQ and could always read situations,” Olszewski said. “When we talk about her being a leader, it’s about calming things down as opposed to throwing kerosene on the fire. I’ve also noticed an increase in her keeping herself accountable. Many times this year, she’s said, ‘That’s on me, team.’ She’s stepped to the forefront, which is what leaders do. She’s done a great job harnessing that energy and knowing when to unleash it and when to bring it back in a little bit.”
For St. John, it’s not so much being the straw that stirs the drink as being the leader of a pack of Highlanders willing to follow her for as long as possible.
But not without a little whimsy. Late in that mid-February game against Brighton, she drove the lane into a group of Bulldogs and somehow drew a foul on a shot that was off the mark. As she emerged, she looked at Olszewski and grinned.
“It was a forced shot, more like, ‘Oooh I got lucky on that play,’” she said. “I felt like I got bailed out on that play, and I looked at him and we chuckled.”
Howell had the game well in hand at that point. What if the game had been close?
“He wouldn't have been smiling,” St. John said, then added with a grin, “I probably would have still done it.”
PHOTOS Howell’s Maeve St. John has shown she can do it all – drive to the basket, shoot from the perimeter and find the open teammate. (Photos by Dan Zeppa.)