Breslin Bound: 2025-26 Girls Report Week 6
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 19, 2026
The MHSAA girls basketball regular season has reached its halfway point, with six weeks done and six more until the start of District play March 2.
That makes it a good time for a quick review on Michigan Power Ratings (MPR) – and how they’re used to seed that first round of the MHSAA playoffs.
MPR is determined by considering a team’s success (total wins) and strength of schedule based on games against opponents also playing in the MHSAA Tournament. You can follow how teams rank all season long on the MPR page, where you can search not only by Division and school, but District grouping as well.
“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 77, Wayne Memorial 49 The Tigers (9-0) handed two Kensington Lakes Activities Association East rivals their first losses this season last week, first Livonia Stevenson and then the Zebras (8-1).
2. Grass Lake 61, Michigan 55 Grass Lake (9-1) moved into first place alone and Michigan Center (8-2) into second in the Cascades Conference East as the top two finishers from the last two seasons met for the first time this season.
3. Ewen-Trout Creek 40, Baraga 21 The Panthers (7-1) remain among the leaders in the overall Copper Mountain Conference standings after handing Baraga (9-1) its lone defeat.
4. DeWitt 50, Haslett 42 The Panthers (9-1) – No. 10 in Division 1 MPR – won one of the Lansing area’s best nonleague matchups of the regular season, as the Vikings (6-1) are No. 14 in Division 2.
5. Temperance Bedford 36, Saline 32 Reigning Southeastern Conference Red co-champ Bedford (6-3) is in first place alone after this win over the rival Hornets (8-2).
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Detroit Renaissance (8-2) The Phoenix have put together another impressive first half, with their only losses to likewise Division 1 contenders Belleville and Wayne Memorial and both before the new year. Renaissance also edged Saginaw Heritage by a point in overtime and downed Flint Powers Catholic by 10 – the latter that teams’ only loss this winter. The Phoenix are perfect through the first half of the Detroit Public School League Blue schedule, winning those games all by at least 21 points.
Rockford (8-1) The reigning Division 1 runner-up graduated last season’s Miss Basketball but hasn’t lost a step, its only loss this season to one-loss Muskegon. The Rams also are the only team to defeat Howell and Grass Lake, and seven of nine opponents so far this winter currently have winning records. Haslett and Jackson Lumen Christi also are on the nonleague slate coming up, while Rockford will also navigate an Ottawa-Kent Conference Red that has all six teams .500 or better entering this week.
DIVISION 2
Goodrich (11-0) The Martians have won at least 23 games the last three seasons, and strong starts are nothing new. But Saturday’s 45-24 win over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s put an exclamation point on a first half that’s also included handing Rochester Hills Stoney Creek its only loss and Parma Western one of its two, with no game closer than 17 points. A major reason for that is Goodrich has held seven of its first 11 opponents under 20 points, and two more under 30.
Tecumseh (10-1) The reigning Division 2 champion is a combined 37-2 since the start of the 2024-25 season, its only loss this winter 54-52 to Grand Rapids West Catholic in a rematch of last year’s title game. Tecumseh jumped from No. 11 to No. 1 in statewide Division 2 MPR over the last week thanks to 30+ point wins over Chelsea and Pinckney and the continued success of several opponents from earlier this season. Home games against Saginaw Heritage on Feb. 3 and Dexter on Feb. 26 will be good tests heading into March.
DIVISION 3
McBain (8-0) Over the last two weeks, McBain has handed Roscommon and Evart their lone losses this season, allowing the Ramblers to take over first place alone in the Highland Conference as they seek a first league championship since 2021-22. A matchup this week with Traverse City St. Francis should tell us even more, and the first weeks of February will determine a lot as McBain faces undefeated Beaverton on Feb. 2, then Evart and Roscommon in back-to-back games Feb. 6 and 9, respectively.
Pewamo-Westphalia (8-1) The Pirates are one of four teams in the Central Michigan Athletic Conference with one loss this winter, but the only team undefeated in league play in part because they were the ones who downed Portland St. Patrick in mid-December and Bath 64-41 last week. P-W’s only loss last winter came in its Regional Final; its only loss so far this season came Jan. 5 to Flint Powers Catholic, and in addition to league play the Pirates have nice tests coming against Heritage and Grand Rapids Catholic Central.
DIVISION 4
Adrian Lenawee Christian (8-1) The Cougars are climbing again after going 10-14 two seasons ago and improving to 12-11 last winter. Three of last season’s losses came to Petersburg Summerfield, which Lenawee Christian defeated 55-40 last week, and LC will face undefeated Morenci on Friday for first place in the Tri-County Conference. The Cougars’ only loss this season came to Big 8 Conference leader Concord, 64-55 to start the new calendar year.
Indian River Inland Lakes (9-0) The Bulldogs could take a big step on improving on last season’s 21-5 finish and run to the Regional Finals, as they face Gaylord St. Mary on Wednesday for the first time after finishing second to the Snowbirds in the Ski Valley Conference last season. Inland Lakes kept its perfect record intact with a 46-44 overtime win over Central Lake on Friday and also has a one-point overtime win over Elk Rapids and another one-pointer in regulation over Bellaire.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – St. Joseph (8-1) at Portage Central (7-1) – These are the only teams without a loss in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference, and Portage Central won their District Semifinal matchup last year after St. Joseph swept the regular-season series.
Wednesday – Gaylord St. Mary (8-1) at Indian River Inland Lakes (9-0) – As noted above, St. Mary won both of last season’s matchups, by four in overtime and seven, to take back the SVC title after Inland Lakes won it in 2023-24.
Thursday – Deckerville (8-1) at Kingston (9-0) – These two are both undefeated in the Big Thumb Conference Blue after Kingston finished first and Deckerville second a year ago.
Friday – Adrian Lenawee Christian (8-1) at Morenci (8-0) – Morenci claimed last year’s meetings by 17 and then only two points in winning the TCC on the way to ending the season in the Division 4 Quarterfinals.
Saturday – Grand Rapids West Catholic (9-2) at Detroit Edison (4-3) – Edison has played its usual schedule featuring several of the state’s best, and this rematch of last season’s Division 2 Semifinal won by West Catholic will finish up a three-game week.
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PHOTOS (Top) Saginaw Heritage passes the ball around the perimeter during its 67-43 win at Frankenmuth on Jan. 12. (Middle) Ishpeming Westwood's Addelyn Hallum drives the lane for a layup against Negaunee on Friday during the Miners’ 46-36 win. (Heritage/Frankenmuth photo by Terry Lyons. Negaunee/Westwood photo by Cara Kamps.)
Little Provides Major Stride as 1st Woman to Officiate Boys Hoops Final since 1995
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
April 13, 2023
Delonda Little was already a trailblazer to many before this year’s MHSAA Boys Basketball Finals.
But what happened last month at Breslin Center made her even more of one on a statewide level.
A referee and assigner for 20 years in the Detroit area, Little is a female boys and girls basketball official who mentors both male and female referees – no matter the gender or level, as she officiates high school and college games.
Officials often go to Little for guidance, direction and assignments, which has made her respected for years throughout Metro Detroit in the prep basketball community. Then, her status as a trailblazer grew even more.
Little was assigned as an official for the Division 3 Boys Basketball Final between Flint Beecher and Traverse City St. Francis, and she became the first female referee to officiate an MHSAA Boys Basketball Final since Traverse City’s Barb Beckett 1995.
“It was a very good feeling to know I was the one selected,” said Little, who officiated the Final with Matt Olson and Zach Porritt.
In fact, while attending a Semifinal game the Friday before the Final, Little received a phone call from an area code she didn’t recognize.
She answered, and it was Beckett.
“At first I didn’t know the name,” Little said. “I said, ‘No, I don’t know you, but that’s fine.’”
Beckett then explained she was the first female referee to be assigned a Boys Basketball Final, and just wanted to offer support to Little.
At that point, Little became excited and thankful she answered the call.
“It was very nice to hear from her because she wanted to reach out and if not pass the torch, to congratulate me,” Little said.
Little, 51, said she found out she was going to be refereeing the Division 3 boys championship game just before the start of the postseason when she received an email from the MHSAA.
“I’m looking at the email and I’m like, boys?” Little said. “I was shocked.”
But she was shocked in a good way, and obviously excited for the honor.
Little didn’t find out until a couple of days before the St. Francis/Beecher contest that she would be officiating that specific championship game, but the Monday of boys championship week was when she really started to receive congratulations from friends and colleagues.
That’s when an article came out in the Detroit News detailing her selection, which led to countless calls, texts and congratulatory messages on social media.
“I couldn’t even (keep up with the comments),” she said. “That’s how overwhelming the actual tags were. It came from all across the state with officials, men and women, because I do women’s college (games). Some of the college ladies were reaching out. I was getting all the hoopla before the game.”
Little said she normally doesn’t get nervous for games, but not having some nerves became a bit harder once so many people knew of her achievement.
However, she settled into a normal routine quickly once the game started.
“I wanted to get it done, get it over with and do well,” she said.
Little did do well, which is no surprise to everyone who knew her before she officiated on the boys championship stage.
It was just another feather in the cap for Little, who in 2016 became the first woman to officiate a boys Detroit Public School League championship game.
“Delonda is one of the top officials in the Detroit area, and our staff doesn’t look at Delonda as a female working a boys game – we see one of the top officials in Detroit working a basketball game,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said. “There are females officiating in the NBA and female officials in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. The aspect that made Delonda’s selection for this MHSAA championship game nearly unique will soon be the norm at all levels of athletics.”
Little graduated from Detroit Osborn in 1989 and starred on the basketball court at Wayne State, earning induction into WSU’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.
Her day job is as an officer for the Michigan Department of Corrections, but her passion is officiating. She’s been an MHSAA-registered official for basketball for two decades and also was registered for volleyball for four years. This past fall she registered for football for the first time.
“I get something from it because it keeps me in shape, I love the people I work with and I like the kids,” Little said. “You are always teaching, and I like training the newer officials. I just enjoy it. I don’t know what I’d be doing if I wasn’t refereeing.”
Going forward, Little hopes her championship game assignment will now be an inspiration for other female referees.
“There aren’t very many women who would like to work boys basketball or feel comfortable,” Little said. “If that’s something they desire, I’m hoping more women are selected to work the games if they feel comfortable.”
Keith Dunlap has served in Detroit-area sports media for more than two decades, including as a sportswriter at the Oakland Press from 2001-16 primarily covering high school sports but also college and professional teams. His bylines also have appeared in USA Today, the Washington Post, the Detroit Free Press, the Houston Chronicle and the Boston Globe. He served as the administrator for the Oakland Activities Association’s website from 2017-2020. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties
PHOTOS (Top) Delonda Little takes her position on the court during the Division 3 Boys Basketball Final on March 25 at Breslin Center. (Middle) Little monitors the action between Flint Beecher and Traverse City St. Francis.