Breslin Bound: Girls District Preview
February 24, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Special to Second Half
Nearly 700 girls basketball teams will begin a march this week they hope will end March 15 with an MHSAA championship trophy at Michigan State University's Breslin Center.
District tournaments tip-off all over the state tonight, giving every team an equal start – even though the last three months have given us a decent idea which we might be following to East Lansing next month.
Follow the brackets on MHSAA.com. Below are some of the teams we could see emerge when these three weeks are done.
Class A
Detroit Martin Luther King (17-1) – The Crusaders have been favorites since the fall, with some of their most impressive wins over Grand Ledge and rival Detroit Cass Tech. King won the Detroit Public School League tournament championship again this month, with its only loss to Ohio’s Kettering Fairmont in December. Miss Basketball candidate Marte Grays dominates the middle at 6-foot-2.
Farmington Hills Mercy (19-1) – Mercy gets the slight nod above Bloomfield Hills Marian out of the Detroit Catholic League after avenging an earlier overtime loss to Marian with a one-point win in the league tournament championship game. Mercy finished the regular season with a three-point victory over reigning Class B champion Goodrich, and also beat reigning B runner-up Flint Powers earlier this season.
Grand Ledge (18-2) – The Comets should be a slight favorite to emerge from an incredibly-strong mid-Michigan Class A group that includes contenders Haslett, DeWitt and Holt. The lone losses were to Detroit King and while missing one of their top players against DeWitt on opening night. However, Richland Gull Lake (18-1) will be a tough obstacle in the District.
Grosse Pointe South (18-1) – The Class A runner-up the last two seasons, South is undefeated in Michigan this winter; the Blue Devils' lone loss was by a bucket to Illinois’ Crete Monee in December. Only two teams – Canton and league opponent Utica Ford – have gotten within single digits since the calendar turned to 2014. The best win so far might’ve been against Farmington Hills Harrison, which finished 17-3.
Class B
Detroit Country Day (17-1) – Given their longtime record of success, it’s tough to believe the Yellowjackets haven’t played in an MHSAA championship game since 2010. This could be the season for a return – a 16-point loss to Ypsilanti Arbor two weeks ago hurt, but a number of solid wins seems to indicate Country Day could still be there at the end of March. Point guard Asia Doss is a Miss Basketball finalist.
Flint Powers Catholic (17-2) – Last season’s MHSAA runner-up showed signs it was on the way back up with a junior-loaded lineup that maybe wasn’t expected at that point to reach the final game of the season. The Chargers have met much higher expectations this winter, even despite a late loss last week to Class C Saginaw Nouvel. Powers won its mostly Class A league, a good prep for what should be a competitive District.
Goodrich (18-2) – The Class B champion the last two seasons, Goodrich might be the favorite again with its only losses to Class A powers Haslett and Farmington Hills Mercy (see above). Only two other teams have gotten within single digits – Freeland and Class A Detroit Cass Tech – and Goodrich owns another solid win over Class B contender Ypsilanti Arbor Prep.
Grand Rapids South Christian – An MHSAA Semifinalist a season ago, South Christian has looked even stronger this winter, with only a few schools including league rivals Grand Rapids Catholic Central and Wayland giving the Sailors much of a challenge. They shouldn’t have too much trouble this week, although the Regional could include GRCC and Holland Christian – the latter looking for a rematch after falling to South Christian by only three in early January.
Class C
Blissfield (17-0) – The Royals have upped their collective game after winning a District title in 2013 despite finishing third in the Lenawee County Athletic Association. This season, they’re league champs and in a District with three teams they beat by double digits during the regular season. They’ll be favored through the Regional as well, although they could run into reigning champ Manchester.
Flint Hamady (20-0) – Hamady is looking to get back to an MHSAA championship game for the first time since winning Class C back-to-back in 2009-10. So far, so good; only Class A Davison and Flint Carman-Ainsworth and Genesee Area Conference Blue rival New Lothrop got within single digits of the Hawks during the regular season. Four of six opponents in the District also are from the GAC Blue.
Saginaw Nouvel (15-5) – Don’t judge this one by record alone. Last season’s MHSAA runner-up played one of the toughest schedules among Class C contenders. Four losses were to Class A Haslett and Class B Midland Bullock Creek, Flint Powers Catholic and Detroit Country Day – all four of those could be in the conversation for MHSAA titles in their respective classes – and the fifth loss was to Indiana’s South Bend St. Joseph. Class C contender Reese and strong Class A Midland were among those Nouvel toppled this month.
St. Ignace (18-2) – A regular at Breslin Center, St. Ignace could be back despite moving back into Class C after winning the Class D championship in 2013. The Saints once again mixed in a good share of competition from downstate, falling to Reese but beating Detroit Renaissance, and Petoskey twice, among others. The Regional could provide some challenges, but St. Ignace should be up to them again as it pursues its fifth straight Semifinal trip.
Class D
Athens (17-3) – The Indians play in one of the state’s most competitive small-school leagues, the Big 8 Conference, and have made the Class D Quarterfinals the last three seasons and the Semifinals the last two while finishing MHSAA runner-up in 2011-12. All three of their losses were to Class C teams – Concord, Reading and Mendon – that could make noise in that class. Athens then won rematches against Concord and Reading.
Frankfort (19-1) – This could be Frankfort’s best since its back-to-back MHSAA championship teams of 2005-06. The Panthers have improved from 13-10 last season, with their only loss this winter to undefeated Class B contender Manistee. They’ve had a few more close games than other favorites, but that can be a good thing – Frankfort staved off Class C Traverse City St. Francis to win by four, Class B Kingsley to win by six and Class A Romulus also to win by four. The Panthers then beat Kingsley by 22 in their rematch.
Crystal Falls Forest Park (20-0) – The Trojans are attempting to finish an impressive three-season run that’s included two Regional titles and an MHSAA Semifinal appearance. No opponent has come within 20 points of Forest Park this season. Guard Lexi Gussert caught the state’s attention with 34 points in that Semifinal loss in 2012 and has scored more than 2,400 points during a career that’s made her a Miss Basketball finalist.
Posen (20-0) – The Vikings hope to ride their second straight perfect regular season past the Regional Final, where they fell last season to eventual MHSAA champion St. Ignace. Only Lincoln Alcona on opening night has come within single digits of Posen, and the Vikings bested Alcona by 13 in their rematch this month.
PHOTO: Detroit Martin Luther King's Marte Grays (35) pushes the ball upcourt during the Detroit Public School League tournament championship game win over Detroit Cass Tech. (Photo courtesy of the Detroit Public School League.)
Breslin Bound: 2024-25 Girls Regional Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 10, 2025
The first week of this girls basketball postseason proved to be a notable rematch season as well – and some familiar opponents will face off again as we move into Regionals tonight.
Our top two "Week in Review" games below were reversals of regular-season series, and multiple brackets we preview also feature rematches from the regular season or the 2024 MHSAA Tournament.
Find everything you need to know this week about tickets, brackets and more as the tournament continues on the Girls Basketball page. To watch any of several games online, visit the NFHS Network, and see below for several of the intriguing matchups. Host sites are in bold.
“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. Gladstone 50, Negaunee 47 Gladstone (22-2) avenged its only two losses of the regular season, downing the Miners (22-1) in a Division 2 District Final after previously losing their matchups by 17 and 14.
2. Midland Dow 58, Midland 49 The Chargers (16-8) had finished tied for fifth in the Saginaw Valley League and fallen to Midland (19-4) by three and 15 during the regular season before providing this jolt to the rivalry in their Division 1 District Final.
3. South Lyon 55, Northville 47 The Lakes Valley Conference’s Lions (20-2) won a matchup of league champions in this Division 1 District Final, ending the season for the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West’s Mustangs (15-9).
4. Blissfield 57, Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 42 The Royals (21-2) entered the postseason off a loss but finished a Division 3 District title run by handing St. Mary (22-2) just its second of the season.
5. Harbor Beach 44, Cass City 39 The Pirates (14-7) avenged a 15-point loss from Dec. 11 and also District losses from the last three seasons in edging the Red Hawks (21-3) in this Division 3 decider.
Regionals at a Glance
These could be among our most competitive brackets. Host sites are in bold:
DIVISION 1
Howell
South Lyon (20-2) vs. Hartland (19-5)
Dexter (18-6) vs. Belleville (23-1)
It would be easy to assume KLAA East co-champion Belleville is the favorite – and tough to argue as the Tigers play to reach Breslin for the second-straight season. But it’s also not that simple. As noted above, South Lyon also a league champion, and Hartland avenged a pair of losses to Howell (17-7) on Friday with a 10-point win to advance. Dexter finished second in the Southeastern Conference Red but has won 12 of its last 13, the only defeat during that time by one point to Chelsea (18-4). But bringing things back to Belleville, it’s only loss was to Wayne Memorial, avenged two weeks later, and only one other opponent has come within single digits of catching the Tigers this season.
Traverse City Central
Traverse City Central (16-6) vs. Midland Dow (16-8)
Saginaw Heritage (21-3) vs. Rockford (23-1)
The Big North Conference champion Trojans host coming off their 14th win over their last 15 games – including also defeating Midland in their regular season finale – and now get the surging Chargers who have won 10 straight. Heritage finished second to Midland in the SVL and also has won 10 straight and defeated Dow by 11 just before that streak began. All three will hope their momentum pays off as Rockford is bringing a 21-game winning streak into this week as it continues to pursue a fourth-straight trip to Breslin. The Rams have lost only to Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (23-1) while playing one of the state’s strongest schedules.
Westland John Glenn
Farmington Hills Mercy (19-4) vs. Wayne Memorial (18-6)
Detroit Renaissance (21-2) vs. Bloomfield Hills Marian (10-15)
This bracket includes three league champions – Wayne sharing in the KLAA East, Renaissance from the Detroit Public School League Blue and Mercy from the Catholic High School League Central West. Those three also have not played each other this season but have common opponents, adding to the intrigue. Wayne has won 16 of its last 18, Mercy 14 of its last 15 and Renaissance’s defeats both came to opponents with at least 19 wins. Marian is a great story too, emerging from fifth in the CHSL Central West to build a run of seven wins over its last 10 games, and with nine of its losses to teams that won at least 14 games during the regular season.
DIVISION 2
Grand Rapids South Christian
Paw Paw (20-4) vs. Grand Rapids South Christian (22-2)
Edwardsburg (15-9) vs. Vicksburg (22-2)
The Wolverine Conference has shown its power this postseason with champion Vicksburg, runner-up Paw Paw and fourth-place Edwardsburg claiming District titles last week. Vicksburg’s lone defeat was 50-47 to Paw Paw on Jan. 31 after defeating the Red Wolves 66-65 on Dec. 6, and a third meeting between them no doubt would be a gem. Edwardsburg did take a win from Paw Paw as well, on Jan. 15, and fell to Vicksburg only 33-29 in their second meeting Feb. 21. South Christian, meanwhile, shared the Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold title with Grand Rapids West Catholic (20-3), with the Sailors’ only other loss this season by two in December to Hudsonville (17-7) – which won a District title in Division 1.
Pinckney
Goodrich (21-3) vs. Eaton Rapids (13-10)
Haslett (21-3) vs. Chelsea (18-4)
Goodrich and Chelsea are coming off especially notable District Final wins, Goodrich over Flint Powers Catholic (18-6) and Chelsea over Parma Western (21-3) – and they won those games by 16 and 17 points, respectively. Goodrich’s defeats all came to teams with at least 18 wins, and Chelsea’s to opponents with at least 16 victories. Haslett defeated a familiar opponent in rival Williamston but, like Goodrich and Chelsea, has played several top teams over the course of the winter with a win over Detroit Country Day (18-5) and losses to three 20-win opponents. Eaton Rapids is bringing some juice as well with 10 wins over its last 14 games and some good losses along the way.
Tecumseh
Carleton Airport (17-7) vs. Tecumseh (22-1)
Romulus (15-5) vs. Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (23-1)
This Regional includes two of the top contenders in Division 2 overall, as they played the second and fourth-strongest schedules during the regular season and still have just one loss apiece. Tecumseh defeated Airport 76-44 in both teams’ regular-season finale, but Airport has won 15 over its last 18 overall. The Jets were runners-up in the Huron League, and Romulus was runner-up in the Western Wayne Athletic Conference and has won 12 of its last 14. Father Gabriel Richard finished Division 2 runner-up last season after defeating Tecumseh in a Quarterfinal.
DIVISION 3
Grandville Calvin Christian
Grandville Calvin Christian (18-6) vs. Kent City (19-5)
Pewamo-Westphalia (24-0) vs. Saugatuck (23-1)
All four of these teams added District titles to league championships this season. Pewamo-Westphalia has prepped for its run by winning the Central Michigan Athletic Conference – which had three more winners of at least 17 games – and also defeated Flint Powers (see above) and New Lothrop (noted below). Saugatuck lost only to Lawton (15-6) in its first game of 2025 and owns an 11-point win over Kalamazoo Christian (also noted below), while annual contender Kent City has won 12 of its last 14 games and Calvin Christian bounced back from an 0-3 start to the season and two losses heading into the playoffs – avenging the second of those with a 45-42 win over Muskegon Western Michigan Christian in their District Final.
Niles Brandywine
Watervliet (11-13) vs. Kalamazoo Christian (20-4)
Niles Brandywine (14-0) vs. Bronson (22-2)
Reigning Division 3 runner-up Brandywine headlines a powerful field and defeated Bronson 69-37 on Jan. 14. The Bobcats’ closest game was eight points, and the rest of their wins were by double digits. Bronson hasn’t lost since – it’s only other defeat by three to Concord (19-4) – as it went on to share the Big 8 Conference title and build a 17-game winning streak. Kalamazoo Christian made it through a third matchup with rival Hackett Catholic Prep, winning the District Final 53-38 after those two split regular-season meetings, and the Comets’ other three losses were to Division 2 or 3 teams that won their Districts. Watervliet started this season 1-6 but has bounced back significantly and has six wins over its last seven games.
Springport
New Lothrop (21-3) vs. Hemlock (21-3)
Leslie (18-6) vs. Jackson Lumen Christi (17-6)
New Lothrop and Hemlock will face off in a meeting of league champions, Hemlock from the Tri-Valley Conference Blue and New Lothrop after sharing the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference title. New Lothrop’s losses this season were by a combined 11 points and all of its wins this calendar year have come by double digits. All 21 of Hemlock’s wins were by 10 or more points, with its losses to three Division 1 and 2 teams that are still playing as well. On the other side of the bracket, Leslie has emerged after finishing third in a strong Cascades Conference East, and Lumen the same from a tough CHSL Central East. Lumen defeated Cascades East champ Grass Lake (19-4) in their District Final, 59-52.
DIVISION 4
Marlette
Genesee Christian (21-2) vs. Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes (15-6)
Kingston (20-2) vs. Ubly (9-14)
Kingston finished Division 4 runner-up a year ago and loaded up to prep for another run losing only to Division 1 Saginaw Heritage (see above) and Division 2 Imlay City. The Cardinals interestingly have a 42-38 win over Ubly from Feb. 3, and the Bearcats stunned in downing Deckerville (18-6) to clinch a District title. Genesee Christian also has played several larger opponents this season, losing only to Division 2 Flint Hamady (20-1) and Adrian Lenawee Christian (12-11). The Soldiers advanced with a District Final win over Clarkston Everest Collegiate (18-3), a common opponent with Our Lady, which won its first District title since 2021 and is enjoying its winningest season since 2019-20.
McBain
Gaylord St. Mary (20-3) vs. Mio (18-5)
Buckley (17-7) vs. Frankfort (16-6)
This bracket also includes three league champions plus three repeats from a year ago. Start with Frankfort, which won the Northwest Conference but faces fourth-place Buckley for the third time after losing their first meeting by one point but winning the rematch Jan. 31 by 13. The Panthers have won 11 of their last 13 games, and Buckley has won nine of its last 11. St. Mary won the Ski Valley Conference just ahead of another 20-win District champ in Indian River Inland Lakes but faces a unique but familiar challenge in Mio. The Thunderbolts won the North Star League Little Dipper title and feature Mia McGregor, who averaged 41 points per game last season as a freshman, but St. Mary did win their Regional matchup last year 61-54 before falling to Frankfort 64-37 in the Regional Final.
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (20-0) vs. Onekama (20-4)
Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary (18-6) vs. Fowler (22-2)
Fowler reached the Division 4 Semifinals last season, and its only losses this winter were to Division 3 Pewamo-Westphalia (see above) – with a recent win over Division 1 Holt (17-7) another reminder of the Eagles’ potential. Sacred Heart’s undefeated run came in part against a Mid-State Activities Conference that produced four more teams with 13 or more wins, and Onekama finished second in a Northwest Conference that produced three District champs. MLS finished second in the TVC Blue to Hemlock (see above) and has wins over the second and third-place teams from the MSAC – St. Charles and Merrill, respectively – with four losses to teams that have won 21 games.
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PHOTOS (Top) Gladstone players including Lillie Johnson (21) and coaches celebrate their Division 2 District Final win over Negaunee on Friday. (Middle) DeWitt’s Golden Nicholson (24) drives to the basket with Lundyn Elam (4) defending during the Panthers’ 55-35 District title win over East Lansing in Division 1. (Gladstone/Negaunee photo by Cara Kamps. DeWitt/East Lansing photo by Terry Lyons.)