Breslin Bound: Girls District Review
March 10, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The first week of the MHSAA Girls Basketball Tournament is done, and what do we know so far?
There will be a new Class B champion this winter, and a number of emerging contenders could shake things up in all four classes.
See below for our take on four District champs from each class that especially stuck out during last week’s action; click to follow this week’s Regional Tournament. Next week’s Breslin Bound report will preview all 16 Quarterfinals.
Class A
Byron Center (18-5) – The Bulldogs have steadily climbed the last four seasons from sub-.500 in 2011-12, with this District title a nice crowning achievement no matter what happens this week. Byron Center opened with a five-point win over East Kentwood (11-10), then avenged last season’s District Final loss by beating Grand Rapids Christian (17-5) in this Semifinal, 48-44. Byron Center then downed Caledonia (15-7) in the championship game, 39-27.
Marquette (23-0) – The Redettes pushed their sphere of domination further downstate, extending their perfect run against some of the biggest and best from the northern Lower Peninsula. Marquette first beat Big North Conference champion Traverse City West (17-4), which had eliminated Marquette the last two seasons. The Redettes then beat Traverse City Central (9-12) in the Semifinal before finishing the run with a 65-41 win over Big North runner-up Gaylord (18-5).
Muskegon Mona Shores (20-3) – Mona Shores shared the Ottawa-Kent Conference Black title with Muskegon Reeths-Puffer (16-5) because it lost to the Rockets – twice – during the regular season. But the Sailors won with the season on the line, beating Reeths-Puffer 50-46 in the District opener. They then beat Grand Haven in the Semifinal and won the championship against Muskegon, which eliminated Mona Shores last winter.
Salem (19-4) – The Rocks followed up their Kensington Lakes Activities Association overall championship with three wins including two over familiar opponents. Salem opened with a three-point victory over Plymouth (17-4), which had eliminated the Rocks the last two seasons, and then beat Northville (13-8), which finished second to Salem in the KLAA Central. The Rocks moved on with a 42-29 win over Canton (11-11), last season’s Class A runner-up.
Class B
Midland Bullock Creek (23-0) – Arguably the favorite for the entire tournament, Bullock Creek had to survive an early scare and another strong opponent to advance. After beating Pinconning (8-11) in the opener, the Lancers just edged Bay City John Glenn (15-4) by a point, 40-39, in the Semifinal. Bullock Creek came back big in the Final with a 65-30 win over Gladwin (16-7).
Haslett (18-5) – The Vikings are looking again like the contenders they were expected to be at the start of this winter. They opened by avenging a regular-season loss against Williamston (19-2), downing the Hornets 53-43, and then beat Perry (15-6) by 28 in the Semifinal. Haslett finished with a 66-30 win over Lansing Catholic (12-11) in the championship game.
Jackson Northwest (19-4) – The Mounties opened by ending the season for the reigning Class B champion, Eaton Rapids (7-14), by beating the Greyhounds 48-44 in overtime after falling to them in last season’s District. Northwest moved on with double-digit wins over Leslie (14-7) and then Olivet (17-5).
Macomb Lutheran North (20-3) – The Mustangs took a step farther than last season after falling in the District championship game a year ago. After eliminating Algonac and Marine City (12-8) by double figures, Lutheran North beat Marysville 42-40 on a put-back with 10 seconds to play in the Final. Marysville shared the Macomb Area Conference Gold title this season, while Lutheran North won the Detroit Catholic League AA.
Class C
Laingsburg (23-0) – The undefeated Wolfpack kept their perfection going against two of their toughest regular-season opponents and then the team that eliminated it last season. Laingsburg opened with a 32-26 win over league rival Pewamo-Westphalia (17-4), then beat Bath (12-7) by 10 before avenging last season’s District Final loss to Carson City-Crystal (20-3), beating the Eagles this time 28-17.
Napoleon (16-6) – The Pirates advanced in impressive fashion with an upset and then a little bit of vengeance. After downing Jackson Lumen Christi (8-12) in the opener, Napoleon – runner-up in the Cascades Conference – downed Big 8 Conference champion Concord (18-3) by nine. The Pirates finished the week by defeating Cascades third-place finisher Michigan Center (18-5) which had beaten Napoleon by 10 on Jan. 29.
Reese (17-5) – The Rockets followed up on their shared Greater Thumb Conference West championship with a pair of wins over tough District opponents – Millington (13-9) by 30 points and then New Lothrop (18-5) by 35 in the championship game.
Traverse City St. Francis (21-2) – After a quick first-game exit last season, the Gladiators won a strong District that included a pair of league runners-up. St. Francis, co-champ in the Lake Michigan Conference, opened by beating Ski Valley Conference runner-up Johannesburg-Lewiston (18-3) by 12 points, 52-40, and then defeated Mancelona in the Semifinal and Northwest Conference runner-up Maple City Glen Lake (15-7) in the Final, 47-38.
Class D
Bellaire (22-1) – The Eagles claimed their second straight District title with three wins over teams .500 or better. Bellaire opened by doubling up Boyne Falls (11-10), tripled up Ellsworth (10-10) and then downed rival Gaylord St. Mary 46-32. Bellaire beat the Snowbirds (18-5) by a nearly identical score in last season’s District Final as well.
Kingston (19-3) – The Cardinals also won their second straight District title with a pair of double-digit wins over North Central Thumb League rivals. Kingston, the league champion, beat third-place Carsonville-Port Sanilac (12-7) in the Semifinal and then second place Deckerville (16-5) in the championship game, 38-21.
Pickford (16-7) – The Panthers finished second in the Eastern Upper Peninsula Athletic Conference this winter, but avenged a pair of losses to league champion Cedarville (16-6) to advance last week. Pickford opened with a win over EUPAC third-place Brimley (11-9), then downed Kinross Maplewood Baptist (11-5) before edging Cedarville 59-54 in the Final.
Pinckney Livingston Christian (14-5) – LCS claimed its first girls basketball District title with a series of wins including two over similarly-successful teams. After opening with a victory over Ann Arbor Central, Livingston Christian downed Ann Arbor Rudolf Steiner (13-7) and then Adrian Lenawee Christian (14-5) by a bucket, 27-25, in the Final.
PHOTO: Ithaca defeated St. Louis 61-32 in a Class C District Final last week to advance to the MHSAA Regionals for the first time since 2000. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Country Day Claims Senior-Dominated Semi
March 16, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
GRAND RAPIDS – The eras come and go as standouts cycle through coach Frank Orlando’s Detroit Country Day program.
Win or lose Saturday, another will close as all-staters Kaela Webb and Maxine Moore play their final high school game attempting to lead the Yellowjackets to a third Class B championship over the last four seasons.
They earned that opportunity with a 70-54 win over previously undefeated Kingsley in the second Class B Semifinal on Friday at Van Noord Arena.
“It’s truly a blessing. Me and her have been together since sixth, seventh grade, and we always talked about winning state titles,” Moore said. “Our sophomore year was heartbreaking (a Semifinal loss to Grand Rapids South Christian). But it was a goal of ours coming in here to work hard every day, go hard especially on defense – we know defense is the key to winning championships – and I’m just really excited and blessed to go out there tomorrow and compete.”
Reigning title winner Country Day will take on Jackson Northwest in the 6:15 p.m. championship game at Calvin College.
It was a Semifinal full of seniors. Although Country Day’s are only Webb, Moore and Destini Lewis, Webb has started all four years of her high school career and Moore is a four-year varsity player and three-year starter.
Kingsley, meanwhile, saw six seniors finish their careers with their only defeat this season after leading the team to its second Semifinal ever and first since 2008.
“As a senior, it’s just an amazing feeling to get here and be part of such an amazing team,” Stags senior Lindsey Boyajian said. “The seniors this year, we came together and we were just like a family. The whole team was a family. It was so exciting. To end my season, as a senior, to make it to Calvin, it was just great.”
The game was nearly a draw through a quarter, with Country Day (22-4) leading only 14-12 heading into the second. But the Yellowjackets broke out for a 29-16 advantage over the next eight minutes – the eventual difference as the teams played to a near-deadlock over the final two quarters as well.
The most telling stats dealt with turnovers – and their results. Kingsley gave away the ball 22 times, compared to 12 for Country Day. And Country Day scored 33 points off those turnovers, while Kingsley managed just six off their takeaways.
Although the teams shot nearly identical percentages from the floor, and Kingsley outrebounded the Yellowjackets by three, the Stags (26-1) made only 1 of 12 tries from 3-point range – negating something else that usually is a strength.
“We got beat at our own game,” Kingsley coach Matt Schelich said. “Thirty-three to six off turnovers, that’s our ammo. But we ran into a team that’s got incredible size and speed, and as a team there’s not a lot of weak spots out there.”
Junior Maddie Novak scored a game-high 20 points for Country Day, while Webb had 15 points, eight assists and four steals. Moore added 11 points and seven rebounds and junior Adrian Folks had 10 points.
Webb finished with four fouls but managed to play 31 minutes, second on her team.
“I’ve been here and I know how it gets when the crowd gets into it. … I knew we had to stick together,” Webb said. “What was more important was stopping them from scoring, and me fouling was going to help them score. I had to just lock down mentally with that.”
Brumfield had 14 points for Kingsley despite seeing only 12 minutes of action because of foul trouble as well. Senior Rebekah Crosby had 12 points and seven rebounds and sophomore Brittany Bowman had 11 points.
PHOTOS: (Top) Country Day’s Kaela Webb pushes the ball up the floor Friday while Lacey Benton (10) keeps pace. (Middle) Kingsley’s Jacie King drives toward an opening with Jasmine Power defending.