Breslin Bound: Girls Quarterfinal Preview
March 11, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
We've reached the final week of another MHSAA girls basketball season. And we're guaranteed to name at least three new champions when this week is done.
Only St. Ignace, last season's Class D winner, is still alive heading into tonight's Quarterfinals. And the Saints are playing in Class C this winter.
See below for brief previews of all 16 Quarterfinal games, and click for brackets and more to be updated as scores are reported tonight.
(NOTE: ppg=point per game, rpg=rebounds per game, apg=assists per game, spg=steals per game, bpg=blocks per game.)
Class A
Canton (20-4) vs. Flint Carman-Ainsworth (17-7) at Fenton
Canton is looking to return to Breslin for the first time since back-to-back trips in 2010 and 2011. The Chiefs can rely on a strong frontcourt including 5-10 senior forward Paige Aresco (14.7 ppg) and 6-1 senior Taylor Hunley (10 ppg). Carman-Ainsworth advanced with an overtime upset of Midland in the Regional Final and is having its best season under sixth-year coach Johnese Vaughn. Junior guard Sydnee McDonald leads three scorers averaging double figures with 18.5 points per game.
Grand Ledge (23-2) vs. Grand Rapids Christian (20-5) at DeWitt
The Comets are in the Quarterfinals for the second straight season and seeking their first trip to Finals weekend. Their losses came to DeWitt and Detroit Martin Luther King, both in December. Senior sisters Hannah and Lindsay Orwat lead the way scoring 15 and 13.4 points per game, respectively, and 6-3 junior center Cori Crocker averages 10.7 and has committed to play volleyball at the University of Michigan. Grand Rapids Christian has been a power for much longer, but is in its first Quarterfinal since 2003. Junior guard Kortney Deurloo is the leading scorer at 12.9 ppg and makes half of her shots from the floor.
Romulus (21-4) vs. Farmington Hills Mercy (24-1) at Ferndale
Mercy might look like a certain favorite in this game after eliminating previous favorite Detroit King by 12 in the Regional Final. But Romulus has only two losses in-state this winter, and both came to teams playing tonight as well (Detroit Country Day and Frankfort). Senior forward Cierra Bond averages 13.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game to lead the team. Mercy’s only loss came in overtime to Bloomfield Hills Marian, a possible Breslin opponent. Junior guard Taylor Jones tops a balanced lineup at 12.5 ppg.
Port Huron Northern (19-6) vs. Bloomfield Hills Marian (22-2) at St. Clair Shores Lake Shore
Like with Mercy losing only to Marian, Marian’s only losses were both to Mercy – and the Mustangs surely are prepared for a rematch that could mean their first championship game berth since winning the title in 1998. Juniors Kara Holinski and Brittany Gray average 10 points per game to top a rotation with six players averaging at least 6.1 ppg. Northern has built every year under coach Mark Dickinson, increasing its win total each of the last six seasons. Similar to Marian, six average at least 5.1 ppg, led by juniors Becca Richards (10.4) and Riley Fealko (10.8).
Class B
Parchment (23-2) vs. Grand Rapids South Christian (24-0) at Wayland
A trio of senior starters have helped Parchment top 20 wins for the second time in three seasons, with two losses to Olivet by a combined three points all that has kept the team from perfection. Seniors Kendyl Hinton (12.9 ppg) and Meredith Stutz (12.7) are the leading scorers and rebounders and also top the team in assists and blocked shots. South Christian, with five senior starters, is back in the Quarterfinals for the second straight season with a balanced effort including seven who average at least four points per game but none more than 9.4.
Midland Bullock Creek (23-1) vs. Sparta (14-10) at Bay City Western
Three starters are back from Bullock Creek’s Semifinal run last season, including leading scorer and junior Halee Nieman (12.9 ppg). Two more juniors, Ellie Juengel (12.5) and Hannah Heldt (10.9), give the team multiple scoring threats. Sparta definitely is more of a surprise this week after beating Menominee in overtime in the Regional Final and handing Manistee its only loss, by four, in the Regional opener. But the Spartans have won three straight District titles. They are keyed by junior center Franchesca Buchanan (11.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg).
Detroit Country Day (22-1) vs. Flint Powers Catholic (22-2) at Imlay City
This is a rematch of last season’s Quarterfinal, a 20-point Powers win. A young Chargers team then has taken a few more steps, with its only losses to Farmington Hills Mercy and Saginaw Nouvel, Quarterfinalists in Class A and C, respectively. Three starters are back from last season’s championship game. Country Day’s only loss came in early February to Ypsilanti Arbor Prep, another Class B Quarterfinalist, and the Yellowjackets have won all of their games since by at least 18 points.
Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (22-3) vs. Eaton Rapids (20-5) at Brighton
Arbor Prep has grown to Class B this season after falling to eventual champion Manchester in Class C last season. The Gators haven’t lost this calendar year, with defeats to Class A Detroit Martin Luther King and Bloomfield Hills and reigning Class B champion Goodrich all coming before the new year. Eaton Rapids often has been overshadowed in a strong Lansing area, but has won 20 games for the second time in three seasons and its first Regional title under 15-year coach Willis Whitmyer. Senior 6-1 center Allie Dittmer leads an athletic and experienced lineup with 14.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.
Class C
Saginaw Nouvel (19-4) vs. St. Louis (20-4) at Reese
Nouvel is seeking its second straight championship game appearance after falling to Manchester by five in last season’s Class C Final. Senior forward Rachel McInerney (11.7 ppg) was a standout on that team and leads this one as well along with sophomore guard Laurel Jacqmain (12.4 ppg). St. Louis has made steady progress under coach Walter Berry, posting four straight winning seasons and its first championships of his 12-season tenure. Senior center Bri Alspaugh (10.7 ppg) leads seven players averaging at least five points per game.
Gobles (25-0) vs. Mendon (20-2) at Watervliet
Gobles has won 20 games for the second straight season and is on its best run during coach John Curtis’ 12 seasons – and beat Mendon by four only three weeks ago. Senior forward Michaela DeKilder leads the way with 15.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Mendon won its fifth District title in six seasons last month, and senior guard Brooke Howard (18.9 ppg, 7.7 rpg) leads a group of eight seniors trying to finish with a few more wins this week.
Blissfield (21-0) vs. Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett (19-3) at Whitmore Lake
The Royals dispatched of reigning champion Manchester in the Regional opener after winning their second straight District title. Senior forward Claire Denecker is menacing in the post averaging 16.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 5.1 blocked shots per game. University Liggett can make it to Breslin for the second time in three seasons, now guided by former Detroit Consortium and Cass Tech coach Omar Ahart. Three of this season's starters played in the team’s Class C Final in 2012, including leading scorer and junior Jessica Rotzoll (13.5 ppg).
McBain (21-1) vs. St. Ignace (22-2) at Gaylord
Last season’s Class D champion, St. Ignace is back in Class C and lost only to strong Reese and Class A Marquette, both in December. Senior guard Kelley Wright has been a top player the last few seasons and averages 16.2 points, 4.2 assists and 6.7 steals per game. McBain is back for its fourth Quarterfinal in six seasons and beat an impressive group of teams the last two weeks to get here. Junior guard Meredith Hamlet makes nearly half of her shots and more than 40 percent from 3-point range in averaging 21.3 points per game, in addition to 8.1 rpg and 6.7 apg.
Class D
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (19-5) vs. Frankfort (23-1) at Cadillac
A 13-point defeat to one-loss Class B Manistee is all that’s kept Frankfort from perfection this winter, with sophomore guard Mackenna Kelly (13.8 ppg) the high scorer on a team with only one senior. Coincidentally, Sacred Heart has only one senior as well – point guard Sara Hansen, who paces the Irish with 19 points, 3.1 assists and 5.4 steals per game. Only one of Sacred Heart’s losses came to a Class D team.
Clarkston Everest Collegiate (18-6) vs. Marine City Cardinal Mooney (19-4) at Waterford Mott
This is the fourth time these two will play this season; Cardinal Mooney won the first two games by nine and three points (in double overtime), respectively, before Everest won by two in the Detroit Catholic League Tournament. Senior 6-0 forward Lucia Westrick leads the Mountaineers at 14 points per game, while senior guard Katie Theut leads three Cardinal Mooney players who average double digits scoring with 20.1 points and 4.3 assists per game.
Posen (25-0) vs. Crystal Falls Forest Park (24-0) at Sault Ste. Marie
Forest Park is making its last run with senior guard Lexi Gussert (29.4 ppg, 7.7 apg, 11.9 rpg) and hasn’t played anything resembling a close game aside from maybe the 17-point Regional Final win over Eben Junction Superior Central. She will play at Michigan State next season. Posen finally broke through to the final week after five straight District titles and four straight 20-plus win seasons, and has a big-time scorer as well. Senior 6-1 center Korynn Hincka averages 27.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.
Lansing Christian (11-11) vs. Athens (21-3) at Battle Creek Harper Creek
Athens is in its fourth straight Quarterfinal and made the Semifinals last season, and boasts a solid inside-out combination of junior guard Allison Fuller (13.5 ppg, 3.5 spg) and senior center Audrey Oswalt (12.1 ppg, 7.8 rpg). Lansing Christian’s record shouldn’t be taken at face value – the Pilgrims played a number of Class B and C teams this season and two teams still playing tonight. Six-foot senior Mikayla Terry (15.6 ppg, 11.9 rpg) will give Oswalt plenty of work in the paint.
PHOTO: Farmington Hills Mercy's Sam Bauer (3) pushes the ball upcourt during her team's Regional Final win over Detroit Martin Luther King. (Photo courtesy of Detroit Public School League.)
Undefeated Brandywine Eager to Earn Return Trip to Breslin Center
By
Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com
March 5, 2025
NILES – Josh Hood recalls receiving multiple texts the Monday following spring break last year.
Those messages came from various players on his Niles Brandywine girls basketball team inquiring about when they could get back into the gym and begin preparing for the 2024-25 season.
After losing a 33-30 heartbreaker to powerhouse Ypsilanti Arbor Prep in the 2024 MHSAA Division 3 Final, the top-ranked and undefeated Bobcats, 26-2 a year ago, are hungry for a return trip to the championship game at Michigan State University's Breslin Center later this month. They open up District play at 5:30 p.m. today against Bridgman on the Bees’ home floor, and will host next week’s Regional.
"Once you get a taste of the type of success we had last year, you can respond to it in one of two ways. You can either take the summer off, have fun and ride out your senior year and be content with what you've done or you can get to back to work right away,” Hood said. “We took a week off and after spring break, there were those texts from our girls asking, ‘Coach, when can we get back into the gym?’ We didn't have to ask who was going to show up each night either when we played our 14 dates and 25-game schedule in the summer. All of the girls were there ready to work.”
Hood graduated his top two players in Ellie Knapp, last year's starting point guard, and post player Kadence Brumitt. The two all-staters led a squad that earned the school's second Semifinals appearance and first Finals berth.
"Last year we had Ellie and Kaydence, who were our top two scorers for four years. The biggest difference this season is that we have eight girls averaging between four and 12 points,” Hood said. “Nobody we play can say they must focus on one certain player. Any one of our girls is capable of scoring. Our ability to spread the ball around and be unselfish have been two of our biggest strengths.”
Despite those two key graduation losses, the Bobcats (22-0) haven't missed a beat even while playing a difficult schedule that's included several games against Division 1 or Division 2 schools.
Brandywine, the two-time repeat Lakeland Conference champ at 8-0, has gotten good performances all season out of its seven seniors, along with a solid group of underclassmen. The Bobcats have taken advantage of their athleticism and quickness to outwork their opponents.
"The great thing about this group is that they aren't just basketball players. The success that we've had here at Brandywine in the last 16 years isn't because they focus just on basketball. Every one of these girls in our program are multi-sport athletes," Hood said.
The experience of playing on the big stage last March has been a big motivator to senior leaders Miley Young and Adeline Gill, along with classmates Adelyn Drotoz, Ireland Prenkert. Lexi Troup, Paige Krisher and Niyah Mason.
Gill, Brandywine's tallest player at 5-foot-9, is the only player averaging double-digit scoring at 12.5 points per game, followed by Young (9.0 ppg.) and Drotoz (8.5 points).
"Adeline is our leading scorer and a four-year starter like most of our seniors. She is a quiet leader who just goes about her business on the court. Her consistency in scoring and rebounding are big assets. Just like Miley, she is a tireless worker," Hood said.
"Miley was another player who received all-state honors last year not for her scoring, but simply because she was the best defender that everyone saw play at Michigan State in the Finals. She brings great tenacity and is fearless on the floor. Her energy on defense keys our man-to-man pressure, and she is the catalyst at the point position. Her work ethic has been exemplary all four years. Every day she is the first one at practice and the last one to leave."
Gill also averages 4.7 rebounds and two steals per contest.
"The experience of playing at Breslin last season was amazing and taught our team a great deal. We know what it takes to get there and how hard we have to work in practice and play in games” said Gill, who next plans to major in biology at Kalamazoo College with her career goal to become a physician's assistant. “We are quick and get lots of steals on defense. This group is hardworking, and we are always getting after it. We study a lot of film on other teams and ourselves, and it really helps us prepare for games. Our team is just really motivated to get back to state,"
Young sports averages of four rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.1 steals per game.
"Getting to Breslin last year was something we really wanted to do since we were younger. Our team has supported each other very well. We lost two key players from last year, but we have some young talent and returners that have really stepped it up this season," Young said. "Last season we were bigger in the post, but this year we just try to use our quickness to wear other teams out. We might be smaller, but we're going to get the job done with our defense. Most teams don't have the depth that we do, and that allows us to wear our opponents out. We are held to a high standard, and our coaching staff help us to be the best we can be. I've never seen anyone like Coach Hood who watches as much film as he does."
Young said that playing in Knapp's shadow last year was a good learning experience.
"In my opinion Ellie was the best point guard in the state. Going against her in practice really helped me,” Young said. “I had to switch my role up this year knowing I'm not going to get the ball on fastbreaks. I'm comfortable in my new role and getting my teammates the shots."
Drotoz, who will end her Brandywine career as the school's top 3-point shooter, has made 52-of-132 (39 percent) attempts from behind the arc this season.
The Bobcats are a dangerous team with their ability to either drive or swing it back outside for a 3-pointer. Brandywine is 157-of-535 (29.3 percent) on 3-point attempts.
Sophomore guard Mackenna Price (5.5 ppg.) is a big contributor off the bench for the Bobcats. Other standouts seeing heavy minutes are Prenkert, Troup, Krisher, Mason, sophomore Lily Gill and junior post player Karleigh Byrd.
Lily Gill averages seven points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.8 steals, while Byrd is averaging 5.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 steals.
Brandywine, which is averaging 58.9 points as a team and giving up just 26.2 per game, owns impressive wins over last year's Division 2 quarterfinalist Vicksburg (45-28), along with Stevensville Lakeshore (45-37), Richland Gull Lake (70-38), Kalamazoo Central (50-34), Kalamazoo Loy Norrix (59-27), Battle Creek Central (56-41) and St. Joseph (51-36).
"When you average what we do offensively and give up only 26 points per game, it says a great deal about our commitment to defense,” Hood said. “With our team it’s always been about defense translating to offense. That's become the culture of our program, and we're going to work real hard at it.”
Brandywine's last three games of the regular season were all against Division 1 schools in Battle Creek Central, Loy Norrix and St. Joseph.
"There's intent behind our schedule. Much of the credit goes to our athletic director (Dave Sidenbender) because we ask him to give us the best schedule that we can possibly have. When you play seven conference champions and 17 of your 22 games against Division 1 or Division 2 opponents, it makes our girls fearless,” Hood said. “Our schedule prepares us well. Losses happen, and you don't lose anything with a little adversity and playing tough competition. If you have a little hiccup, those film sessions are better than if you win by 40 points because you learn from that adversity. Our girls embrace that and they know that iron sharpens iron, and that's why we play the schedule we do. We play the seventh-toughest schedule out of 683 schools in the MPR (Michigan Power Ratings) rankings. When the ball goes up in the air, these girls are ready to play and it’s an honor to coach them."
In outlining the keys for another strong tournament run, Hood identified Brandywine's pressure defense as a key ingredient.
"We've never had a player taller than 5-10 at Brandywine since I've been here,” he said. “We have girls who are only 5-8 or 5-9, so that forces you to make it a 90-foot game and we've done a good job of that all season. Our rotations have been stellar. We feel like we are in charge of what we do on the court with the defensive pressure we apply. We are a very effective team when we can push the ball up the floor and not let our opponents get comfortable in the half-court.”
Young has committed to play college basketball at Lake Michigan College, while Adeline Gill made a recent verbal commitment to play at Kalamazoo College. Troup will play women’s soccer at Trine University and Drotoz plans to continue her softball career at Alma College.
Scott Hassinger is a contributing sportswriter for Leader Publications and previously served as the sports editor for the Three Rivers Commercial-News from 1994-2022. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Brandywine senior Miley Young (22) takes her turn cutting down the nets after last week's final regular-season home win over Kalamazoo Loy Norrix. (Middle) Bobcats Adelyn Drotoz (3) and Adeline Gill (0) apply defensive pressure. (Below) Drotoz, middle, is escorted by her parents Chad and Heather Drotoz on Senior Night. (Photos by Scott Hassinger.)