Breslin Bound: Girls Quarterfinal Preview
March 16, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Five teams in Tuesday's Quarterfinals have reached the final week of the MHSAA girls basketball season for the first time.
But the celebrations are just getting started.
See below for a glance at all 16 Quarterfinal games to determine which teams advance to this weekend's final rounds at Michigan State University's Breslin Center. All quarters tip off at 7 p.m. unless noted.
Class A
DeWitt (23-1) vs. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (17-8) at Charlotte
Four seniors starters have guided DeWitt to its first Quarterfinal since 2009 in Class B. Despite having no player taller than 5-foot-10, the Panthers are the tough matchup because of their versatility and balance led by senior guard Claudia Reid (10.3 points, 6.5 assists per game) and senior forward Abby Nakfoor (12 ppg, five rebounds per game). Forest Hills Central has won its first Regional title in its first season under former East Grand Rapids star Kelvin Grady. Senior center Sophia Sanfilipo will stand the tallest in this game at 5-11 and averages 13.1 points and nine rebounds per game.
Hartland (18-6) vs. Saginaw Heritage (21-3) at Flint Carman-Ainsworth
Hartland rebounded from three losses over its final five regular-season games to win its first Regional championship as well. Sophomore forward Lexey Tobel (12.1 ppg) leads five players averaging at least five points per game. Heritage will play in its second Quarterfinal in three seasons to make its first Semifinal since 2002, when it won Class A. The Hawks might be even more balanced than Hartland – six players average at least six points per game, but not score 10.
Bloomfield Hills Marian (23-1) vs. Waterford Kettering (23-1) at St. Clair Shores Lake Shore
The reigning Class A champion, Marian hasn’t lost to an in-state opponent since last season’s Detroit Catholic League Final; its only loss this season was the Chicago Whitney Young by four Jan 17. The Mustangs beat four teams still alive this week. Kettering has won two Regional titles in four seasons and at least 20 games three of the four, and probably couldn’t imagine a more impressive way to break through to the Semifinals for the first time since 2000. Senior forward Lauren Tewes leads five players scoring at least eight points per game, with 10.6 ppg.
Romulus (18-5) vs. Detroit Martin Luther King (23-1) at Dearborn Fordson
The Romulus girls have caught up to the powerhouse boys program with Regional titles the last two seasons, and they did so this time despite falling in three or their final four regular-season games. The team has eight seniors, and guard Jayla Nichols leads at 12.1 ppg. It may be tough to believe, but King hasn’t made the Semifinals since its last title run in 2006. The Crusaders are always in the mix and lost this season only to Marian, by a point, in the regular-season finale. Guard Janae Williams leads a strong group that includes six seniors.
Class B
Benton Harbor (19-5) vs. Flat Rock (21-3) at Eaton Rapids
The Tigers have improved their win total every season of five under coach Lisa Harvey-Gondrezick and are led by her daughters, Miss Basketball finalist and Michigan State University recruit Kalabrya (17.9 points, 8.1 assists per game) and junior forward Kysre (27.5 points, 10.6 rebounds per game). Flat Rock also has a parent/daughters combination with coach Marc Villemure, 6-foot-1 senior guard Paige (14.6 points, 3.8 blocks per game) and 6-1 junior forward Morgan (13.3 points, 6.5 rebounds per game). They helped the team to its first Regional title.
Haslett (20-5) vs. Grand Rapids Catholic Central (23-2) at Wayland
The Vikings have pointed toward this season after most of the same group made it to the Class A Regional Finals last season. Four Haslett girls score in double digits led by senior forward Makenna Ott, who missed nine games through the middle of the season with an injury but brings 13.2 points per game to the lineup – Haslett lost only once with her this winter. GRCC has been surging with 13 straight wins since falling to rival Wayland, which Haslett beat in the Regional Final (and GRCC beat in their second meeting by 22 points). The Cougars have won District titles all three of coach Trevor Hinshaw’s seasons and are returning to the final week for the first time since 2012.
Goodrich (24-1) vs. Manistee (23-1) at Mount Pleasant
Goodrich just missed the Quarterfinals last season but is back for the fifth time in six and after winning back-to-back Class B titles in 2012 and 2013. Senior Tania Davis (19.1 ppg) and junior Alexis Sevillian (15.6 ppg) make up one of the strongest backcourts in the state; Davis was named Miss Basketball on Monday. Manistee is an incredible 45-2 over the last two seasons and in its first Quarterfinal since 1994. It avenged its lone loss, to Traverse City West, in a rematch Feb. 20.
Dearborn Divine Child (20-5) vs. Detroit Country Day (19-4) at Marysville
Subtract three losses to reigning Class A champion Bloomfield Hills Marian, and Divine Child’s record looks even better – Dearborn Heights Robichaud (17-3) was the only postseason opponent of five to come within 15 points of the Falcons, who are led by senior guard Riley Blair (15.5 ppg). Country Day started this season with 11 straight wins before losing four of its next six – but against some of the best teams in Class A and a Class C favorite. The Yellowjackets came back to beat Haslett during the final week of the regular season and haven’t been challenged during the MHSAA tournament as they pursue their first championship since 2009.
Class C
Tawas (21-4) vs. Calumet (21-2) at Petoskey
Tawas is back in the final week for the first time since 2003 and after finishing only 8-11 a year ago. Senior guard Jenna Szostak leads three players scoring in double figures with 19.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Calumet is making its first trip to the Quarterfinals since 1977 and is two losses by a combined 12 points to Class B Houghton from a perfect record. The Copper Kings have won at least 15 games three straight season.
Niles Brandywine (23-1) vs. Laingsburg (25-0) at Comstock Park
Niles Brandywine will play in its fifth Quarterfinal in six seasons, seeking its first Semifinal berth since 2010. The Bobcats are an incredible 138-9 under coach Josh Hood over those six seasons and lost this winter only to Class A Kalamazoo Central. Junior forward Makenna Hartline is the leading scorer at 14.4 ppg. Laingsburg has made its first Quarterfinal with a balanced approach – only junior guard Lindsey Smith (11.2) averages more than eight points per game. The Wolfpack beat four teams this postseason that had won at least 17 games.
Homer (21-4) vs. Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (21-3) at Michigan Center
Homer finished runner-up in the Big 8 Conference and continued into its first Quarterfinal appearance since 1982 – and despite finishing only 10-11 a year ago. Arbor Prep will play in its second straight Quarterfinal with a chance to win 22 games for the second straight as well despite a schedule loaded with Class A and B teams including three still playing this week. The team has only three seniors, but all three start. Junior guard Nastassja Chambers leads, scoring 15.3 points per game.
Saginaw Nouvel (19-6) vs. Flint Hamady (23-1) at Davison
Nouvel, the reigning Class C champion, has faced plenty of challenging opponents in all four classes this season, although Hamady should be one of the toughest with a combined record of 47-2 over the last two seasons. Junior guard Jalisha Terry has plenty of experience on the winning side in her third season on varsity, while Nouvel junior guard Laurel Jacqmain scores 18.9 points per game and also was the Cougars’ leading scorer in last season’s MHSAA Final.
Class D
St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran (21-1) vs. Pittsford (24-0) at Battle Creek Harper Creek
Michigan Lutheran has won an incredible 19 straight league titles and six District crowns in seven seasons, but added their first Regional title since 2004 last week. The lone loss was early to Frankfort, also a quarterfinalist, and senior guard Hailey Maas leads three scorers averaging double figures at 14.5 ppg. Pittsford has been the lone undefeated Class D team since midseason and will be making its first Quarterfinal appearance – but is a combined 62-7 over the last three seasons. Sophomores Maddie Clark and Jaycie Burger lead with 19.4 and 17.9 points per game, respectively.
Waterford Our Lady (11-12) vs. Kingston (21-3) at Warren Mott, 6 p.m.
Our Lady followed up its run of four straight Class D championship games from 2010-13 with a sub-.500 finish last season, but can get back to even this winter by continuing this surprise run. The Lakers likely are on the rise for the next few seasons, as no starter this winter is a senior, and with freshman Tiffany Senerius and junior Alex Troy (both 10 points per game) their leading scorers. Kingston won its second Regional title ever and first since 2003, and benefits from a balanced starting lineup with four starters scoring 8.8-11.5 points per game, including seniors Jenna Boyl and Cassidy McGuire.
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (20-4) vs. Frankfort (23-1) at Traverse City Central
The reigning champion Irish have a similar but more veteran look after graduating only one senior from last season’s team. Sacred Heart this time has six seniors including 2014 tournament heroes Averi Gamble (16 ppg) at center and Riley Terwilliger (9.5 ppg) at guard. Frankfort hopes to take the next step after also reaching the Quarterfinals last season. Junior guard Mackenna Kelly leads with 17.1 points per game, and sophomore Cecelia Schmitt adds 13.5.
St. Ignace (19-5) vs. Crystal Falls Forest Park (21-4) at Negaunee
This is a matchup of 2014 Finals runners-up – Forest Park from Class D and St. Ignace formerly of Class C. The Trojans are back in the final week despite graduating Miss Basketball winner Lexi Gussert last spring; three senior starters and first-year coach Jackie Giuliani have led this team to its fourth straight Quarterfinal. The Saints are seeking their sixth straight trip to the Semifinals and have a pair of standout scorers in junior forward Abbey Ostman (16.6 ppg) and senior guard Margo Brown (13.8 ppg, 51 3-pointers).
PHOTO: Detroit Martin Luther King defeated Grosse Pointe South during last week's Regional. (Photo courtesy of the Detroit Public School League.)
Concord Basketball Celebrates Rare Feat: Foursome of 1,000-Point Scorers
By
Doug Donnelly
Special for MHSAA.com
March 3, 2026
Concord has a rich basketball tradition, but something has happened this year that no one could have predicted.
The Yellow Jackets have had four players – two girls and two boys – reach the career 1,000-point milestone.
“It seems like a pretty rare occurrence,” Concord athletic director Matt Lehman said. “I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I’ve never seen anything like it. There was a time where we’d go years without having one player do it. To have four players do it in one season is crazy.”
Senior Cieara Barrett started the avalanche when she reached the milestone just after Christmas against Adrian Lenawee Christian.
A couple weeks later, during the same game, Concord seniors Connor Stevens and Jett Smith both scored their 1,000th points on back-to-back possessions during the Yellow Jackets’ win over Quincy. It was also Senior Night.
“It was a close game, too,” said Smith. “I got it, then the next time down the court, Jett got his 1,000th point. We called timeouts both times. It was pretty cool.”
Stevens went into the game needing just six points to reach 1,000. “I knew I should get it that game,” he said.
Smith needed a bigger night to accomplish it the same game – and he came through, pouring in 35 points in the Concord win.
“It was cool,” Smith said. “A lot of people said they’ve never seen that before.”
Against Vermontville Maple Valley on Feb. 18, junior Bradie Lehman reached 1,000 points on a pass from Barrett off a steal.
Barrett, who is also Concord’s all-time assists leader, has played for three coaches over her four varsity seasons. After a 4-17 season her freshman year, Concord has won 20, 22 and 20 games. This year’s team is 20-2 heading into the District Semifinals on Wednesday.
“I’ve had multiple coaches, and they all have had a different style,” Barrett said. “I’ve had to learn how to play in all of them. I think they each have given me something different I can use in my game.”
Reaching 1,000 points, she said, “wasn’t my focus, but once I knew I was close it became a goal.”
Lehman, the daughter of the athletic director, also was brought up to the varsity at the start of her freshman season. She said that season she wasn’t a big scorer.
Concord’s girls play an up-tempo offense, averaging 55.7 points a game. Lehman said the team plays tough defense, too, which sets up the offense.
“We score a lot in transition, off turnovers,” she said.
Reaching 1,000 points took a burden off of her, she noted.
“I was out for a lot of games last year, so I didn’t think I could get it this year,” she said. “Once I got there, it was kind of a relief. I was thinking about it so much. I just wanted to get it done and move on.”
Lehman thinks the Yellow Jackets are poised for a deep tournament run again. Last season they reached the Division 4 Semifinals.
“I definitely think we can make it there (again),” she said. “We have a lot of pieces.”
The Concord boys (20-4) put the finishing touches on their Division 4 District title Friday.
During his four seasons on the varsity, Stevens – also Concord’s all-time leading rebounder – said he’s grown as a player.
“I’ve gotten stronger and better,” he said. “I’m more aggressive now. That has helped my confidence, too.”
Smith said he’s always had a shooters mentality. He had 36 points in the District Final and is among the top scorers in his area. The success of this year’s team is no surprise, he said, given the bulk of the team has been playing together since middle school. The Yellow Jackets have won 67 games over the past four years.
“We’ve been talking about this since the eighth grade,” he said.
Concord boys basketball coach Marcus Gill said Smith and Stevens are polar opposites in terms of personalities, but they make it work.
“They couldn’t be more different dudes,” he said. “Jett is wired to score. From day one, he was wired to score. He never met a shot he didn’t like. Connor, he’s so unselfish it’s almost selfish. I tell him we need him to score more.”
All four players now have banners hanging up in the Concord gym recognizing their accomplishment. The athletic department also has a Wall of Fame outside the gym that all of them may someday join.
Gill summed it up: “It’s a special time for Concord basketball.”
Doug Donnelly has served as a news and sports reporter at the Adrian Daily Telegram and the Monroe News for 30 years, including 10 years as city editor in Monroe. He's written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. He is now publisher and editor of The Blissfield Advance, a weekly newspaper. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Four Concord basketball players have reached 1,000 career points this season – from left: Bradie Lehman, Cieara Barrett, Connor Stevens and Jett Smith. (Middle) Lehman brings the ball upcourt. (Group photo by Doug Donnelly. Lehman action photo courtesy of the Concord athletic department.)