Breslin Bound: Girls Report Week 7
January 16, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The girls basketball regular season reached the midpoint last week with its share of surprises but also performances as expected so far.
Powers like Pittsford and Saginaw Heritage rolled through the first half 10-0 – the Hawks are discussed quite a bit in this week’s Breslin Bound report powered by MI Student Aid. But we also have more improved achievers to highlight, including one of our smallest schools that calls the northern Lower Peninsula home.
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Marshall 41, Jackson Northwest 40 – A one-point win over its Interstate 8 Athletic Conference rival helped start Marshall’s surge last season to the Class B title, and history seems to be repeating itself to this point.
2. Pewamo-Westphalia 38, Laingsburg 31 – The previously-undefeated Wolfpack was the talk of the Central Michigan Athletic Conference and Class C statewide, but the Pirates have moved ahead in both conversations with this win.
3. Midland Dow 52, Midland 51 – One-loss Dow survived an early scare against the rival Chemics as it looks to challenge Saginaw Heritage again in the Saginaw Valley League North.
4. Detroit Country Day 67, Flint Hamady 28 – Handing Class C contender Hamady its first loss in this way was another indication that most of Class B is chasing the undefeated Yellowjackets.
5. East Kentwood 47, Caledonia 42 – The Falcons moved into first place alone in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red with a win that should prove key even though it came near the start of the league season.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each class making sparks:
CLASS A
Dearborn (7-2) – The Pioneers had a tough stretch over the holidays with an overtime loss to Belleville and another defeat to neighbor Dearborn Divine Child. But they opened the winter by handing Northville its only loss this season, and a 60-48 win over Robichaud on Friday was similarly impressive.
Saginaw Heritage (10-0) – After winning its first 15 games last season, Heritage is off to a similar start with nine wins by at least 25 points. Coming up Tuesday is Midland Dow – the team that broke last season’s streak and with which the Hawks shared the Saginaw Valley League North title.
CLASS B
Hamilton (8-1) – Aside from a four-point overtime loss to Hudsonville, Hamilton has been perfect as it looks to improve from last season’s runner-up finish in the O-K Green. A 50-37 win over second-place Holland Christian on Friday put the Hawkeyes in first alone.
Kalkaska (5-0) – The Blazers might be lined up for a special season after finishing second a year ago in the Lake Michigan Conference to Traverse City St. Francis. Kalkaska downed St. Francis 61-51 on Saturday to take over first place.
CLASS C
Adrian Madison (8-1) – A Regional finalist last season, Madison has been on a tear again since falling to Lenawee Christian in its opener. The Trojans are back in first place in the Tri-County Conference and have seven double-digit wins.
Blissfield (8-2) – Ida was one of our featured Class B teams last week, but Blissfield moved into first place in the Lenawee County Athletic Association by handing the now second-place Bluestreaks their first loss 52-49 on Friday. Blissfield's defeats were to 2016 Class B semifinalist Bay City John Glenn and one-loss Class A Utica Ford.
CLASS D
Engadine (7-1) – The Eagles have improved from three, to seven, to 11, to 14 wins over the last four seasons and could take another step this winter. The lone loss came in their opener to Munising, which they see again next week.
Bear Lake (6-2) – Friday’s 38-33 win over Pentwater gave Bear Lake as many wins as last season. And the Lakers should contend in the West Michigan D League as well, with a victory already over contender Custer Mason County Eastern.
Can't-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Saginaw Heritage (10-0) at Midland Dow (8-1) – For all of the reasons mentioned above, this is one of the biggest games in Class A during the regular season.
Tuesday – Bloomfield Hills Marian (7-2) at Farmington Hills Mercy (7-2) – A Class A contender regularly comes out of the Detroit Catholic League Central, and these are the best so far of a strong group.
Tuesday – Stevensville Lakeshore (7-1) at Edwardsburg (6-1) – This nonleague matchup could be telling for both Class B hopefuls and likely will be closer than last season’s Lakeshore 19-point win.
Wednesday – Bellaire (6-1) at Gaylord St. Mary (6-1) – These two are tied for first in the Ski Valley Conference and among the north’s elite in Class D.
Thursday – New Boston Huron (7-1) at Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (6-1) – SMCC, third place in the Huron League, gets the co-leaders back to back taking on Huron after facing Carleton Airport (6-1) on Tuesday.
NOTE: The Clarkston/Detroit Martin Luther King game Monday also would have made this list but had begun before this report was published.
PHOTO: Saginaw Heritage guard Moira Joiner (4) protects the ball during the Hawks’ game last month against Solon, Ohio. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Edison Avenges Loss, Locks Up Repeat
March 17, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
GRAND RAPIDS – Detroit Edison’s girls basketball team had one loose end left to tie this weekend.
By midway through the third quarter Saturday, everything the Pioneers had hoped to accomplish was secured – including their second straight Class C championship.
Edison avenged its lone loss of the season with a 51-34 victory over Ypsilanti Arbor Prep at Van Noord Arena. The Gators had won their regular-season meeting 54-49 on Jan. 11.
And early in the rematch, they looked to be Edison’s nemesis again. Arbor Prep jumped out to an eight-point lead barely five minutes into the game. But the Pioneers responded with a 16-7 run to take the lead for good midway through the second quarter.
“The first quarter rattled us a little bit. But we overcame many other games when we were down,” Edison junior Rickea Jackson said. “When we hold each other accountable for things, we can get on each other, and we trust one another. So it was easier for us to get back in the game.”
And that served as proof of the biggest difference in this year’s team from the one that claimed the school’s first MHSAA title in any sport a year ago.
This season’s Pioneers have been considered by many the best team in the state, regardless of Class, thanks to a run through a number of contenders in Class A and B including an overtime 57-55 win over Saginaw Heritage on Feb. 20. Heritage won the Class A title earlier Saturday.
But while Edison (24-1) has won 33 of its last 34 games going back to last season, that one defeat still gnawed away.
“We knew in the back of our heads that Arbor Prep was the only team we’d lost to this year,” Pioneers coach Monique Brown said. “I think that was sitting with us when we first started, so (there was) a lot of anxiety when we started.
“Last year, we got off to that start against a Country Day or Arbor Prep, we weren’t able to overcome that. (Their) lead of seven points, eight points would turn into 15 by the end of the game. So I think our maturity and our tough schedule we had this year had prepared us for this moment today.”
Brown had noticed from film of the first matchup that her team, while applying some effective pressure, didn’t finish it off with points off turnovers.
The Pioneers had 28 points off Arbor Prep’s 20 turnovers Saturday. They also outrebounded the Gators 46-39 and held them to 13 percent shooting from the floor over the final three quarters. Jackson had six points and sophomore guard Shaulana Wagner had four off the bench during the run to the lead. Edison sophomore Gabrielle Elliott, meanwhile, scored 16 of her game-high 20 points during the second half.
“We didn’t have the effort to finish the plays in the first half to keep us in the lead,” Arbor Prep coach Scott Stine said. “The second half got very physical. … We really didn’t have our rhythm the whole game, and it showed. They’re regarded as the best team in the state, and you’ve gotta play a great game to beat them. We weren’t perfect today.”
Elliott made 8 of 12 shots from the floor. Jackson followed her scoring with 16 points to go with 10 rebounds, four blocks and four steals. Wagner, a starter last season and significant sub in both games this weekend, added six points, eight rebounds and five steals. Freshman guard Damiya Hagemann had nine points and five assists.
Arbor Prep senior Lasha Petree, a Miss Basketball finalist this season, finished with 19 points, six rebounds and five blocks. None of her teammates scored more than four, however, as the 34 points total were their season low.
This was Arbor Prep’s third straight championship game appearance. The Gators (21-6) won Class C in 2016, then finished runner-up in Class B a year ago.
PHOTOS: (Top) Detroit Edison’s Gabrielle Elliott works to get past Mahri Petree during Saturday’s Class C Final. (Middle) Arbor Prep’s Lasha Petree gets her hand on an Elliott shot.