Calumet Steps Closer to Class C Throne
March 19, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
EAST LANSING – Clara Loukus was all jitters when Thursday’s first Class C Semifinal tipped off at the Breslin Center. And her coach Jeff Twardzik knew it.
But he also could tell from the way she launched her 3-point shot with three minutes to play that it would find the bottom of the net – and more importantly, that she was ready to carry the Copper Kings to their first MHSAA championship game.
Loukus scored one third of Calumet’s points and spearheaded a defensive effort that stopped undefeated Laingsburg cold over the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter.
And the Copper Kings indeed moved on, edging the top-ranked Wolfpack 30-26 to advance to Saturday’s 4 p.m. Final against Flint Hamady.
“Last night I couldn’t sleep. ... The first half I was riled up,” Loukus said. “The second half came, and I calmed myself down, got my got my rhythm. I knew I had my whole team behind me, and I had to do this for them.”
Stingy defense played a part in both teams advancing to the Semifinals this season for the first time. Laingsburg (26-1) gave up only 25.7 points per game entering Thursday, while Calumet (23-2) wasn’t far behind that pace, allowing 32.5.
And that certainly played out from the opening tip. Laingsburg did make 50 percent of its shots during the first half – but launched only 10 times. Calumet shot 10 percent better during the second half than the first – but only 39 percent from the floor over the final two quarters and 32 percent for the game.
Although the Wolfpack made only two of 11 shots during the third quarter, the Copper Kings still trailed 23-21 when a Laingsburg turnover at 7:14 of the fourth started a run that will be among highlights of Calumet’s historic trip downstate.
The Copper Kings earned that turnover with their fullcourt press, and tied the score on junior Leah Kiilunen’s basket with 6:26 to play. Calumet then forced another turnover, and then another when Loukus gathered a steal with 5:06 on the clock.
The teams traded missed shots until senior Alexis Rowe dropped in a layup with 4:22 to play to give the Copper Kings a 25-23 lead. Another miss and turnover set up Loukus for her game-deciding 3-pointer with 3:02 to play.
“She’s that heartbeat that never quits,” Twardzik said. “You never quite now when it’s going to come, but that 3-poiner, I could tell when it left her hands. The kids were nervous coming in, understandably. But I could tell she calmed down, and she took that shot in rhythm.”
Laingsburg did score its first and only basket of the final period with 1:26 to play to pull within 28-26. But the Wolfpack turned the ball over twice more, the second time on a pass into the middle of the lane that Loukus intercepted. She was fouled and made both free throw attempts with nine seconds to play.
“I turned to my assistant and I said, ‘She’s going to make these two,’” Twardzik said. “That’s the way she’s built.”
Loukas finished with 10 points and five steals, and Rowe added seven points. Junior 6-foot-2 center Janie Torola came off the bench and became an obstacle in the middle playing all but two minutes of the second half, and she grabbed nine rebounds and blocked three shots to go with seven points.
Freshman Sophie Wilsey led Laingsburg with eight points and four rebounds.
"For the last four or five games, we've struggled a little bit with our offense. We've been managing to score in the 30s or 40 range, and with our defense that typically gives us the opportunity to win," Laingsburg coach Doug Hurst said. "Tonight it was a credit to their defense as well, a lot of it to their defense, actually. … They're big, they're long, and that kinda changed things a little bit."
Calumet entered the tournament unranked, and traveled 500 miles to East Lansing after making their first Quarterfinal appearance Tuesday since 1977.
“This is everybody’s dream, to get here. And when you step into the first practice, you talk to the kids; why not dream big?” Twardzik said. “I truly believed in this group of kids. I’ve had an opportunity to be a part since they were very young, (because) my daughter (Ellen) is a senior.
“In my wildest dreams, did I have this dream? Yes. Did I believe it could be true? Absolutely.”
“We come from a small town. Not a lot of people know about you,” Rowe added. “I remember yesterday, coming down in the gym, everybody’s eyes were wide open. Friday we’ve just got to go back to the mental (preparation), and Saturday just wake up and play our game and be ready.”
Click for the full box score and video of the press conference.
PHOTOS: (Top) Calumet's Abby Bjorn (44) works to get around Laingsburg's Sara Hurst on Thursday. (Middle) The Copper Kings' Alexis Rowe goes up for a shot while Julia Angst (5) works for a stop.
Breslin Bound: 2024-25 Girls Report Week 11
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 17, 2025
The final basketball bracket reveal of the MHSAA winter season is coming up Sunday, when Girls Basketball District pairings will be announced. For the first time, all teams in every District will be seeded based on Michigan Power Ratings (MPR).
MPR is calculated using wins and losses for games played between teams entered into the MHSAA Tournament. Scores of games, margin of victory and location of games are not included in the MPR formula. The final MPR number is 25 percent of the team's winning percentage, plus 50 percent of its opponent's winning percentage, plus 25 percent of its opponent's opponent's winning percentage – the total rewarding both success and strength of schedule.
A number of league championship deciders will take place this week, as will a handful of nonleague matchups of potential MHSAA Finals contenders as they tune up for March.
“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. Belleville 62, Wayne Memorial 38 Two weeks after suffering its only loss this season, to Wayne (14-6), Belleville (18-1) stormed back to set up a possible shared title in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association East with one league game to play for both.
2. Haslett 80, Detroit Country Day 52 The Vikings (15-2) avenged a 20-point loss from last season to the Yellowjackets (14-5) as both look forward to MHSAA Tournament aspirations in March.
3. Yale 36, Sandusky 19 Both of these teams are closing in on league titles, and maybe more as Yale (18-1) handed Sandusky (16-1) its only loss and they will go separate ways for the postseason.
4. East Jordan 54, Gaylord St. Mary 42 The Red Devils (15-4) shuffled the Ski Valley Conference standings a bit with St. Mary (15-2) and Indian River Inland Lakes now both with just one league loss and East Jordan with two and three league games to play.
5. Midland 62, Flint Powers Catholic 46 The Chemics (16-1) remain one game ahead of Saginaw Heritage in the Saginaw Valley League after Heritage also defeated Powers (12-5) on Friday.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Clarkston (13-6) The Wolves are one win away from clinching the Oakland Activities Association Red title, one spot ahead of reigning Division 1 champion West Bloomfield in the standings thanks in part to a 48-41 win over the Lakers on Jan. 31. Clarkston has won nine of its last 10 games, its only defeat during that time to Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (14-3), and with a win over OAA Blue leader Auburn Hills Avondale (15-3) during the run. The Wolves will be ready for high-level competition next month with losses as well this season to Flint Powers (12-5), Hartland (15-4), Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (18-1), Country Day (14-5) and Detroit Edison (12-3).
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (14-3) The Eaglets claimed their second-straight league championship, sharing the title in the Catholic High School League Central West division after winning the AA a year ago. They split with co-champion Farmington Hills Mercy (13-4), winning the first meeting and losing the second, and their other defeats were similarly strong against FGR and Country Day. Wins over Livonia Stevenson (15-5) and Clarkston (see above) also pop off the page, and OLSM can carry some significant momentum into the postseason with a good result Feb. 27 at Frankenmuth (16-3).
DIVISION 2
Haslett (15-2) The Vikings opened this season with a loss to Division 1 contender Rockford (19-1), but have fallen only one more time since, to Division 1 DeWitt (17-1). Add those to last week’s win over Country Day and a perfect run through the Capital Area Activities Conference Red so far, and the Vikings have steadily raised their profile again after finishing second in the league but then winning a District title a year ago. The most impressive CAAC Red win was 67-56 over second-place St. Johns (15-3), with the rematch coming up Friday. Haslett also closes the regular season with possible Regional Semifinal opponent Parma Western (17-1), although to see Western a second time Haslett must first navigate a District that includes Wixom St. Catherine (15-3).
Vicksburg (16-2) Back-to-back losses to Paw Paw (14-3) and Niles Brandywine (17-0) as January turned to February have been just a momentary detour as Vicksburg has clinched at least a share of the Wolverine Conference title, the Bulldogs’ third straight. They reached the Division 1 Quarterfinals a year ago and have continued to impress again, winning the first meeting with Paw Paw and earning other notable victories over Stevensville Lakeshore (12-3) and Coldwater (12-6) among others. Vicksburg can clinch the league title outright against Edwardsburg on Friday and should be the favorite in its District that also includes Marshall (13-5) but three sub-.500 teams.
DIVISION 3
Bronson (15-2) A 51-32 win over Concord on Feb. 4 has Bronson in position to share the Big 8 Conference title with the Yellow Jackets (16-4), who won the first meting 49-46 on Jan. 3. That would be a jump from finishing third in the league and 16-7 overall a season ago, and the only other loss this time was to undefeated Brandywine. Games against Division 1 Sturgis (11-7) and Division 2 Buchanan (10-8) should provide some additional prep as Bronson prepares to host a District that will include Southwest 10 Conference leader Centreville (12-4) and Quincy (10-7), which Bronson has defeated twice.
Grass Lake (15-3) Grass Lake has clinched a share of the Cascades Conference East title, its seventh-straight league championship, and jumped from No. 15 to 12 to No. 6 in statewide Division 3 MPR over the last three weeks. The Warriors are on a 12-game winning streak that’s included pairs of victories over Michigan Center (15-2) and Leslie (13-5) and handing Division 1 Detroit Renaissance (18-1) its only loss. The run kicked off after a 3-3 start that included losses to Chelsea (14-2), Country Day and Jackson Lumen Christi (12-5) – and Grass Lake could see Lumen again in the District the Warriors will be hosting.
DIVISION 4
Clarkston Everest Collegiate (13-2) After finishing as a league runner-up the last two seasons, Everest has won its first championship since 2012-13 with a perfect run through the CHSL Intersectional 1. The only losses this season were to Division 2 Warren Regina and Wixom St. Catherine, and all of the Mountaineers’ wins have come by at least 15 points. Everest will face two of its toughest opponents to close the regular season, Division 3 Rochester Hills Northwest (13-4) and Division 2 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (12-5), both next week.
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (13-0) A 40-37 win over St. Charles last week kept Sacred Heart undefeated and atop the Mid-State Activities Conference alone after finishing a regular-season sweep of the second-place Bulldogs. A league title would be Sacred Heart’s first since 2019-20 and follow last year’s run to the Quarterfinals. The Irish will fit six league games into the next two weeks, including matchups with third-place Fulton (11-6), fourth-place Merrill (10-6) and fifth-place Breckenridge (9-6). Sacred Heart also had a notable two-point opening win this season over Beaverton (12-5).
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Rockford (19-1) at Frankenmuth (16-3) – These Divisions 1 and 2 powers, respectively, meet again with Rockford having taken last year’s matchup 67-44.
Thursday – Detroit Renaissance (18-1) at Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (18-1) – The annual Operation Friendship game between Detroit Public School League and Catholic High School League tournament champions also matches up contenders statewide in Divisions 1 and 2, respectively.
Thursday – Yale (18-1) at Armada (15-1) – At least a share of the Blue Water Area Conference title could be decided with Yale a game ahead in the standings after downing Armada 69-62 on Jan. 28.
Friday – Detroit Edison (12-3) at Belleville (18-1) – Two more potential favorites in Divisions 2 and 1, respectively, will meet again after Edison won last year’s matchup 57-46.
Friday – Utica Eisenhower (18-1) at Utica Ford (17-1) – Eisenhower has a one-game lead going into this Macomb Area Conference Red finale after handing Ford its lone defeat, 64-49 on Jan. 28.
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PHOTOS (Top) Oscoda’s Kingsley Backstrom (22) drives to the basket during her team’s 59-26 win over Saginaw Valley Lutheran on Feb. 11. (Middle) Pewamo-Westphalia’s Alonna Thelen (40) puts up a jumper during her team’s 59-53 victory over Fowler on Feb. 5. (Oscoda/Valley Lutheran photo by Kolleth Photo. P-W/Fowler photo by Team Arreguin Photos.)