D2 Preview: Historic Opportunities Ahead
March 21, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
From the opening tip this season, Detroit Edison has been considered arguably the top high school girls basketball team in Michigan – and potentially on its way to being remembered as one of the best in this state all-time.
But this weekend’s three other semifinalists will do everything in their power to end the Pioneers’ two-season championship run – in hopes of carving out their place in history instead.
Haslett has beaten three ranked opponents since the start of the playoffs. Freeland annually is considered one of the best in formerly Class B, now Division 2. And unbeaten Hamilton has put together one of the state’s most impressive two-year runs on the way to the Semifinals for the first time.
Division 2 Semifinals – Friday
Freeland (23-2) vs. Hamilton (25-0), 5:30 p.m.
Haslett (19-6) vs. Detroit Edison (25-1), 7:30 p.m.
Division 2 Final – Saturday, 6:15 p.m.
Tickets cost $10 per pair of Semifinals and $10 per two-game Finals session (Divisions 3 and 2). All Semifinals will be streamed live on MHSAA.tv and viewable on a pay-per-view basis. All four Finals will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Detroit and streamed live on FoxSportsDetroit.com and the FOX Sports app. Free radio broadcasts of all weekend games will be available on MHSAANetwork.com.
Below is a glance at all four semifinalists. Click on the name of the school to see that team’s full schedule and results from this season. (Statistics are through teams' Regional Finals.)
DETROIT EDISON
Record/rank: 25-1, No. 1
League finish: Does not play in a league.
Coach: Monique Brown, eighth season (125-37)
Championship history: Class C champion 2018 & 2017.
Best wins: 79-49 over No. 9 Harper Woods Chandler Park in District Semifinal, 64-51 and 74-62 over Division 1 No. 6 Wayne Memorial, 57-51 over Division 1 No. 2 Bloomfield Hills Marian, 41-37 over Division 1 No. 3 Saginaw Heritage, 64-52 over Division 1 No. 10 Muskegon, 54-39 over Division 3 No. 1 Pewamo-Westphalia.
Players to watch: Rickea Jackson, 6-3 sr. G (22.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.1 bpg); Gabrielle Elliott, 5-10 jr. G (17.4 ppg, 2.9 apg, 2.8 spg).
Outlook: Edison opted up a division this winter after winning Class C the last two seasons and has beaten most of the best in Division 1 as well – the team’s only loss was to Ohio power Columbus Africentric. Jackson, who will play next at Mississippi State, was named Miss Basketball earlier this week, and Elliott and sophomore Damiya Hagemann (14 ppg, 8.1 apg, 4.1 spg) could very well be candidates for the award the next two seasons, respectively.
FREELAND
Record/rank: 23-2, No. 7
League finish: First in Tri-Valley Conference Central
Coach: Tom Zolinski, 12th season (243-49)
Championship history: Class C champion 1998.
Best wins: 59-51 over No. 3 Stanton Central Montcalm in Regional Final, 60-46 over honorable mention Corunna in Regional Semifinal, 58-38 over Goodrich, 61-57 over Bay City Western.
Players to watch: Kadyn Blanchard, 5-10 jr. F (14.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.8 spg); Alyssa Argyle, 5-9 sr. F (10.9 ppg, 51 3-pointers, 3.4 apg).
Outlook: Freeland is back at the Semifinals for the second time in three seasons and third time this decade after winning its eighth league, 11th District and fifth Regional titles under Zolinski’s leadership. The Falcons have won all of their games during this tournament run by at least eight points. Argyle earned an all-state honorable mention last season, and senior guard Lily Beyer adds 12.3 ppg and had 39 3-pointers entering the week.
HAMILTON
Record/rank: 25-0, No. 3 (tied)
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Green
Coach: Dan VanHekken, 16th season (225-129)
Championship history: Has not played in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 60-39 over No. 2 Edwardsburg in Regional Semifinal, 42-40 over Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 48-43 over Comstock Park.
Players to watch: AJ Ediger, 6-2 soph. F (20.2 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 3.3 spg); Bria Schrotenboer, 5-10 sr. G (11.4 ppg, 4.0 apg, 2.9 spg).
Outlook: Hamilton made the Quarterfinals last season for the first time, and this weekend is making its first trip to the Semifinals. The Hawkeyes are up to 71-4 over the last three seasons with three league and three District titles as well during that time. Hamilton hasn’t played a single-digit game since the Comstock Park win Jan. 11. Schrotenboer earned an all-state honorable mention last season and is part of a deep lineup that after Ediger has five players averaging at least four points per game.
HASLETT
Record/rank: 19-6, unranked
League finish: Second in Capital Area Activities Conference Red
Coach: Ross Baker, third season (37-20)
Championship history: Class B runner-up 2015.
Best wins: 46-44 over No. 5 Chelsea in Quarterfinal, 51-43 over No. 8 Jackson Northwest in Regional Final, 44-42 over No. 6 Williamston in the District Final.
Players to watch: Ella McKinney, 5-10 sr. G (13.7 ppg. 7.2 rpg); Imania Baker, 6-2 jr. C (7.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg).
Outlook: At full strength for the postseason, the Vikings have soared – the win over Williamston avenged a pair of losses from the league season, and the win over Jackson Northwest avenged a third defeat. Baker had played in just 17 games and sophomore forward Skyla Nosek 15 heading into this week – Baker starts at center and Nosek (7.8 ppg) is the team’s second-leading scorer and comes off the bench. Junior forward Olivia Green (7.7) also augments a balanced lineup, and senior guard Hannah Homan is another top sub and added 6.7 ppg and had 52 3-pointers coming into this week.
PHOTO: Detroit Edison’s Ruby Whitehorn defends against Center Line during their Regional Final last week. (Photo courtesy of C&G Newspapers.)
Tecumseh Caps Winter Season with 'Day We Will Remember Forever'
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
March 22, 2025
EAST LANSING — Before Saturday’s Division 2 championship game against Grand Rapids West Catholic, the Tecumseh girls basketball team had two people for whom it was playing.
One was Bart Bartels, a beloved longtime coach in the community who died during the fall, weeks before practice started. Tecumseh has been honoring his memory all season.
The team also was playing for a fallen teammate. Junior Maddy VanBlack suffered a leg injury during Friday's Semifinal win over Frankenmuth and couldn’t play Saturday, which shortened the bench significantly.
“It was super hard and super emotional,” Tecumseh head coach Kristy Zajac said. “They fought through, and they battled through with six players tonight.”
Indeed they did, as Tecumseh captured its first Finals championship since 1974 with a 54-44 win over West Catholic.
Tecumseh finished the season 27-1, in the process making Bartels’ widow (who was in attendance), VanBlack and everyone else in the community it was playing for beyond proud.
“It’s going to be a day we will remember forever,” Zajac said.
Tecumseh built an early 14-point lead, but ultimately had to hang on for dear life against a hard-charging West Catholic team.
The Falcons whittled their deficit down all the way to 39-38 going into the fourth quarter, but couldn’t get over the hump and take the lead or tie the game.
Leading 41-40, Tecumseh then took a 45-40 lead with 5:26 remaining after a layup by Addi Zajac.
She hit another big layup with 1:54 left to make it 49-44, and then Tecumseh got a stop and a rebound.
Following a couple of West Catholic fouls, senior Ashlyn Moorehead made a free throw to give Tecumseh a 50-44 lead with 1:10 remaining.
Tecumseh got another stop, and then junior Chloe Bullinger sank two free throws with just over 47 seconds remaining to give her team a 52-44 lead.
After a missed 3-pointer, Alli Zajac hit two free throws with 19 seconds left to seal the win.
Alli Zajac scored 14 points, and senior Makayla Schlorf and Bullinger both had 11 for Tecumseh. Addi Zajac had nine points, 12 rebounds and four assists.
“It’s amazing that we got it done,” said Alli Zajac, who has signed to play for Eastern Michigan. “Ashlyn and I have been working towards this since we were little freshmen starting. It’s amazing at the end of my career I get to accomplish something like this.”
Senior Anna Ignatoski had 12 points, and senior Elisha Dykstra added 10 points and four assists to lead West Catholic (24-4), which was making its fourth-straight final-four appearance. Freshman Kenley Slanger added eight points and 10 rebounds, and sophomore Alexis Asekomeh had nine points and three blocks.
The Falcons also were Division 2 runners-up in 2022.
“They’ve been here four years in a row, and that’s unheard of,” first-year West Catholic head coach Derek Paiz said. “I know they don’t feel it right now. But their legacy is going to last forever here at West Catholic.”
Not helping West Catholic’s cause was that it couldn’t buy a basket from 3-point range, going 2 of 21 from beyond the arc.
“They just hit a couple more shots,” Paiz said. “They shot 8 to 10 more free throws than us. They got to the rim a little more than us, and they won the rebound battle (38-33). Credit to them.”
This year’s Tecumseh’s team also will forever be etched in community lore, just like the 1974 championship squad.
“It was sad that this was our last game,” said Moorehead, who also had nine points and a team-high five assists. “But it’s nice to leave a legacy off with a state championship.”
PHOTOS (Top) Tecumseh’s Makayla Schlorf (3) gets a quick five from teammate Ashlyn Moorehead during Saturday’s Division 2 championship game. (Middle) West Catholic’s Katelyn Adams (13) works to get to the basket with Schlorf and Alli Zajac (1) defending. (Below) The Falcons’ Anna Ignatoski (3) defends against Tecumseh’s Ashlyn Moorehead. (Photos by Adam Sheehan/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)