Girls Hoops Writes Latest Chapter in Muskegon's Famed Sports History
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
March 20, 2026
EAST LANSING – It’s hard to believe that in the storied history of Muskegon’s athletics program, firsts still can be achieved.
The Big Reds girls basketball team accomplished another one in Friday’s first Division 1 Semifinal.
For the first time in program history, Muskegon will appear in a championship game following a 69-46 win over a Utica Eisenhower team that was also seeking its first trip to the Finals.
“A lot of us were emotional after this game,” said senior and Miss Basketball Award runner-up Mariah Sain, who led all scorers with 25 points. “Even though we have one more game to play, we also just made history today. I’m super proud of my team.”
Senior Camiyah Bonner added 16 points for Muskegon (25-2), which connected on 28 of 43 free-throw attempts and held a 43-33 rebounding advantage.
Trailing 18-14 with 5:45 remaining in the second quarter, Muskegon cranked up its defensive intensity and found rhythm in its halfcourt offense, going on a 15-1 run to take a 29-19 lead with 47.7 seconds remaining until halftime.
Muskegon came out in the second half and extended its lead, scoring the first nine points of the third quarter to go up 38-21 with 3:14 left in the period on a free throw by sophomore Antanique Sargent.
Eisenhower didn’t score its first point of the second half until 2:54 remained in the third quarter.
“I thought the girls came out and took a really good punch from (Eisenhower),” Muskegon head coach Bernard Loudermill said. “(Eisenhower) in the first quarter played really well. I think we had some missed defensive assignments, but the second quarter came and we got back to playing Lady Reds basketball.”
Muskegon took a 44-28 lead into the fourth quarter, and while allowing Eisenhower to climb above the 40-point mark with 5:24 remaining in the game, kept answering with baskets of its own. The Big Reds ultimately stretched their lead to 63-42 with 2:37 remaining on a layup by Sain.
Muskegon entered the game allowing just 29.5 points per game, and its defense carried the load again. Eisenhower was held to 13 of 51 shooting from the field including 4 of 16 from 3-point range.
“I thought they were a very good man-to-man team,” Eisenhower head coach Madison Ristovski said. “They did a good job of trying to get us out of the paint. We’re pretty good at getting into the paint and drawing defenders and kick-out for shots. I thought they were really physical.”
The season also was historic for Eisenhower and set a standard for what could be a special future for the program.
Making their first Semifinal appearance since 1982, the Eagles had seven sophomores and a freshman on the roster, with three sophomores establishing themselves as starters.
“I think for the school, it’s been amazing, and for the community with the support we’ve received,” Ristovski said. “I mean, it’s been 44 years. It’s been so fun, and we have such a young team.”
One of the senior leaders who has been so instrumental to Eisenhower’s success all year, Gabby Gojcaj, scored 11 points to lead the Eagles on Thursday.
PHOTOS (Top) Muskegon's Camiyah Bonner (4) drives to the basket Friday with Eisenhower's Natalya Stojcevski (24) defending. (Middle) Mariah Sain (10) considers her options while directing the offense. (Photos by Keionna Banks and John Castine/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
Glen Lake 'Slams the Door' on 1st Finals Championship Since 1978
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
March 18, 2023
EAST LANSING – The motto this postseason for the Maple City Glen Lake girls basketball team was “Slam the door.”
But at halftime of Saturday’s MHSAA Division 4 Final against Baraga, the Lakers still had to find their own way through it.
Thanks to suffocating second-half defense and the inside-outside combination of seniors Ruby Hogan and Maddie Bradford, Glen Lake ran through and slammed the door on a 60-43 win, claiming its first Finals title since 1978.
“We knew we had to come out in the second half like we had in the past few games and just take it to them and be focused,” Hogan said. “Work on our offense, work on our defense and don’t foul them. Then things would come our way. Our motto for the postseason has been ‘Slam the door’ and we definitely have been a second-half team this postseason. Today we proved that again.”
Hogan had 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Lakers, who were making their first Finals appearance since 1979.
“It’s amazing,” said Glen Lake senior guard Gemma Lerchen, who had six assists. “It’s unbelievable to finally be able to get it done. It’s been forever that we’ve worked for this. Through the summer, through the whole year. It just feels so good to get it done.”
Glen Lake coach Jason Bradford, who is in his 15th season at the helm, was well aware of the program’s history and the Finals drought.
His teams have had plenty of success, winning more than 280 games and stepping up their postseason success in recent years, winning Regional titles in five of the past seven seasons.
And when he woke up to hear those traveling from Glen Lake would have to brave a snowstorm to get to the Breslin Center, he became even more confident this could be the year.
“Like I said on Thursday, it seems like the stars were all lining up,” he said. “It’s been 45 years, and 45 years ago, there was a snowstorm (on the day of the Final). My wife called just after 6 (a.m.) and said they were a bit behind with the snowstorm. I looked out the window and I was like, ‘That’s a good sign.’ But it’s unbelievable. We knew we were capable of doing it.”
Maddie Bradford, Jason’s daughter, led all scorers with 28 points. She also had eight rebounds. Eleanor Valkner added 11 rebounds.
Sixteen of those points, and 17 of Hogan’s, came in the second half as the Lakers turned the tide in a game during which they trailed by five at halftime.
“I just focused on, if I’m not open and not able to hit those shots, I trust my team,” Hogan said. “That’s what I need to do and that’s what all of us need to do, is trust each other. If I’m not open and I’m not hitting my shots, then Maddie can and Jessie (Pugh) can and Olivia (Mikowski) can. I know that I’ll have my time when I’m needing to make shots. But in the first half, it just wasn’t my time. It was my time to play defense and my time to pass the ball.”
The first half was the time for Baraga star guard Corina Jahfetson to hit shots, as she scored 14 of her 20 points in the opening 16 minutes, including four 3-pointers. Glen Lake held her to six points and 2 of 15 shooting, including 1 of 12 from 3, in the second half.
“It was not really the attention factor, I was just not feeling it in that second half,” Jahfetson said. “I kept trying to push it through and do what I had to do.”
As a team, Baraga struggled from the field in the second half as Glen Lake’s defense improved. The Vikings (23-6) were 4 of 22 from the field in the second half, and went scoreless for more than 5 minutes at one point in the third quarter.
“We came out better than we usually do in the first half,” Baraga coach Tyler Larson said. “We’re used to playing from behind in a lot of games. I thought we had a great start, things were falling in our favor. We came out in the second half, they made some good adjustments, credit to them. Some of the size factor played in there. I think we needed to do a better job boxing out, and transition points that we didn’t want to let up. That’s a good ballclub right there that we just played, and our girls fought to the end. Just really proud of what they’ve done this game and all season long.”
Makenna Hendrickson had 14 points for Baraga, while Jahfetson added seven rebounds to her 20 points in Baraga’s first Finals appearance.
“It means so much to be here sitting with these girls and coach Ty,” Jahfetson said. “I’m happy that we’re state runner-up. It would have been amazing to be No. 1, but not everything works out that way.”
PHOTOS (Top) Maple City Glen Lake celebrates its Division 4 championship Saturday as coach Jason Bradford presents the trophy to his team. (Middle) The Lakers’ Maddie Bradford (10) works to get up a shot while defended by Jaycee Larson. (Below) Ruby Hogan (20) gets to the basket.