Highlight Reel: Class A-B Semifinals

March 19, 2016

The second day of the MHSAA Girls Basketball Semifinals, presented by Sparrow Health System, produced one of the most dramatic finishes in a long time, as the field is now set for Saturday’s championship games.

Click the final score to watch the entire game and order DVDs.

Class A Semifinal – Detroit Martin Luther King 56, St. Johns 48

It’s Raining Threes! - Detroit Martin Luther King started the Class A Semifinal against St. Johns hitting three 3-pointers, two by Micaela Kelly, who finished with a game-high 18 points.

Maddie On The Run - Maddie Maloney led St. Johns with 12 points, getting two here in transition.

Class A Semifinal – Warren Cousino 60, Hudsonville 45

Fantastic Fletcher - Kierra Fletcher of Warren Cousino totaled 37 points – 12 in the first quarter.

Hard-Working Eagle - Chloe Guingrich scored a double-double for Hudsonville with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Class B Semifinal – Grand Rapids South Christian 57, Detroit Country Day 46

DeBoer Putback - Jennifer DeBoer of Grand Rapids South Christian led all scorers in the Class B Semifinal game against Detroit Country Day with 18 points, including two on this putback.

Pitts Takes It Down The Lane - Destiny Pitts paced Detroit Country Day with 14 points.

Class B Semifinal – Marshall 43, Bay City John Glenn 42 

Boensch For Two - Cassidy Boensch had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Bay City John Glenn in its Class B Semifinal against Marshall. Boensch later made two free throws to give her team the lead with 14 seconds to go, but Marshall scored late to prevail, 43-42.

Here’s Your Winner - With 1.4 seconds left on the clock, Marshall's Nicole Tucker hit two free throws to give her team the 43-42 win.

PHOTO: Warren Cousino's Kierra Fletcher attempts a free throw during Friday's Class A Semifinal win over Hudsonville.

'Reaching Higher' Showcase Returns

July 12, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

After a one-year hiatus in 2017, the annual Reaching Higher showcases of Michigan’s top high school basketball players will return for their ninth year July 17 at Milford High School in Highland Township. 

More than 200 athletes with aspirations to play at the college level will train and scrimmage under the tutelage of high school coaches from across the state and in front of college coaches expected to represent a number of NCAA, NAIA and junior college programs.

An educational effort by the Michigan High School Athletic Association and the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan, the Reaching Higher experience includes classroom sessions for student-athletes and their parents as well as on-court drills and scrimmaging. The events aim to give athletes a vision of what it takes to become a college basketball player and also succeed in college life.

Participants in the program were selected by a committee of BCAM members based on nominations by its member coaches. Click for complete lists of expected attendees.

The boys event begins at 11 a.m. on July 17, with scrimmages running from 1-3:30 p.m. The girls event begins at 3 p.m., with scrimmages from 5-7:30 p.m. Speakers for the boys session include Travis Bader, a standout at Okemos High School and Oakland University who played professionally this past season in Greece. Girls session speakers include Crystal Bradford, who starred for Inkster High and Central Michigan University and was selected in the first round of the 2015 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks; she played professionally this past season in Israel.

Longtime coach Dave Ginsberg will speak with athletes about social media and the recruiting process during both sessions; he coached at a number of Michigan high schools and also was an assistant men’s basketball coach at Central Michigan University for 16 years, and he currently serves as the secretary/treasurer of the National High School Basketball Coaches Association. Longtime high school and college coach Marc Comstock – currently the boys basketball coach at Hudson High School – and recently retired Saginaw Valley State University athletic director Mike Watson will conduct sessions with parents during players’ drill and practice sessions.