Highlight Reel: Girls Basketball Finals

March 19, 2016

The 2015-16 girls basketball season came to a close Saturday night at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, where four first-time champions were crowned. 

Here are some highlights from the Finals. Click on the score to watch the game in its entirety and order DVDs:

Class A – Warren Cousino 67,  Detroit Martin Luther King 65 

Kelly In Transition - Micaela Kelly of Detroit Martin Luther King led all scorers in the Class A Final with 34 points, including this basket in transition after a Warren Cousino miss.

Kate Cans The 3 - Kate McArthur gave Warren Cousino a 19-point lead in the third quarter with her fourth 3-pointer of the game.


Class B – Marshall 51, Grand Rapids South Christian 42

Vander Last-Second Hoop - Markayla Vander of Grand Rapids South Christian led all scorers in the Class B Final against Marshall with 16 points, including this last-second basket to end the first half. 

Transition Hoop For Tucker - Marshall built a 14-point lead midway through the third quarter on this fastbreak basket by Nicole Tucker, who had eight points.

Class C – Ypsilanti Arbor Prep 53, Traverse City St. Francis 37

Steal & Score - Ypsilanti Arbor Prep led all the way in the Class C Final against Traverse City St. Francis. Here's a steal to start the second half that turns into a basket for Cydney Williams.

Lyman Leads Glads - Annie Lyman of Traverse City St. Francis led all scorers in the Class C Final with 15 points, two coming on this layup in the third quarter.

Class D – Pittsford 48, Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart 30 

Clark Steals & Scores - Late in the first half of the Class D Final, Pittsford's Maddie Clark makes the steal and takes it in for a basket. Clark had 23 points and 10 rebounds in the game.

Eagle-Eyed Scout - Keeping Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart in the game early with her 3-point shooting was freshman guard Scout Nelson, who led the Irish with nine points.

PHOTO: Grand Rapids South Christian and Marshall played in front of one of the weekend's largest crowds during Saturday's Class B Final. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)

Hoops on Film: 1958 Class A Boys Final

July 23, 2015

By John Johnson
MHSAA communications director

A matchup of future NBA players hailing from opposite sides of the state is highlighted this week as part of MHSAA.tv’s Hoops On Film Series.

From the late 1940’s to the mid 1970’s the Michigan High School Athletic Association shot portions of the action at its boys and girls basketball finals on 16mm film. The films were loaned out, primarily to the participating schools, to help them relive the moments of playing in a championship game.

While many of the old films have wandered astray over time, about 60 games still exist in the MHSAA archives. Anyone in possession of such a film is encouraged to contact John Johnson at the MHSAA Office ([email protected]) to discuss having the film converted to a digital format.

Some of the films only have portions of the second half and the post-game awards; some have most of the action. None of the films have sound. They range in length from 10 minutes to about an hour. A new film will be posted online each Monday through the week of August 17. DVD’s may be purchased directly from the MHSAA.tv Website – just click the Get DVD button below the player. 

Here’s a look at this week’s game, with recap courtesy of MHSAA historian Ron Pesch:

Detroit Austin 71, Benton Harbor 68 – 1958 Class A Boys Final - Benton Harbor clung to a slim 49-48 lead after three periods of play, but Detroit Austin Catholic's Dave DeBusschere scored five field goals during the first five minutes of the fourth quarter to lead his team to a 71-68 victory over the Tigers in Class A.  DeBusschere finished with 32 points. Dominant in their respective areas of the state, the schools were favorites to meet in the Final. The game marked Benton Harbor's second straight appearance in the championship game, while Austin was only in its third year as a four-year high school. Chet Walker, who finished with 25 points for the Tigers, would go on to a distinguished career with Bradley University and the Chicago Bulls. DeBusschere went on to play for the University of Detroit, the Detroit Pistons and the New York Knicks.

Previous releases:
1976 Class D Girls Final: Lake City 58, Perkins 48 - Watch
1971 Class A Boys Final: Flint Northern 79, Detroit Kettering 78 - Watch
1954 Class A Boys Final: Muskegon Heights 43, Flint Northern 41 (OT) - Watch
1973 Class C Boys Final: Detroit East Catholic 50, Saginaw St. Stephen 49 - Watch