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: 1976 Class D Girls Final

July 13, 2015

By John Johnson
MHSAA communications director

One of the earliest championship games in MHSAA girls basketball history is featured 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:

Lake City 58, Perkins 48 – 1976 Class D Girls Final - Abby Currier scored 26 points and Becky Sessions added 22 as Lake City cruised past Perkins, 58-48, for the Class D title. Lynette Royer led Perkins with 23 points. This was the fourth Class D Final, as the girls basketball tournament started in 1973, and remains the lone championship game won by Lake City. The season before, the Trojans had bowed out in the Semifinals against eventual champion Flint Holy Rosary. The two teams met again in the semis in 1976, and this time it was Lake City which prevailed, advancing to the Final the following morning against Perkins and winning the school’s first MHSAA crown in any sport. It was the only appearance ever in an MHSAA statewide tournament final for Perkins, which merged the following year with nearby Rock to form Mid-Peninsula High School, about a half-hour’s drive north of Escanaba.  The newly-formed Wolverines would win the Class D crown in 1977.

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