Ishpeming Standouts Close Magnificent Careers, Wild Week by Leading Team to 2nd Title
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
March 21, 2026
EAST LANSING – Mya Hemmer and Jenessa Eagle put on one final show in an Ishpeming uniform Saturday.
The Hematites seniors were dominant in leading their team to a 48-28 victory against Portland St. Patrick in the Division 4 Girls Basketball Final at the Breslin Center, winning their second title in three years.
“This is my last organized basketball game, which is really sad for me – this is my first sport, my first love,” said Hemmer, who will play volleyball at Baylor. “I just changed to volleyball freshman year, so it’s kind of a shock that I’m going to be done. It’s just such a great opportunity to be able to play, and that was just amazing. Who could have asked for a better end to their season? That’s the goal, right?”
Hemmer had 18 points, 17 rebounds, nine blocks and six steals, while Eagle had 19 points and 11 rebounds. It was a repeat of 2024, when Ishpeming won its only other championship with the then-sophomores leading the team in points and rebounds.
“I really wasn’t nervous this time around,” said Eagle, who will continue her career at Michigan Tech. “I remember the first time we came here, I was shaking, sweating, I was on the verge of tears the first time two years ago. Coming back here, it helped with our maturity, not being nervous and then helping other teammates who haven’t played here to be less nervous.”
This year’s road to the Final was a tough one, and not necessarily on the court. The Hematites (25-3) won all but one of their postseason games by double digits, with the Semifinal against Morenci the lone exception.
Much of the struggle was simply getting to East Lansing, as the Upper Peninsula was buried in several feet of snow earlier in the week, forcing Ishpeming to play its Quarterfinal on Wednesday and Semifinal on Thursday.
“We had a grueling stretch here,” Ishpeming coach Ryan Reichel said. “Leave on a Wednesday, four days in a hotel, snowstorms, lack of practice, some of the things you take for granted in the regular season. Us having two games basically starting within a 24-hour period at this high of a level is not easy, and they showed that UP grit, that Hematite grit in (the Semifinal). Then, this morning you got to see them do it with fresh legs and energy.”
Their classmates also got to see it, something they weren’t able to do Thursday because of the weather. Having them in attendance Saturday provided another boost for the Hematites.
“It was amazing. I love our fans,” Eagle said. “They’re amazing and they showed out today, leaving at 12:30 in the morning, that’s ridiculous. I think that proves how diehard the UP is.”
A 15-0 second quarter blew the game open for the Hematites, giving them a 29-13 lead at the half.
Ishpeming forced five turnovers and blocked four shots, and St. Patrick was 0-for-11 from the field in the quarter.
Hemmer had three of those blocks, as her mere presence in the paint was clearly affecting the Shamrocks. She had a double-double – 14 points, 10 rebounds – by halftime, along with five blocks and three steals.
“It’s hard, because you can see her coming and you don’t think she is that tall, but she is really tall and blocks you,” St. Patrick junior guard Gracelyn Rockey said. “It makes it harder, because we get a lot of rebounds and putbacks, so it was hard for us not to get those.”
St. Patrick went 10 minutes of game time without scoring, as Ishpeming’s run reached 20-0. When Rockey finished off a three-point play with 18 seconds to play in the first quarter, the score was 14-13. By the time Lily Sandborn hit a 3-pointer just under two minutes into the third quarter, it was Ishpeming 34-16.
“We struggled to make shots, and I think we tried to challenge them maybe a little more than we should have underneath the basket,” St. Patrick coach Michelle Smith said. “When we don’t make shots, it’s difficult for us to settle into our zone defense, which is what we hang our hats on. In the second quarter, they got a lot of long outlets which made it difficult for us to settle in defensively and created a number of open looks for them.”
Rockey had 10 points and six rebounds to lead the way for the Shamrocks (23-6), who were making their 13th Finals appearance, but first since 2006.
“It’s been a great journey,” said senior Mattie Honsowitz, who was lost to injury early in the season. “I think it’s 20 years since the last time we made it this far, and we just worked as a team this entire year – that was our goal. We rebound, we communicate, and that’s what led us here. We’re really proud of that.”
PHOTOS (Top) Ishpeming’s Jenessa Eagle (3) drives toward the lane while a teammate cuts to the basket during their Division 4 Final win over Portland St. Patrick at Breslin Center. (Middle) Mya Hemmer (14) and Brittanie Piotrowski (5) surround St. Patrick’s Gracelyn Rockey as she drives. (Photos by Keionna Banks and Lilanie Karunanayake/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
Breslin Bound: 2023-24 Girls Quarterfinal Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 18, 2024
The home stretch of this Michigan high school girls basketball season – and the MHSAA winter season as a whole – begins tonight with Quarterfinals across the state.
We glance at all 16 matchups below. Games tip off at 7 p.m. unless noted. Details on tickets, brackets and more can be found on the Girls Basketball page. To watch all 16 games online, visit the NFHS Network.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com. (Abbreviations below denote ppg - points per game, rpg - rebounds per game, apg - assists per game, spg - steals per game, and bpg - blocks per game.)
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
2. Tecumseh 56, Lansing Catholic 52 Tecumseh (22-4) advanced to this week by ending the season for last year’s Division 2 champion Cougars (20-6).
2. Lake City 54, Sanford Meridian 41 Lake City (24-2) still hasn’t taken a defeat since the first week of the season and downed a Meridian team in a Division 3 Regional Final that had lost only to Division 2 Freeland in finishing 23-2.
3. Flint Powers Catholic 62, Freeland 59 The Chargers (23-3) took on a Falcons team that finished 22-4 and was coming off its biggest win of the season over 2023 Division 2 runner-up Frankenmuth.
4. Holland West Ottawa 40, Byron Center 38 The Panthers (20-6) defeated a league champion in the Bulldogs (21-5) to earn a Division 1 rematch with Rockford.
5. West Bloomfield 61, Detroit Renaissance 48 This was a Division 1 Regional Semifinal but matched up two teams that reached the 2023 Semifinals in the Lakers (24-1) and Phoenix (21-4).
Quarterfinals at a Glance
DIVISION 1
Rochester Hills Stoney Creek (20-5) vs. Grand Blanc (21-4) at University of Detroit Mercy, 5:30 p.m.
Stoney Creek is playing in its first Quarterfinal and Grand Blanc its first since 1977. The Bobcats also won the Saginaw Valley League this season for the first time, and are led by senior guard Chelsea Bishop (17 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4.2 spg). Stoney Creek has steadily built to this run and has broken through this season with just one senior in the starting lineup, guard Sarah Laprairie, and two total on the roster.
Holt (18-8) vs. Belleville (23-2) at Jackson Lumen Christi
Belleville has made good on its contender status all season, with freshman Sydney Savoury (25 ppg, 7.0 rpg) leading four Tigers scoring at least 10 points per game. Their only in-state loss was to Division 2 contender Detroit Edison. Holt has emerged during a tough tournament run that’s included handing the third losses all season to DeWitt and Portage Central. Senior guard Rhema Dozier has set the pace with 12.9 points per game and 57 3-pointers.
Rockford (25-1) vs. Holland West Ottawa (20-6) at Grandville
Reigning Division 1 champion Rockford defeated West Ottawa 61-42 and 70-54 on the way to winning the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red, while the Panthers finished third. Junior guard Anna Wypych averages 16 points per game and is joined by Grace Lyons (10 ppg), who became the Rams’ all-time leading scorer this season. West Ottawa counters with newly-selected Miss Basketball Award winner Gabby Reynolds. The senior guard is averaging 29.4 points and four assists per game.
Temperance Bedford (24-2) vs. West Bloomfield (24-1) at University of Detroit Mercy
West Bloomfield is playing for a third-straight trip to Breslin Center after winning Division 1 in 2022 and finishing runner-up a year ago. Standout twins Summer Davis (17.9 ppg, 68 3-pointers, 4.0 apg, 4.4 spg) and Indya Davis (15.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg) have helped key both runs and will be playing their final high school games this week. Bedford’s only in-state loss was to Saline, and the Kicking Mules still finished a game ahead of the Hornets to win the Southeastern Conference Red. Junior 6-foot-2 forward Victoria Gray leads with 13.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and two blocked shots per game.
DIVISION 2
Negaunee (25-1) vs. Flint Powers Catholic (23-3) at Sault Ste. Marie
Negaunee moved from Division 3 to Division 2 this season and has reached the Quarterfinals for the first time since 1998. Guard Ella Mason (19.7 ppg, 50 3-pointers) is one of three senior starters for the Miners. Powers also is recapturing previous glory with its first trip to the final week since 2014. Senior guard Amaya Smith requires attention beyond the arc as she’s made 65 3-pointers to go with an 11.4 ppg average.
Detroit Edison (20-3) vs. Goodrich (26-0) at West Bloomfield
Both are regulars in the annual championship conversation, Edison seeking to reach the Finals again after winning Division 2 in 2022 and Goodrich undefeated since playing in last season’s Semifinals at Breslin. Junior guard Isis Johnson-Musah (16.9 ppg) is the lead scorer and one of the Pioneers’ top shooters from the field and line, while sophomore guard Kayla Hairston (12.2 ppg) helps pace the Martians, who have four players including Hairston averaging between 2-3 assists per game.
Grand Rapids West Catholic (25-1) vs. Vicksburg (23-2) at Battle Creek Harper Creek
West Catholic’s only loss a year ago was in the Division 2 Semifinals to eventual champion Lansing Catholic, and its only defeat this season was to Division 1 Rockford in December. Senior Reese Polega (11.2 ppg) and junior Elisha Dykstra (11.4) are returning starters from last year’s run and the lead scorers this time. Vicksburg is making its first trip into the final week, with senior Maddison Diekman (12.4 ppg) and junior Makayla Allen (12.3) leading a similarly-balanced lineup.
Tecumseh (22-4) vs. Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (26-0) at Ypsilanti Lincoln
Tecumseh is coming off its first Regional title since 1975 after defeating Lansing Catholic 56-52 to advance. Five players average at least 8.5 ppg, with 6-2 junior forward Alli Zajac topping the list with 17.6 points per with a team-high 51 3-pointers. FGR made the Quarterfinals just three years ago but is seeking its first Semifinals appearance since 1993 with a lineup bolstered by five players averaging at least 7.7 ppg and led by sophomore guard Vanessa Rodriguez (13.5, 50 3-pointers) and junior guard Charlotte Miller (11.2/49).
DIVISION 3
Grand Rapids Covenant Christian (19-5) vs. Niles Brandywine (24-1) at Fennville
Brandywine’s girls are attempting to follow up the school’s boys team’s Division 3 championship this past weekend as they return to the Quarterfinals for the first time since 2019. Senior guard Ellie Knapp runs the show with 14 points and 4.6 assists per game. Brandywine’s only defeat was to Vicksburg, and Covenant Christian’s losses all came to Division 1 and 2 opponents on the way to its first Regional title since 2016. Senior guards Lindsay Minderhoud (14.3 ppg) and Sophia Meulenberg (12.6) form a talented backcourt.
Elk Rapids (24-2) vs. Lake City (24-2) at Houghton Lake
Elk Rapids is a return quarterfinalist after being eliminated last season this round by eventual champion Hemlock, and the Elks will take on a somewhat familiar opponent – Lake City, which won their Dec. 20 matchup 44-40 and made the Quarterfinals most recently in 2022. Lake City senior guard MacKenzie Bisballe (22.3 ppg) vs. Elk Rapids senior guard Kendall Standfest (19.3 ppg) could be an interesting matchup if they lock up.
Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest (17-9) vs. Sandusky (25-1) at St. Clair County Community College
MHSAA coaching wins leader Al DeMott just missed taking Sandusky to the Semifinals last season as his team fell by two points to Madison Heights Bishop Foley in this round. Freshman guard Caroline Reinke is filling the stat sheet at 7.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 4.4 steals per game. The Wolves take on first-time quarterfinalist Lutheran Northwest, which avenged a regular-season loss to Bishop Foley to start this postseason. The Crusaders also feature a notable freshman in Keaira Spiehs, who’s averaging 7.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game.
New Lothrop (20-7) vs. Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (22-4) at Dansville
New Lothrop has navigated a postseason path that’s seen its last four opponents finish a combined 81-17 this winter. The Hornets avenged a pair of regular-season defeats to Ovid-Elsie with a 43-26 win in their District Semifinal and have continued to charge with freshman Katelyn Wendling (15.6 ppg) among reasons the future looks bright. Arbor Prep was the Division 3 champion as recently as 2022 and has playoff wins this time over three league champions. Senior forwards Stephanie and Stacy Utomi also started on that title-winning team as sophomores.
DIVISION 4
Ishpeming (25-1) vs. St. Ignace (18-7) at Gladstone
This Quarterfinal features a rising Upper Peninsula power against the most established on the north side of Mackinac Bridge. Ishpeming won its first Regional title since 1985 and has lost only to Negaunee, splitting the season series with the Miners. Sophomore Jenessa Eagle (16 ppg) and senior Jenna Maki (15.6) provide a one-two backcourt punch. St. Ignace is making its first Quarterfinal appearance since finishing Division 4 runner-up in 2019, led by an impressive pair of juniors in Addison Cullen (16 ppg) and Jillian Fraser (17.4).
Fowler (23-3) vs. Mendon (23-3) at Gobles
Fowler is playing in a Quarterfinal for the fifth straight season (not counting COVID-canceled 2020) and has advanced to the Semifinals the last four, winning back-to-back Division 4 titles in 2021 and 2022. Junior guard Katie Spicer leads a balanced group at 11.7 points and 3.4 assists per game. Mendon is making its first Quarterfinal appearance since 2014 and has gone a combined 60-13 over the last three seasons. Senior center Makennah Mullin also leads a balanced bunch at 10.4 points and eight rebounds per game.
Frankfort (21-5) vs. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (23-3) at McBain Northern Michigan Christian
Frankfort is making its first Quarterfinal appearance since 2017, and its last three matchups in this round have been against Sacred Heart. The Panthers have won 10 straight this winter and own a victory over St. Ignace, and are led by three players averaging at least 10 points a game topped by senior center Evelyn VanTol (14.9). This will be Sacred Heart’s first Quarterfinal since 2018, and the Irish have won all four of their playoff games by at least 13 points. Freshman guard Karis Terwilliger sets the pace at 14.3 ppg.
Morenci (21-3) vs. Kingston (25-1) at West Bloomfield, 5 p.m.
Morenci has reached its first Quarterfinal since 2011 with three losses this season by a combined eight points, all to larger opponents. The Bulldogs have five players averaging between 5.5 and 10.2 ppg, sophomore guard Emersyn Bachelder at the top of that list. Kingston’s lone loss came to Division 2 Goodrich on Dec. 13, and the Cardinals have had one single-digit game since in returning to the Quarterfinals for the second year in a row and after finishing last season 25-2. Delaney St. George (16.2 ppg, 84 3-pointers) leads the lineup.
MHSAA.com's weekly “Breslin Bound” previews and reviews are powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.
PHOTOS Ewen-Trout Creek's Irelynd McGeshick (44) guards Ishpeming's Addison Morton (2) as she drives to the basket during the Hematites' 70-42 Division 4 Regional Final win last week. (Middle) Flint Powers' Grace Cameron (5) attempts to steer a pass around a Davison defender during the regular season. (Top photo by Cara Kamps; middle photo by Terry Lyons.)