Keyser's Final Mission: Lead Bucs Into Title Mix
January 9, 2019
By Tom Kendra
Special for Second Half
Alli Keyser wore a big smile coming out of the locker room Tuesday night, as if she just had completed a career night.
In reality, the Grand Haven senior point guard was coming off one of her worst statistical nights in memory, scoring seven points (on 3-of-16 shooting) with six assists and four steals.
But the smile was a direct result of the Buccaneers’ 44-30 win over neighboring and Ottawa-Kent Conference Red rival Holland West Ottawa, which upped their record to a perfect 7-0 on the season.
“At this point in my career, I am just happy when we win,” explained the 5-7 Keyser, who started all 22 games for Haven as a freshman and has been the team’s starting point guard since. “I was off tonight, but other people stepped up and made up for it, which is great. We are going to need all of us to play well if we want to make a run.”
Keyser’s individual legacy at Grand Haven is already well-established.
Keyser, who committed to play basketball at Northwood University the summer before her junior year, broke her high school’s all-time steals record last month, besting the total achieved by 2003 graduate Julie Henderson. Keyser is also on pace to break Henderson’s all-time assists record.
As for scoring, Keyser recently moved past Abby Cole into fifth all-time in school history. If Keyser averages about 11 points per game the rest of the season, she will pass a “who’s who” of former Buccaneers greats – specifically Alex Law, Maggie Dwyer, Allison Miller and Emma Veach – and leave as the school’s all-time leading scorer as well.
“The ironic thing is that Ally is going to leave here with all of these individual records, but she is the definition of a true team player,” said 21st-year Grand Haven coach Katie Kowalczyk-Fulmer. “She is the consummate point guard, always looking to set up her teammates and help them get better. She is an incredibly talented player, but she’s a better leader.”
Keyser has two specific goals for her senior year: win an O-K Red title and then make a long tournament run.
Grand Haven won back-to-back Class A championships in 2012 and 2013, but since then the Bucs have not been able to advance out of Districts – running into roadblocks of Muskegon Mona Shores (led by 2017 Miss Basketball Jordan Walker) and more recently Muskegon High.
This could be the year the Bucs break through, but it won’t be easy with two of the most athletic teams in the state standing in their way.
In the conference, Haven has finished second behind East Kentwood the past two years. The Falcons are loaded once again led by backcourt stars Mauriya Barnes and Alexis McCully.
In Districts, the Bucs lost by one point to Muskegon last year, and the Big Reds appear to be even better this winter with senior point guard and Michigan State commit Alyza Winston. As fate would have it, Grand Haven will play Muskegon on the opening night of the Class A District at Muskegon Reeths-Puffer.
“We have a chance with this group to do some special things,” said Kowalczyk-Fulmer, who is assisted by Katie Erickson and Norm Greene. “The problem is we have to beat some great teams to achieve our goals. Right now, we really have to get a lot better in order to do that. Fortunately, the season is a marathon and not a sprint.”
All three of those teams – Grand Haven, East Kentwood and Muskegon – are likely to be ranked in the top five when the first state Associated Press girls basketball rankings are released next week.
As has been the case for the past four years, the Bucs’ offense is keyed by Keyser.
Keyser, who also happens to be the leader and playmaker for Grand Haven’s soccer team, possesses the speed, ball-handling ability and poise to get the ball up the court against pressure from the likes of East Kentwood and Muskegon.
From there, the Buccaneers can hurt teams with their size inside. Seniors Esther Byington (6-3) and Kelly Olthof (6-1), who both missed most of their junior seasons with injuries, are back and healthy and are a formidable 1-2 punch on the interior. Both will play basketball next year at the Division II college level, Byington at Northern Michigan and Olthof at Lake Superior State.
Haven’s imposing post presence opens up plenty of 3-point shooting opportunities for junior Jolee Houle and senior Anna Strom.
Houle was on fire Tuesday night, burying five 3-pointers en route to a game-high 21 points. Olthof had a strong game inside with 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting, with a team-high nine rebounds.
“That’s my main job as a point guard, is to get everyone involved and then get it to the hot hand,” explained Keyser, who has been first-team all-conference the past three years and honorable mention all-state last winter. “It really doesn’t matter who it is. We’ve had games where most of our scoring came from the inside, and other games where it’s been outside shooting. We just have to be able to do both, and then we’re tough to stop.”
It’s when Grand Haven gets stagnant or starts struggling that Keyser takes over.
She has been remarkably consistent throughout her four-year varsity career, averaging 15.2 points per game her freshman season and 16.1 points this winter, along with 5.1 steals and five assists per game.
While Keyser’s speed, court vision and shooting touch always have been there, the biggest change in her game over the past four years is from a leadership perspective.
“I have become much more vocal,” said Keyser, who plans to major in business management at Northwood. “I was quiet as a freshman and sophomore and didn’t want to overstep my bounds. Now I’m more comfortable speaking up.”
Tom Kendra worked 23 years at The Muskegon Chronicle, including five as assistant sports editor and the final six as sports editor through 2011. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, Lake, Oceola, Mecosta and Newaygo counties.
PHOTO: (Top) Grand Haven’s Alli Keyser pushes the ball upcourt, a frequent occurrence during her four seasons as a starter. (Middle) Keyser makes a strong move to the basket. (Photos by Tim Reilly.)
Breslin Bound: 2023-24 Girls Report Week 11
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 19, 2024
Premium matchups over the last week further amped up the playoff frenzy in Michigan high school girls basketball – and the beginning of the MHSAA Tournament is still two weeks away.
But expect the excitement to just keep building – especially with Sunday’s announcement of this season’s District bracket pairings.
The formula for those brackets has been released, making this a week full of forecasting as teams and fans figure out how their teams fit based on the still-shifting Michigan Power Ratings. Several more big matchups are coming up, so more movement could be on the way – stay tuned.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid and based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com.
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Rockford 62, East Kentwood 54 The reigning Division 1 champion Rams (19-1) moved back into first place alone in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red by avenging their 60-54 loss to East Kentwood (15-3) from Jan. 19.
2. Chelsea 51, Tecumseh 35 Two weeks after Tecumseh (14-4) made headlines with its first win over Chelsea (15-4) since 2016, the Bulldogs won the rematch to create a tie atop the Southeastern Conference White with one league game left for both.
3. Portland 51, Lansing Catholic 44 The Raiders (16-1) avenged their lone loss of the season, 62-34 to reigning Division 2 champion Lansing Catholic (13-4) on Jan. 9, to move within one more league win of clinching a share of the Capital Area Activities Conference White.
4. Detroit Renaissance 66, Detroit Cass Tech 27 The Phoenix (18-1) added to their Detroit Public School League Blue title with the PSL Tournament championship, as Cass Tech (12-9) finished runner-up in both.
5. Ishpeming 70, Baraga 43 These are two of the top small-school teams statewide, with Ishpeming (17-1) attempting to earn a share of the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference East title and Baraga (15-4) the reigning Division 4 runner-up and current overall leader in the Copper Mountain Conference.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
DeWitt (17-2) The Panthers clinched a share of the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue title by downing East Lansing 54-42 and can finish an outright championship run Tuesday against second-place Holt. They’ve won nine straight since a one-point loss to Haslett (13-7) on Jan. 17; the only other defeat was to Byron Center (15-4). All but one victory, an eight-pointer over Williamston (14-4), came by 12 or more points. DeWitt also owns a 58-44 win over Saline (see below).
Saline (15-3) The Hornets will need help to catch Temperance Bedford (15-2) in the Southeastern Conference Red, with one more league loss and two league games to play. But they won Friday’s rematch with the Kicking Mules 38-32 and are tracking to match and potentially surpass last season’s 21-4 overall finish. Six wins total have come over opponents with double-digit victories, with others against Grass Lake (15-4), Riverview (15-3) and Dexter (14-5) and the losses to Bedford, Dexter and DeWitt.
DIVISION 2
Grand Rapids Catholic Central (13-6) Despite a 2-4 start, Grand Rapids Catholic Central has shown itself more than capable of hanging with the contenders in Division 2. Few teams have losses to a more impressive group – Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (20-0), East Kentwood (15-3), Chelsea (15-4), Grand Rapids West Catholic (17-1), Detroit Edison (15-2) and Kenowa Hills (12-6) – and that no doubt is expected to pay off in a District that includes West Catholic. The Cougars lead the O-K Gold and can clinch a share of the title Tuesday against Ottawa Hills before taking on second-place Wayland (13-6) on Friday for a possible outright championship. GRCC won the first game against Wayland 51-50 and also has handed Cedar Springs (15-3) two of its defeats.
Portland (16-1) As noted above, Portland is closing in on a potential CAAC White title share, made even more impressive became Lansing Catholic also is a solid contender to repeat as Division 2 champion next month and four of eight teams in the league have won at least 10 games. Portland definitely is in the Division 2 title conversation as well, and actually would host the District Final matchup with the Cougars in three weeks if the bracket works out that way. The Raiders have just the one loss, plus nine wins against opponents with 11 victories or more, including 46-40 over Grand Rapids Covenant Christian (14-4). A few more interesting challenges are ahead, notably Friday against Division 1 Flint Carman-Ainsworth and next week at Williamston.
DIVISION 3
Lake City (17-2) Last season’s 24-2 run ended with an overtime Regional Final loss to eventual Division 3 champion Hemlock, and this season began with losses to 2023 Division 2 runner-up Frankenmuth (16-2) and Evart (14-3). Lake City hasn’t lost again, taking the rematch with Evart and defeating Manton (16-4) twice to take the lead in the Highland Conference, while also downing Elk Rapids (17-2) and Morley Stanwood (15-2) along the way. In fact, the 44-40 win over Elk Rapids on Dec. 20 was the team’s only single-digit victory until defeating Manton 37-29 on Friday. Wednesday’s trip to Division 2 Hart (13-4) is another matchup to watch.
St. Charles (17-1) The Bulldogs have clinched the outright championship in the Mid-State Activities Conference, making them 4-for-4 on league titles since joining the MSAC, with three of those outright. Last season’s 24-3 run ended in a Division 4 Quarterfinal defeat to eventual champion Glen Lake, and St. Charles is in Division 3 this time – with its lone loss 53-35 in the season opener to reigning Division 3 title winner Hemlock. The 17-game winning streak has included victories over Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (16-3) twice, including 54-43 on Friday, plus pairs over Breckenridge (13-5) and Fulton (12-7).
DIVISION 4
Kinross Maplewood Baptist (15-3) The Black Bears have won 17 and 16 games the last two seasons, and they may be taking another step if Friday’s 55-29 win over Mackinaw City (18-1) is an indication. Mackinaw City is the Northern Lakes Conference champion, and Maplewood’s losses were twice to Big Bay de Noc (15-2) in finishing second in the Northern Lights League and once to Beaver Island. The Black Bears also have twice doubled up Engadine, which ended Maplewood’s season a year ago. They are leading the race for the top seed in the District at Rudyard and finish up the regular season this weekend at the NLL Tournament.
Lake Leelanau St. Mary (14-2) The Eagles may be coming off a loss Saturday to Division 1 Bedford (15-2), but they have plenty of wins to boost their candidacy as contenders next month. St. Mary won 11 straight before the Bedford loss, including over reigning Division 4 champion Glen Lake (14-5), St. Ignace (12-6) and Gaylord St. Mary (12-6). The other loss was Dec. 12, to Division 3 Benzie Central, and the Eagles will get one more big test next week against Division 2 Sault Ste. Marie (11-4) before jumping into the District at Leland. They currently would get the second seed after Glen Lake, which ended St. Mary’s run a year ago.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Holland West Ottawa (14-4) at Rockford (19-1) – West Ottawa’s biggest fans this week are probably at East Kentwood, as Rockford can clinch a share of the O-K Red title with a win but the Falcons will still have a title hope if West Ottawa avenges an earlier loss to the Rams.
Thursday – Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (20-0) at Detroit Renaissance (18-1) – The Operation Friendship matchup is a rematch of last season’s meeting of league champions that ended in a 53-52 overtime win for FGR, Renaissance’s only loss of the 2022-23 regular season.
Thursday – Portage Central (16-0) at Stevensville Lakeshore (15-2) – Central brings a one-game lead into this Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference West finale after winning the first meeting with Lakeshore 53-44 on Jan. 18.
Friday – Belleville (17-1) at Detroit Edison (15-2) – Belleville is undefeated in Michigan and only one of Edison’s losses was in-state as these two both have high aspirations for next month in Divisions 1 and 2, respectively.
Friday – Munising (14-3) at Bark River-Harris (17-1) – These two are undefeated in the Skyline Central Conference Large schools division as Bark River-Harris seeks to claim a fifth-straight league title.
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PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Renaissance and Cass Tech face off during Sunday's Detroit Public School League Tournament Final at Wayne State; Renaissance won 66-27. (Middle) Saginaw United brought a large Dow Center crowd a 48-43 win over Flint Carman-Ainsworth. (Top photo by Olivia B. Photography; middle photo by Kolleth Photo.)