Long Wait Ends as Fowler Returns to Finals
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
April 7, 2021
GRAND RAPIDS – It took a couple years, but the wait was worth it for Fowler's girls basketball team.
The Eagles finally closed the book on a disappointing Quarterfinal loss two years ago to stun unbeaten Carney-Nadeau 61-37 in Wednesday's first Division 4 Semifinal at Van Andel Arena.
Fowler junior guard Mia Riley said her teammates had not forgotten a 57-36 Quarterfinal loss to Adrian Lenawee Christian in 2019, a loss which capped a 17-win season. The players used that memory to pound their way into their first Girls Basketball Final since finishing Class D runner-up in 1999.
"We've been waiting, just itching to get back," Riley said. "It was always in the back of our minds, and now it's just a great feeling."
The win snapped a 22-game winning streak for Carney-Nadeau, which had won its previous five tournament games by an average of 19 points per contest. No team had come as close as eight points to beating the Wolves this season.
But Fowler (15-4) never trailed after a layup by Avery Koenigsknecht snapped a 10-10 tie with 1:21 left in the first quarter. Fowler upped the lead to 33-17 at the half and 49-28 at the end of three quarters.
The win sent Fowler (15-4) into Friday's 10 a.m. Final against Bellaire at the Breslin Center.
Eagles coach Nathan Goerge said there was little to complain about after his team forced a whopping 31 turnovers, including 16 in the first half. That defense, which featured five players with at least three steals, was largely responsible for Carney-Nadeau attempting 28 fewer field goals (59-31).
"The execution was absolutely awesome. We had some breakdowns, but none that really hurt us," Goerge said. "We're a tough team to beat when we spread the floor and make shots. We always tell the girls when you have a shot, it's going up. We have a lot of good shooters on this team."
Fowler overcame missing its first nine 3-pointers to land three players in double figures while shooting 37 percent (22 of 59) from the floor.
Sisters Emma and Mia Riley head the list of good shooters. Mia, a junior guard, finished with 23 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four steals. Emma, a sophomore guard, added 18 points and eight steals. Emma Halfmann had 11 points.
Carney-Nadeau was led by Tessa Wagner's 21 points and eight rebounds. Taylor Kedsch added 10 points.
"We've handled the press well, but this was something new for us," Kedsch said.
Wolves coach Ken Lindor said the turnovers made it difficult for the team to sustain much consistency on offense.
"We just really struggled with their pressure," Lindor said. "They pushed us out on offense. We were okay shooting the ball (48 percent), but we had too many unforced turnovers that we don't normally make. We just couldn't get in a flow. They had good ball pressure and took away the passing lanes. We didn't move as well as we usually do; there was a lot of standing around.
"We haven't been this far in 20 years, and one of our goals was to get here,” he added. “We met that goal, and that was pretty special."
PHOTOS: (Top) Fowler's Mia Riley looks for an opening with Carney-Nadeau's Shae Linder defending. (Middle) Emma Riley brings the ball upcourt with teammate Emma Halfmann at her side . (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
Flashback 100: Johnson Family Put Magical Stamp on Michigan High School Hoops
January 31, 2025
There’s no telling how many times Earvin and Evelyn Johnson faced off on the basketball court — no doubt, countless games of 1-on-1, H-O-R-S-E, and dribbling competitions. As standout players at Lansing Everett High School during the 1970s, their statistical accomplishments showed they matched up pretty well:
|
Stat |
Earvin "Magic" Johnson |
Evelyn Johnson |
|
Points Scored in a Season |
805 |
804 |
|
Career Points |
2,012 |
1,762 |
|
Career Scoring Average |
25.8 ppg |
29.9 ppg |
|
Best Team Finish |
1977 Class A Champ |
1978 Class A Semifinalist |
As you can see, basketball runs in the Johnson family.
Magic’s story is legendary. He led Everett to the Class A title in 1977, earning first-team all-state honors all three of his varsity seasons. At Michigan State, he guided the Spartans to the 1979 NCAA championship in a historic showdown against Larry Bird and Indiana State — the most-watched NCAA title game of all time. The Los Angeles Lakers selected him first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft, and in L.A. he became a five-time NBA champion, three-time league MVP and a defining figure in basketball history.
He was also a key member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic "Dream Team" that won gold in Barcelona. Beyond basketball, Magic has built a successful business empire and is now a part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Commanders.
Watch the 1977 Class A championship here.
Evelyn, two years younger than Magic, carved out her own remarkable legacy at Everett. Her 804 points in 1978 still rank as the seventh-highest single-season total in Michigan girls basketball history. She led the Vikings to a 21-2 record and trip to the Class A Semifinals, where she scored 42 points in a loss to Detroit Mumford — a performance that remains the third-highest point total in an MHSAA Semifinal or Final.
She held Michigan’s career scoring average record (29.9 ppg) for more than two decades until Stephanie Hass of Harbor Springs Harbor Light Christian surpassed Johnson in 2001.
Evelyn continued at University of South Carolina, where she tallied 1,620 career points — still among the top 15 totals in program history. Magic scored 1,059 points in two seasons at MSU.
Previous "Flashback 100" Features
Jan. 24: Future Hall of Famers Face Off First in MHSAA Class A Final - Read
Jan. 17: First-Ever WNBA Draft Pick Rocked at Salem, Won Titles at Tennessee - Read
Jan. 10: Despite Launching Before 3-Point Line, Smith Still Tops Scoring List - Read
Jan. 3: Edison's Jackson Earns Place Among State's All-Time Elite - Read
Dec. 20: Future Olympian Piper Leads Grosse Pointe North to Historic Heights - Read
Dec. 13: The Other Mr. Forsythe in Michigan School Sports - Read
Dec. 6: Coleman's Legendary Heroics Carry Harrison Through Repeat - Read
Nov. 29: Harbaugh Brothers' Football Roots Planted in Part at Pioneer - Read
Nov. 22: 8-Player Football Finals Right at Home at Superior Dome - Read
Nov. 15: Leland Career Helps Set Stage for Glass' International Stardom - Read
Nov. 8: Future Baseball Pro Led Escanaba's Legendary Football Title Run - Read
Nov. 1: Michigan High School Baseball Trio Provide World Series Voices - Read
Oct. 25: Before Leading Free World, Ford Starred for Champion GR South - Read
Oct. 18: Mercy Links Legend Becomes World Golf Hall of Famer - Read
Oct. 11: Fisher Races to Finals Stardom on Way to U.S. Olympic First - Read
Oct. 4: Lalas Leaves High School Legacies on Ice & Pitch - Read
Sept. 27: Tamer's History-Making Run Starts in Dexter, Continues to Paris - Read
Sept. 20: Todd Martin’s Road to Greatness Starts at East Lansing - Read
Sept. 13: James Earl Jones, Dickson High Hoops to Hollywood Legend - Read
Sept. 6: Pioneers' Unstoppable Streak Stretches 9 Seasons - Read
Aug. 30: Detroit dePorres Rushes to 1995 Class CC Football Championship - Read
PHOTOS (Top) At left, Lansing Everett's Evelyn Johnson, and at right Earvin Johnson, both put up shots over defenders' outstretched arms while playing at Don Johnson Fieldhouse. (Middle) Earvin Johnson (32) takes a photo with teammates and coaches during the 1976-77 season. (Below) Evelyn Johnson, while at South Carolina. (MHSAA file photos.)