Manchester Earns First Final Berth
March 14, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
EAST LANSING – This season isn’t the first that Manchester has looked like an MHSAA championship contender.
Big things were expected a year ago as well – but the Lady Dutch panicked in a Regional Final against Riverview Gabriel Richard and saw their season end that day.
Manchester met Gabriel Richard again in Thursday’s opening Class C Semifinal at the Breslin Center. But this time, and despite an early deficit, there was no panic. Instead, a number of players worked to overcome the early disadvantage as they collectively resolved to earn their first berth in an MHSAA Final.
The No. 3-ranked Dutch held off Gabriel Richard 53-46 and will play for their first MHSAA championship against Saginaw Nouvel at 4 p.m. Saturday.
“With them ending our season last year, and one person showed up, we knew this game we all needed to show up,” Manchester sophomore guard Jesse Manders said. “Even if it’s not scoring, it’s playing defense. … We didn’t start out great, but we overcame that and played a good game all-around.”
That “one person,” senior forward McKenna Erkfritz, had scored 23 of her team’s points in that 39-33 loss to Gabriel Richard last season. She had 19 points, 10 rebounds and three steals Thursday, but got plenty of help with Manders scoring 16 points and senior Taylor Manders adding 11.
Total, Manchester (26-1) outrebounded Gabriel Richard 38-30 and forced a share of 23 Pioneers turnovers.
“They know they can get it done. We always knew the potential this group could grow into, and I knew from this summer that this is where we wanted to be,” Manchester coach Cori Kastel said.
“Our District Final (57-42 over Ypsilanti Arbor Prep) was a very tough game and probably some of the best defense we’ve seen all season. But when we were able to handle that, it gave us a confidence boost. Our Regional (58-51 over Adrian Madison) was the first time in a long time we were playing from behind, and we’re not used to that. That’s what broke us last year. But this year we have more veteran players … and they weren't going to let that happen again.”
Gabriel Richard – also seeking its first championship game berth – jumped out to an eight-point lead just five minutes into the game, and still led by a basket two minutes into the second quarter before Taylor Manders drilled a 3-pointer to give Manchester a 10-9 lead.
The Pioneers (16-8) briefly regained the advantage, 27-25, with 3:44 left in the third quarter. But 10 of those turnovers came during the final 12 minutes, thanks in part to Manchester’s stingy pressure.
“I guess the purpose of the press is to make teams you’re pressing make mental mistakes, and that’s what we did. We over-thought it, and the turnovers affected the way we played and took us out of our game a little bit,” Gabriel Richard senior guard Ashley Henderson said.
“I think we had a lot of turnovers too because a lot of girls had never played in this big of a game before. They were nervous, and I think that adds onto it too.”
Henderson finished with 21 points, nine rebounds and three steals.
As well as earning its first championship game berth, Manchester is playing during the season’s final week for the first time.
“They have confidence in themselves, their teammates and our coaching staff. Not just one person is going to lead us to victory,” Kastel said. “We had an off shooting night, and we persevered. We buckled down, our defense held us in the game, and now we’re playing for a championship.
“We've played here once. Now it’s not new. The newness has worn off. We know we belong here."
Click for full box score.
PHOTOS: (Top) Manchester guard Taylor Manders brings the ball upcourt on a fastbreak during Thursday's Semifinal win. (Middle) Gabriel Richard sophomore Casey Lyons works to get around Manders on the way to the basket. (Photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photo.)
Breslin Bound: 2024-25 Girls Report Week 7
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 20, 2025
We've reached the midpoint of this girls basketball season, but the second half is just the start of the buildup for the most exciting part of every year.
Most teams have played their league opponents once, with upcoming rematches set to decide champions. As noted earlier, for the first time this season District brackets will be seeded completely, meaning every team is playing to affect its position for when the MHSAA Tournament starts in seven weeks. And below we continue to detail several of the latest moves in league play and District ranking for teams hoping to be in a championship mix.
“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. DeWitt 62, Haslett 50 – The Panthers (10-1) broke a two-game losing streak against their longtime rival Vikings (8-2), picking up great momentum heading into one of DeWitt’s toughest weeks of the regular season.
2. Frankenmuth 65, Detroit Country Day 39 The Eagles (9-2) have won eight straight and handed Country Day (10-1) its lone loss in a matchup of Division 2 hopefuls.
3. Grass Lake 49, Leslie 39 Grass Lake (9-3) sits alone atop the Cascades Conference East after handing Leslie (6-3) its only league loss and after delivering the same to Michigan Center a week earlier.
4. Midland 56, Midland Dow 41 After last month ending an 11-game losing streak against rival Dow, Midland High (9-1) finished its first regular-season sweep of its rival in 11 years.
5. Detroit Renaissance 67, Grand Blanc 43 The Phoenix (13-1) are soaring again with three straight double-digit wins since suffering their lone loss, this victory coming at the Martin Luther King Showcase at West Bloomfield.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Rockford (12-1) The Rams have reached at least the Division 1 Semifinals the last three seasons – winning the title in 2023 – and they are prepping well for another run despite playing a schedule of opponents with a combined .750 in-state winning percentage. The lone loss came Dec. 14 to Division 2 contender Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard, and Rockford has handed the only losses to Tecumseh and Grand Haven. The 51-45 win over Tecumseh on Jan. 11 was the only win decided by fewer than 12 points.
Temperance Bedford (8-1) The Kicking Mules have moved into first alone in the Southeastern Conference Red with wins over contenders Dexter and Saline over the last week – and after splitting with Saline last season, when those two shared the league title. Bedford reached the Quarterfinals a year ago, finishing 24-3, and opened this winter by avenging last year’s loss to Sylvania Northview. The only defeat this time has against Tecumseh to finish the season’s first week, and all but one of Bedford’s victories have come over opponents with at least a .500 record.
DIVISION 2
Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard (10-1) Coming off last season’s trip to the Division 2 championship game, and runner-up finish, FGR has played the toughest in-state schedule in any division with its Michigan opponents posting a combined .827 in-state winning percentage. The Irish gave Adrian Madison and Rockford their only losses, and are just a 46-45 loss to undefeated Belleville from being undefeated instead. FGR also is leading the Catholic High School League Central East and has another telling Division 2 challenger on the schedule with Chelsea making the trip to Ann Arbor on Feb. 18
Tecumseh (9-1) Coming off last season’s run to the Division 2 Quarterfinals, and right behind Father Gabriel Richard on that toughest schedules list, Tecumseh has played opponents with a combined .773 in-state winning percentage – second in the state regardless of division. As noted above, a 51-45 loss to Division 1 Rockford is all that is separating Tecumseh from being undefeated. Wins over Bedford and Blissfield remain those opponents’ only losses, and a 53-41 win over Chelsea on Jan. 9 has Tecumseh first in the Southeastern Conference White; the rematch is Jan. 31 at Chelsea.
DIVISION 3
Evart (9-1) The Wildcats have won 19 games both of the last two seasons and are pushing again for what would be a first league title in at least a decade. They are among three teams tied for the first in the Highland Conference, their lone loss to McBain and with that rematch coming up Feb. 7. No other opponent has come closer than nine points, and wins over Manton, Frankfort, Sanford Meridian and Fremont have been the most notable of another solid run so far.
Niles Brandywine (11-0) The Bobcats moved into first place alone in the Lakeland Conference last week with a 42-point win over previously-undefeated Berrien Springs, and the reigning Division 3 runner-up has won all of its games by double digits and nine by at least 30 points. The second half of the regular-season schedule presents a number of challenges as Brandywine gears up for another playoff run – most notably undefeated Division 1 St. Joseph and Division 2 Vicksburg, a Berrien Springs rematch and next week’s game against Division 1 Stevensville Lakeshore.
DIVISION 4
Concord (9-2) The Yellow Jackets made an incredible jump a year ago, finishing 20-6 after going 4-17 in 2022-23. They haven’t slowed down and already have avenged losses from last winter to Hanover-Horton, Bronson and Springport. The only defeats this time came to still-unbeaten Morenci by two points Dec. 9 and Division 2 Brooklyn Columbia Central during holiday break. Concord also leads the Big 8 Conference and can avenge another 2023-24 loss Jan. 27 at Michigan Center.
Kingston (7-1) A 44-40 loss to Division 2 Imlay City on Dec. 10 is all that’s kept the reigning Division 4 runner-up from being undefeated to this point, and a 53-46 win over Cass City has helped Kingston get there as well as it remains Cass City’s only loss. Kingston is tied atop the Big Thumb Conference Blue with Deckerville heading into Tuesday’s first of two matchups between them this season. The Cardinals also have solid February tests against Division 2 Croswell-Lexington and Division 1 Saginaw Heritage.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Monday – Goodrich (9-2) vs. Grand Rapids West Catholic (10-1) at Saginaw Valley State – These Division 2 contenders will face off in the 3 p.m. matchup at SVSU’s Martin Luther King Classic.
Tuesday – L’Anse (10-1) at Ewen-Trout Creek (11-1) – This could decide the Copper Mountain Conference championship as they are two of three teams undefeated in league play and this their only matchup.
Wednesday – Indian River Inland Lakes (9-1) at Gaylord St. Mary (9-1) – These Division 4 statewide hopefuls also are tied for first in the Ski Valley Conference heading into this first of two meetings.
Friday – Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (8-0) at St. Charles (7-1) – These two are undefeated atop the Mid-State Activities Conference heading into this first of two matchups this season after St. Charles won the league and Sacred Heart finished second a year ago.
Friday – Holt (8-3) at DeWitt (10-1) – As noted above, DeWitt has one of its toughest weeks ahead, but a rematch win would be a rewarding way to finish it as the Rams lead the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue after winning their first meeting 47-39.
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 (Top) DeWitt's Tara Kurncz (14) drives to the basket during her team's 48-38 win Friday over Lansing Waverly. (Middle) Detroit Edison's Isis Johnson Musah (2) make her move toward the lane during her team's 50-48 loss to Detroit Renaissance on Dec. 21. (DeWitt/Waverly photo by Terry Lyons. Renaissance/Edison photo by Team Arreguin Photos.)