Nouvel Takes Next Step as Class C Champ
March 15, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
EAST LANSING – Saginaw Nouvel holds daily school Mass in its gymnasium, allowing Rachel McInerney and her teammates to reflect on a few things – including photos of the Panthers’ 2006 and 2008 MHSAA championship teams staring back at them.
“And every day in practice, we’d say our picture is going to be up there no matter what,” McInerney said.
In her final opportunity Saturday, Nouvel’s 6-foot-2 senior center more than did her part to make that true.
With lingering regrets from last season’s Class C championship game defeat to Manchester, McInerney seemed to take them out on St. Ignace with one of the most impressive statistical performances in MHSAA Finals history – 22 points, 23 rebounds and five blocked shots – as the Panthers broke away for a 62-40 win and the their third title.
“I just left it all the floor. I wanted to remember this game as a great thing,” McInerney said on the topic of redemption. “We more than achieved that.”
But it wasn’t as simple as a reigning runner-up returning to take the final step.
Nouvel entered this tournament ranked only No. 10 and after assistant Mary Jo Skiendziel was promoted to head coach with only two games left in the regular season.
But she couldn’t be more familiar. Skiendziel also is a Nouvel graduate and coached the freshmen basketball team for six seasons in addition to helping the varsity at the start of this winter. And she inherited some key leaders, including three who started in the 2013 Final.
“From the beginning, we knew our team would stick together through anything,” said Nouvel sophomore guard Laurel Jacqmain, one of the other two returning starters. “Our goal was to get back here, and we knew we could with each other. That’s what we were going to do.”
After handing Gobles its only loss of the season in Thursday’s Semifinal, the Panthers faced an even more imposing obstacle in St. Ignace – last season’s champion in Class D, which brought four starters back this weekend and was playing in its third championship game in four seasons.
That’s what made how Nouvel won a little shocking. Aside from 4-2 after the first minute, the Panthers never trailed – and led by as many as 26 after holding a one-point advantage at halftime.
“We came out in the second half on fire, and that’s exactly what we’ve done all season,” Skiendziel said, the championship trophy sitting beside her. “Nothing’s different except we have new wood to take home.”
McInerney also did her part as a leader, making sure her teammates soaked in the value of the moment during the game and reminding them to have fun. “Just because I experienced it last year, I know what it’s like to let it go by. I did not have fun last year,” McInerney said.
And her 23 rebounds were the third most in an MHSAA Final, fewer than only Kelly Rose’s 25 for St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic in the 1988 Class C championship game and Paula McGee’s 24 for Flint Northern in the 1979 Class A Final.
“She just intimidates,” St. Ignace coach Dorene Ingalls said. “She had maybe struggled a little bit, didn’t score like she usually does in the Semi (three points). But we knew what she was capable of, and she showed it today.”
McInerney had only four of her points during the 24-7 third-quarter run, but did grab six rebounds and block four shots during that 8-minute span. Jacqmain did most of the offensive damage during the period, scoring 13 of her game-high 23 points.
Junior guard Margo Brown scored a team-high 16 points for St. Ignace, and with sophomore center Abbey Ostman will attempt to lead the Saints back to Breslin for the sixth straight season in 2015. Senior Kelley Wright, who set an MHSAA record playing in her 102nd varsity win Thursday, had eight points and four steals in her final high school game.
“I don’t take losing very well, and I don’t know how long it will be before I take a look at these last two films,” Ingalls said. “But I wouldn’t want to be up here with another group of kids. It’s not the stuff on the floor. Everyone who meets them, gets to know them when we visit people, they become Saints fans for life. They wear their uniforms from the inside out.”
Click for a full box score and video from the press conference.
PHOTOS: (Top) Saginaw Nouvel’s Rachel McInerney (30) looks for an open teammate as St. Ignace’s Margo Brown defends. (Middle) Brown looks to drive against Nouvel’s Lindsay Stroebel on Saturday.
HIGHLIGHTS: (1) Lindsay Stroebel of Saginaw Nouvel makes a steal with time running out in the first quarter and beats the buzzer to give her team a 13-9 lead against St. Ignace. (2) Margo Brown led St. Ignace with 16 points. Here she cans a 3-pointer late in the first half to pull her team to within a point of the lead.
Breslin Bound: 2024-25 Girls Report Week 10
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 10, 2025
We’re just three weeks away from the start of Girls Basketball Districts and two weeks from announcing this season’s brackets, and every day we get closer becomes a better one to start studying the Michigan Power Ratings (MPR) used to determine those pairings.
The MPR tables are searchable by Division, team and District number and update as results are entered. This season, for the first time, entire District brackets will be seeded – making every matchup, including those referred to below – important in deciding who will face who first when we get to March.
“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. Grand Rapids South Christian 58, Grand Rapids West Catholic 51 The Sailors (15-2) picked up a half-game lead in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold standings by avenging a 62-49 loss from Jan. 10 to West Catholic (14-2), which made the Division 2 Semifinals a year ago.
2. Pewamo-Westphalia 59, Fowler 53 The Pirates (16-0) are undefeated and took a two-game lead in the Central Michigan Athletic Conference, and they also remain the only team to defeat Fowler (13-2) this winter.
3. Ovid-Elsie 41, New Lothrop 39 (OT) The Marauders (15-2) also edged ahead by half a game in the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference by avenging a 46-37 loss to New Lothrop (14-2) from Dec. 20.
4. Grass Lake 58, Michigan Center 45 Grass Lake (14-3) needs one more win to clinch at least a share of the Cascades Conference East after finishing a regular-season sweep of the Cardinals (14-2), who are tied for second.
5. Niles Brandywine 45, Vicksburg 28 The reigning Division 3 runner-up Bobcats (16-0) continue to look ready for another tournament run after adding an impressive win over the Division 2 Bulldogs (14-2).
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Saginaw Heritage (14-3) The Hawks have climbed to No. 4 overall in Division 1 MPR with their combination of a tough schedule and plenty of success navigating it. They are tied for second and one game back of Midland in the Saginaw Valley League because of a Jan. 28 loss to the Chemics (14-1), and the other defeats came to Howell (12-5) and Frankenmuth (14-3) to go with wins over Sanford Meridian (12-2), Detroit Cass Tech (13-6), Freeland (12-3), Hemlock (14-3), Berkley (12-6) and last week Mount Pleasant (10-5). Wins over two more opponents could give Heritage especially sizable boosts – Flint Powers Catholic (12-3) on Friday and Kingston (12-1) in the regular-season finale Feb. 25.
Utica Eisenhower (16-1) After finishing 10-13 just a season ago, Eisenhower is potentially closing in on a Macomb Area Conference Red title with its only defeat this winter to reigning Division 2 champion Detroit Edison (12-3) on Jan. 4. Eisenhower handed rival Utica Ford (15-1) its only defeat, 64-49 on Jan. 28, and that result has the Eagles a game ahead in the Red with the rematch finishing the league schedule Feb. 21. Eisenhower also has nice wins over Fraser (11-6), New Baltimore Anchor Bay (14-3) and Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest (11-4) and takes on Armada (13-1) three days before facing Ford again.
DIVISION 2
Parma Western (15-1) A District title to finish off last season’s 15-10 run may have provided momentum as Western has rolled this season. The Panthers opened with a 61-51 win over West Catholic, which as noted above made the Division 2 Semifinals last season, and on Jan. 23 dealt reigning Division 2 champion Edison a 53-48 defeat. Western leads in the Interstate 8 Athletic Conference by half a game with a rematch against second-place Coldwater (11-6) coming up Feb. 18, and the Panthers also have wins over Battle Creek Lakeview (11-5), Dexter (12-5), Marshall (11-4) and Williamston (10-6). That lone loss to Division 1 contender Belleville (16-1) gave Western another look at elite competition.
Wixom St. Catherine (14-2) The Stars have won 11 straight since finishing December with a pair of losses to Division 1 South Lyon (15-1) and Plymouth (12-6). St. Catherine has clinched the Catholic High School League AA title and is coming off a one-point win over Birmingham Seaholm (11-6). A pair of wins over Allen Park Cabrini (10-4) helped secure the league title, with others over Clarkston Everest Collegiate (12-2) and White Lake Lakeland (11-5) also highlighting the run. Two more opportunities to rise are coming up against Clawson (15-1) tonight and Dearborn Heights Crestwood (14-2) on Feb. 27.
DIVISION 3
Hart (9-0) A 41-32 win over second-place Shelby (14-3) last week has Hart one win away from clinching a share of the West Michigan Conference Rivers championship and ran the Pirates’ league winning streak to 52 over the last five seasons. The only defeat this winter was 53-52 on Dec. 13 to Fremont (15-2), and that came just three days after a 37-34 win over Shelby in their first meeting. Hart bounced back from the defeat with a 46-42 win over Spring Lake (10-6), and the Pirates also have a win over Ravenna (10-6) with that rematch coming up Feb. 19. Hart also will travel to Muskegon Western Michigan Christian (8-2) on Saturday and host Morley Stanwood (11-4) on Feb. 25.
Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep (14-2) A 2-2 start to this season has Hackett second in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley and needing help to catch leader Kalamazoo Christian for a share of the title. But Hackett has won 12 games straight, including rematches with Christian (13-3) and Schoolcraft to avenge those two defeats, and the Irish on Friday finished a regular-season sweep of Lawton (12-3). Hackett also has downed Onekama (12-4) and Galesburg-Augusta (10-6) during this run and can continue to build momentum for the postseason with nice matchups on the way against Centreville (10-3), South Haven (12-2) and Gobles (11-5).
DIVISION 4
Genesee Christian (12-2) The Soldiers have won 14 games both of the last two seasons and have a great path to surpass that total over the next few weeks after opening this impressive run with wins over Fenton (10-6) and Ovid-Elsie (15-2). Genesee Christian – playing as an independent this season – also owns victories over Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary (12-3) and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (11-4), with the losses to Flint Hamady (12-1) and Adrian Lenawee Christian (11-6). Matchups with Division 2 Corunna (10-6) and Linden (10-4) should provide more prep for the District, where the Soldiers could run into Everest again after falling to the Mountaineers to close the last two winters.
L'Anse (13-2) Despite a tough 52-49 overtime loss to Baraga on Jan. 30, L’Anse still controls some of its destiny in the Copper Mountain Conference with Lake Linden-Hubbell (12-4) and league leader Ewen-Trout Creek (15-1) coming up this week. It’s a great spot to be in as the Purple Hornets are coming off back-to-back sub-.500 seasons but have 12 wins this season by at least 15 points to go with a one-point victory over Calumet (10-5). L’Anse also has downed Baraga (12-4) in nonleague play and Felch North Dickinson (10-5), with the other loss to Division 2 Houghton (12-4). A second matchup with Lake Linden-Hubbell and meeting with Hancock (10-4) highlight the final weeks of the regular season.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Monday – St. Charles (12-3) at Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (12-0) – Sacred Heart is undefeated in Mid-State Activities Conference play and St. Charles has one loss, from their Jan. 24 meeting won by the Irish 49-40.
Monday – Yale (15-1) at Sandusky (14-0) – Yale leads the Blue Water Area Conference and Sandusky tops the Big Thumb Conference Black.
Tuesday – Flint Powers Catholic (12-3) at Midland (14-1) – The Chemics lead the Saginaw Valley League by a game ahead of Powers and Heritage, with four league games remaining for all three and Powers at Heritage on Friday.
Friday – Wayne Memorial (12-5) at Belleville (16-1) – Wayne’s 57-52 win over Belleville on Feb. 1 had statewide impact, and the rematch will get plenty of attention as well as likely determine the champion(s) of the Kensington Lakes Activities Association East.
Sunday – Detroit Public School League Tournament Final at Wayne State – Four teams remain in pursuit: Renaissance (17-1), Martin Luther King (9-8), Cass Tech (13-6) and Mumford (8-4).
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PHOTOS (Top) Lansing Christian’s Sophia Carrillo reaches to collect a loose ball during her team’s 43-37 double overtime over Bath on Feb. 5. (Middle) Ishpeming's Mya Hemmer attempts to put up a shot while surrounded by Gladstone defenders during Gladstone’s 53-46 win on Feb. 4. (Lansing Christian/Bath photo by Click by Christine McCallister. Ishpeming/Gladstone photo by Cara Kamps.)