Our Scoreboard = Your Scoreboard

December 12, 2011

We've undertaken a pretty major endeavor at the MHSAA this winter.

At this moment on Dec. 6, we have roughly 70 percent of all boys and girls basketball games scheduled by our teams for this winter entered into our system -- with the goal of keeping an up-to-date record of every schedule, every score and every league's standings.

That 70 percent might sound like barely passing -- until one considers that's more than 10,000 of a possible 15,000 games that will be played by MHSAA schools this winter.

It's a massive effort. Our athletic administrators, secretaries and coaches have helped a ton. But we'd greatly appreciate your help as well.

Like with football in the fall, anyone can report a score, tell us if we have one incorrect, or add an entire schedule at any time. Just go through a quick registration on our site, and become part of what we hope will be an impressive and useful library of information..

Click here to check out tonight's statewide schedule, or search for any night's games for the entire season. Click on a school name or search under "Schools" to see what we have for that team's full schedule. (Postseason games will be added later.)

And click here for the quick registration (it takes 15 seconds or fewer) if you'd like to give us a hand.

Class D: Lakers Press On to Saturday

March 15, 2012

EAST LANSING – For three quarters Thursday, Waterford Our Lady struggled to find the gear that has allowed the Lakers to become Class D’s latest powerhouse program.

With 5 minutes, 32 seconds to play, everything clicked.

Game over.

Champions do that kind of thing. And Our Lady will go for its third straight Saturday after surviving a good scare from Portland St. Patrick before advancing with a 54-44 win.

“I feel like all game we were trying to find our rhythm. It’s an intense atmosphere being here, and you don’t really know what to expect,” Our Lady senior Tori Duffey said. “Something just kinda came over us. … We knew we had to do it now. We’re talented enough that we can do that.”

The No.7 Lakers (22-4) will face either Crystal Falls Forest Park or Athens at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Our Lady never trailed against Portland St. Patrick. The Lakers pushed their lead to double figures three times.

But St. Patrick, which owns six MHSAA titles and has sat in the favorite spot plenty of times, pulled within three points of the lead – 34-31 – with a quarter to play.

The Shamrocks entered the postseason unranked at 19-6. But they were 12-1 over their last 13 games. And it seemed like St. Patrick’s first lead, if gained, might be able to stand until the final buzzer.

“I guess I didn’t feel like they were the favorites coming in. I thought if we played well and took care of business, I thought it would be a two or four-point ball game,” Portland St. Patrick coach Al Schrauben said. “The way we played the second half of the year, I was quite comfortable playing with anybody.”

But with 5:32 to play, and the Lakers lead just 38-34, everything fell back into place for Our Lady.

Thanks in large part to a suffocating defensive press, the Lakers took advantage of five St. Patrick turnovers over just more than two minutes – and pushed the lead to 49-34.

“Even if the shots aren’t going in, and we make a couple of mistakes, the thing about this group is they never hang their heads,” Our Lady coach Steve Robak said. “They continued to play on the defensive end, and eventually good things happen.”

Senior Carlee Cottrell scored a game-high 17 points and had five assists for Our Lady, and junior Ava Doetsch added 14 points and four assists. Junior Lexie Robak had eight points and nine rebounds.

Juniors Tori Goodrich and Courtney Dixon each scored seven points for St. Patrick, and senior Sidney Hill had seven rebounds.

“When we were 7-5, I didn’t think we’d even get a District title,” Shamrocks senior Stephanie Miros said. “I love the girls on this team. We’re great friends. So it’s a great memory.”

Click for the box score. Watch the game and both teams' postgame press conferences at MHSAA.tv.

PHOTO: Our Lady sophomore guard Anna Robb takes a shot Thursday. She scored four points. (Photo courtesy of Terry McNamara Photography.)