Riley Sisters, Fowler Shine on Statewide Stage
By
Jason Schmitt
Special for MHSAA.com
April 9, 2021
EAST LANSING — Fowler certainly is a small town.
Located just 30 miles northwest of Lansing, everyone in town knows everyone. And if they didn’t already know the Riley sisters’ prowess on the basketball court, they sure do now.
Sisters Mia and Emma Riley combined to score 34 points in leading Fowler to a 54-20 victory over Bellaire on Friday in the Division 4 title game at the Breslin Center. It was Fowler’s first MHSAA Finals championship since 1991.
“I’ll constantly have relatives who drive by their house and they’ll say, all the time, that they’re in their driveway playing one-on-one,” Fowler head coach Nathan George said of the sisters. “So it’s no coincidence that they’re in this spot, that they’re this good. All their hard work is paying off.”
Emma Riley, a sophomore, scored the first four points of the game and her older sister, Riley, scored her team’s first nine points of the second quarter as Fowler overwhelmed Bellaire early on. Fowler led 29-7 at halftime. It shot 48 percent from the field while limiting Bellaire to just three field goals and 12 percent shooting.
“We have confidence that teams will struggle against our speed and aggressiveness,” George said. “It hasn’t worked every game, but for the most part I think teams have a hard time adjusting to it because we have so many guards we can rotate in. It worked pretty well tonight.
“When we get those fast starts and the girls get their confidence, it’s a pretty special thing to see.”
Bellaire struggled throughout the first half, connecting on just 3 of 25 shots. It was just 1 for 11 in the first quarter and at one point missed 13 straight shots while falling behind 17-3.
“It definitely is upsetting because normally we can bounce back when shots aren’t falling in,” Bellaire senior Katie Decker said. “We have confidence in each other and hold each other up. Normally they’re going in, but I don’t know what was happening today. I guess nerves and we never settled in, but we did the best we could.”
Fowler’s defense played a big part in Bellaire’s shooting woes. George’s team collected 12 steals and forced 18 turnovers in the game. The Riley sisters accounted for eight of those steals.
“They can shoot and they can defend,” Bellaire head coach Brad Fisher said. “They shot the ball so well and they just play a different level of defense. We knew it was coming, but to simulate it, you can’t. I don’t know that we could have done too much differently when a team shoots like that and can defend like that.”
Mia Riley, a junior, was 6 for 8 shooting in the first half, while Emma was 3 for 5.
“I try to go into the game with a lot of confidence and I know my sister does too,” said Mia, a junior. “Coach always tells us, ‘Be confident and if you get a shot, it’s going up.’ So that’s kind of our mentality. We just didn’t want to hold back this game.”
Emma Riley said she didn’t let the arena atmosphere get to her.
“(Coach) always says if you get an open look, shoot it. So nothing changed on this court,” Emma said. “We kept saying that it was an important game, but it’s just like it was back at Fowler. We just tried not to overthink it and shoot with confidence like always.”
Mia Riley finished with a game-high 18 points to go along with five rebounds and three steals. Emma Riley had 16 points, seven rebounds and five steals for Fowler (16-4). Junior Emma Halfmann and sophomore Grace Epkey each added six points.
George said he’s known how good the Riley sisters are on the basketball court. But after Friday’s performance, other people will, too.
“Being from a small town, I don’t think people get to appreciate them,” George said. “We don’t get a lot of media coverage. There aren’t a lot of people in our gyms. Their skill level is incredible. I appreciate that we get to this type of stage, where others can appreciate how good they are.”
Bellaire finished its season with an 18-4 record. Decker and junior Jacey Somers led the team with six points apiece.
“Our girls had a pretty darn good season, too,” Fisher said. “We’ve talked about what this team has done and what this team is capable of. We have so many people to thank, the community, the MHSAA has been awesome.
“I’m just so proud of my girls. This was a fun ride. Eventually the season has to come to an end. And we had a couple special victories along the way. It’s obviously not the outcome we wanted, but we still made history.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Fowler's Avery Koenigsknecht (3) works to get past Bellaire's Emersyn Koekpe during Friday's Division 4 Final. (Middle) Fowler's Leah Wieber (22) works to get to the basket. (Click for more from Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
Breslin Bound: 2025-26 Girls Report Week 1
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 15, 2025
We’re one week into the 2025-26 girls basketball season, and several annual contenders wasted little time seeing how they match up against each other – at least to start this winter.
Of course, there’s a long way to go before all is said and done. But there were plenty of solid statements, with more opportunities to shake things up as we settle into holiday break this weekend.
“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. Howell 41, Detroit Edison 26 The Highlanders (3-0) closed an impressive first week by downing Edison (2-1) at the Best of Michigan Holiday Classic at Belleville.
2. Frankenmuth 48, Portland 46 These two have played a series of stunners over the last two seasons, as Portland (1-1) won last year’s regular-season meeting by one and Frankenmuth (2-0) avenged in a Division 2 Regional Final.
3. Bath 71, Fowler 41 The Bees (3-0) avenged last season losses by nine and 34 to the Eagles (0-2), the reigning Division 4 champions.
4. Wayne Memorial 55, Detroit Renaissance 33 Wayne (2-0) won this rematch of a Division 1 Regional Final from last season, also won by the Zebras, at the Best of Michigan Tournament at Detroit Mercy.
5. Jackson Lumen Christi 50, Michigan Center 28 The Titans (2-0) opened in a big way in a matchup of teams that both won 19 games last winter.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Plymouth (3-0) After back-to-back six-win finishes earlier this decade, Plymouth improved to 14 victories two seasons ago and 15-8 last winter. The Wildcats could be ready to take another step after opening this season with a 30-point win over Flat Rock, a 17-pointer over Dearborn Heights Crestwood and a 19-point victory over Brownstown Woodhaven. They’ll have a chance to avenge last season’s first defeat, to Berkley, when they meet Friday.
Rochester Hills Stoney Creek (3-0) Last year’s solid 16-8 run started with a loss to Walled Lake Northern, but Stoney Creek got off to a better start this time with a 35-32 victory over Northern last week. The Cougars followed with 41-32 victories over both White Lake Lakeland and Rochester Adams, and they could get another good gauge on their early-season progress when they host Goodrich on Wednesday.
DIVISION 2
Ionia (2-0) The opening week gave the Bulldogs a spark, and they’ll have an even bigger opportunity this week. Ionia started with a 51-44 win over St. Johns – avenging a loss from a year ago – before defeating Lake Odessa Lakewood. But these next few days could be telling, as Ionia hosts Eaton Rapids on Tuesday after tying the Greyhounds for second in the Capital Area Activities Conference White last winter. On Friday, Ionia travels to face reigning champion Portland, which also ended the Bulldogs season in March.
Kalkaska (2-0) Last week was one of the most successful for the Blazers in some time as they opened with a 33-32 overtime victory over Mancelona, then edged Benzie Central 26-23. Kalkaska finished 3-19 last season – and had won a combined five games over the last four. The Blazers will play in this weekend’s Elk Rapids Invitational to finish up a memorable December.
DIVISION 3
Lawton (2-0) A 50-45 win over South Haven and 53-30 victory over Constantine got the Blue Devils moving in the right direction again as they look to build on last winter’s 15-6 finish and third place in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley. Next up is Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep – which finished second in the Valley last season, defeating Lawton twice – before the Blue Devils close 2025 with Watervliet at the Bangor Holiday Shootout.
Tawas (3-0) Tawas has jumped from four, to eight, to 13 wins over the last three seasons, and could be in for an exciting run given its success during the first week. A 44-32 win over Houghton Lake avenged a 30-point loss from last season, a 36-32 victory over Au Gres-Sims avenged a 20-point defeat from February, and a 27-16 win over Alpena came after 20 and 25-point losses to the Wildcats last winter.
DIVISION 4
Auburn Hills Oakland Christian (3-0) The Lancers have won 14 or 15 games three times this decade, including in going 15-9 a year ago, and they are well on their way to approaching those totals again. Oakland Christian hung on for a 32-26 win over Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart, but defeated Pontiac and Brighton Charyl Stockwell Academy by much more comfortable margins.
Reading (3-0) The Rangers finished fifth in the Big 8 Conference last season, but then won a pair of close matchups to claim a District title and advanced all the way to the Regional Finals. They earned double-digit wins over Camden-Frontier, Colon and Litchfield to kick off this campaign last week, and Tuesday’s matchup with reigning Big 8 co-champion Bronson could tell a lot.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Friday – Rockford (2-0) vs. Howell (3-0) at Cornerstone University – These two are in a high-powered Cornerstone Invitational bracket with DeWitt and Coldwater.
Friday – Concord (0-1) at Bronson (0-1) – This pair shared the Big 8 Conference title last season after splitting their regular-season series.
Saturday – Tecumseh (3-0) at Detroit Edison (2-1) – The 2023 Division 2 champion Pioneers – semifinalists last year – host the reigning title winner at their Pioneer Classic.
Dec. 29 – Pewamo-Westphalia (2-0) at Flint Powers Catholic (1-0) – P-W won last year’s matchup 53-50 on the way to finishing 25-1, while Powers went enjoyed an 18-6 run.
Jan. 3 – Tecumseh (3-0) at Grand Rapids West Catholic (2-1) – Tecumseh definitely isn’t taking it easy over break, with this a rematch of last winter’s Division 2 Final.
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PHOTO Negaunee's Gretel Johnson drives to the net while being defended by Lexi Curran during the Miners' 43-26 win over Marquette on Dec. 9. (Photo by Cara Kamps.)