Seniors Have St Mary on Verge Again
March 12, 2018
By Dennis Chase
Special for Second Half
GAYLORD – Averi Bebble was a water girl when Gaylord St. Mary reached the MHSAA Class D Girls Basketball Quarterfinals in 2012 and 2013.
“That was exciting,” Bebble said, “just as exciting as it is now.”
Now, Bebble is a senior and the Snowbirds are in the Quarterfinals again – for the fourth time in eight years and the second time since Bebble has been on varsity.
This time Bebble is hoping St. Mary (23-1) can reverse a trend when it faces Chassell (24-1) on Tuesday at Sault Ste. Marie
“Every year we‘ve been in the Quarterfinals we’ve lost by one or two points,” she said. “We’re excited to get back and try to beat Chassell.”
The Snowbirds lost by two points to Crystal Falls Forest Park in 2012, by two to Climax-Scotts in 2013 and by one to Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart in 2016.
Bebble and Alex Hunter were starters on the 2016 squad. And now the best friends are the catalysts of a senior-driven team that’s rattled off 23 consecutive wins after a season-opening setback at Clare.
Four seniors start for the Snowbirds.
“That’s huge,” first-year head coach Pat Schultz said. “We have a lot of experience where it matters – handling the ball. We have guards that can control the game for us.”
The 5-foot-3 Hunter and the 5-5-Bebble are joined by 5-4 junior Olivea Jeffers in a three-guard lineup. Hunter was an Associated Press first-team all-state pick a year ago. The tallest starters are 5-7 Maggie Schultz and improving 5-8 center Emily Myler.
To compensate for lack of size, the Snowbirds like to press and run – and then run some more.
“We like to get out in transition, push the tempo,” Schultz said. “Our kids are in good shape. We can get up and down the floor. Plus, we can defend.”
Those are the hallmarks of this team, which is outscoring the opposition by an average of 32 points (61-29). Only two teams, Rudyard and Cedarville, scored more than 50 points, and St. Mary won those two Regional games by 22 and 10 points, respectively.
The Snowbirds played a schedule that included Class B Clare (13-9), Class C Lake City (15-7) and Traverse City St. Francis (17-4) and Class D Bellaire (21-3), Rogers City (18-5) and Cedarville (20-4), which handed Hillman its lone regular-season loss.
After the loss to Clare – “We’d like to have that one back,” Schultz said – the Snowbirds met all challenges.
“We came together as a team around January,” Hunter said. ”Everyone focused on finding their role and realizing what that role was, no matter how big or small.”
By January, the Snowbirds were locked in. St. Mary beat Bellaire, also a Class D quarterfinalist, twice to capture the Ski Valley Conference title.
Bellaire, whose only other loss was to Class B Kalkaska, edged Rogers City in double overtime to claim last week’s Regional. The Snowbirds, meanwhile, defeated Rogers City by 35 in early January to start an impressive five-week run that also included wins over Bellaire (41-39 and 38-32), Lake City (60-35) and St. Francis (41-29). St. Francis, which played in the Class C Final two years ago, won the Lake Michigan Conference this winter.
That five-week window opened some eyes.
“We started to believe we might have something in January,” Schultz said. “But when we went to St. Francis, which is a perennially strong program, and held them to 29 points, well, we walked out of that gym with a little swag that night. I think the girls felt if we can play like this we can play with anyone in Class D.”
Schultz said he can go nine deep in his rotation – juniors Megan Loffer and Emma Jo Cherwinski are usually the first two off the bench – but it’s Hunter and Bebble who set the tone.
Hunter is averaging 13.7 points, 5.4 assists and 3.5 steals a game. She’s shooting 51 percent on two-pointers, 44 percent on three-pointers.
“She’s a great shooter, a pure shooter,” Schultz said. “You give her an open shot and she’s as automatic as any girl.
“She’s a hard worker, too, a disciplined kid.”
Her infectious upbeat attitude rubs off on her teammates.
“Alex is awesome to play with,” Bebble added. “She’s been one of the most committed (players) all the way through school. She’s makes the rest of the team better.”
Hunter’s scoring average is down from a year ago, but that’s more by design as St. Mary has spread the points around.
“I had a super strong season last year, but I realized what this team needs from me isn’t always scoring 20 points a game,” Hunter said. “I’m not scoring as much, but I definitely feel I’ve (contributed more) in other ways to help the team. It’s whatever the team needs each game, whether it be assists, defense, drawing defenders to the corner (to open up the offense).”
Hunter is fourth on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,260 points. She was fourth in the state a year ago in three-point shooting (46 percent) and is 16th all-time statewide in assists (493) and 35th in steals (375). She’s only missed one game in four years.
Bebble’s scoring average is up as she’s elevated her game. The four-year varsity veteran is averaging 11.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 3.6 assists. She scored a career-high 26 points in the Regional Final.
“Averi’s a unique talent,” Schultz said. “She’s not a pure shooter like Alex, but she is so quick. She can be a nightmare (for opponents).”
Schultz put the ball in Bebble’s hands against Cedarville, utilizing clear-outs to take advantage of her quickness in space. Hunter added 14 in the win.
Bebble also stars on the defensive end.
“She can lock down on defense,” Schultz said. “She’s the definition of a pestering defender. You can’t get rid of her.”
Bebble and Hunter have been playing basketball together since second grade.
“She’s stepped up and had an awesome year,” Hunter said. “It’s all come together for her. She’s super quick, pushes the ball, gets to the rim on anyone – and plays defense on anyone.”
The two play off each other, too.
“I know where Alex is going to be on the court, and she knows where I’m going to be,” Bebble said. “It’s easy between us. We’re always in sync with each other.”
Bebble’s sister, Jada, was on the Quarterfinal teams when Averi was the water girl. Her cousin, Kari Borowiak, was the star player then. Borowiak is now an NAIA All-American at Concordia – she was the only NAIA player to average 20 points and 5.5 assists this season – and she still follows the Snowbirds. Borowiak quickly retweeted a Gaylord Herald Times tweet about Bebble’s efforts against Cedarville.
It’s been quite a first year for Schultz, who formerly coached the junior varsity and was an assistant to Dan Smith the last two seasons. Schultz also coaches the school’s volleyball and softball varsity teams.
“I know these girls,” he said. “This group makes it easy. A lot of people could have come in this year and looked good coaching because this team gets it. I make some adjustments, motivate, and chew on them a little when they need it, but for the most part they make the adjustments that most coaches have to make. They understand and that’s because they’ve played so much basketball, including travel ball. They can auto-correct really well.”
Myler’s developing presence inside, and her ability to guard bigger opponents, has helped alleviate a concern there.
“We’re not a super tall team, but we have posts who work hard,” Hunter said. “Heart over height.”
That will be put to the test Tuesday against a talented and taller Chassell squad that won its first Regional in school history by overcoming a 14-point deficit to beat Bark River-Harris in overtime.
“Chassell’s a great team,” Hunter said. “Anyone left at this point is tough competition. We’re excited for the chance.”
Schultz agreed.
“They’re big, and they’re good,” he said of the Panthers. “We don’t want to allow it to become a half-court game.
“This time of year you have to play well, and you have to have a little luck.”
Who will have that combination Tuesday?
Dennis Chase worked 32 years as a sportswriter at the Traverse City Record-Eagle, including as sports editor from 2000-14. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Gaylord St. Mary’s Averi Bebble drives to the hoop during Thursday’s District Final win over Cedarville. (Middle) The Snowbirds’ Alex Hunter finds an opening to the lane during the 61-51 win. (Photos courtesy of the Gaylord Herald Times.)
Hiller Piling Up Points as Manton Builds for League, Postseason Possibilities
By
Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com
January 16, 2026
Three is the magic number today for the Manton girls basketball team.
It may become four, and many would argue it already is five – as in jersey #5.
The Rangers are riding a three-game winning streak with their eyes on a third-straight District championship. It may take a fourth-straight District title though for Manton’s star point guard – Aubrey Hiller, who wears the number five – to get a shot at becoming the all-time leading scorer in Manton girls basketball history.
Hiller, a junior, is leading the way for the Rangers. The win streak started with a 48-24 victory over McBain Northern Michigan Christian. She scored 25 points that day while joining the Manton 1,000-point club, becoming just the ninth female player to do so. There are 10 males in the club, including Hiller’s father, Ryan, and uncle, Matt Hicks.
With 36 points in a 56-42 win over LeRoy Pine River on Tuesday, Hiller moved to the seventh spot on the all-time scoring list. Last week she surpassed the career scoring of her aunt, Amy, with a 25-point effort in a 43-29 win over Beal City.
Hiller, an all-conference and second-team all-state performer last year, is averaging just over 25 points per game. She also collects almost eight rebounds per contest while racking up at least five assists and five steals. To top off a typical game, Hiller adds almost five pass deflections, mostly in the paint.
And Hiller is shooting almost 80 percent from the free-throw line. In the Rangers’ win over Pine River, she was 13 of 16 on free-throw attempts.
As the Rangers keep their focus on this season, many are wondering how high Hiller can climb on the all-time scoring list. Danielle Bundy has held the top spot since 1999.
Hiller still has the majority of her junior season to play and a senior season ahead. But to get to the top, Hiller will have to stay healthy, keep her torrid scoring pace going, and likely lead Manton to deep postseason runs both years.
“I want to say 1,900 might be tough, but it's definitely there for her to take,” Rangers coach J.P. Katona acknowledged, while noting Abby Brown’s 1,256 points could be topped next.
“I didn't even know I was getting to the 1,000 mark, but I think since I've gotten that another 150 will probably be my next goal,” Hiller said. “And then, if I can surpass that, then I'll go to the next and just hopefully climb up.”
In addition to Hiller’s big numbers, the Rangers also are getting more than eight points per game and nearly 11 rebounds from freshman Ella Barnes. Rylyn Wilder, part of Manton’s strong seven-member junior class, averages eight points per game.
Team chemistry is outstanding, and the ability to climb a high learning curve has been impressive for the previously inexperienced Rangers.
“We put a lot into practices and we're so connected off the court and our team chemistry off the court just makes it so much easier and faster to learn how to play with each other on the court,” Hiller pointed out. “A lot of the girls haven't seen this level of basketball ever. I think as we go, we'll just continue to grow stronger.”
A significant contribution has come from senior and first-year varsity player Kailyn Carter. She played junior varsity as a freshman and was the team’s statistician the last two years.
Carter has become a sound defensive player and a coach’s dream on the court.
“Kaitlyn Carter's story is pretty remarkable,” Katona said. “She does a lot of things that don't show up on the stat sheet. She doesn't make mistakes, doesn't turn the ball over — she’s one of those players that you always want on your team.”
And the Rangers are just getting back senior shooting guard Kelsey Harding. She’s working hard to build up minutes on the court, coming off a knee contusion. She hit a clutch 3-pointer to help ice the win over Pine River, as Manton led only 35-31 going into the final quarter.
Harding, now in her third year on the varsity, credits Hiller with helping the Rangers relax more on the court. And she’s making everyone better.
Even if opponents are full-court pressing, doubling up or triple-teaming Hiller, the 5-3 Rangers are confident she’ll come through.
“We can all trust Aubrey that she's going give us a nice pass to shoot, and we can trust her to bring the ball up the court so we can spot up,” said Harding, one of just two seniors on the team. “Aubrey likes to pass the ball to share the glory – she can get her own shot, but she likes to make other people look good.”
The Rangers lost considerable talent from last year’s Regional finalist team that went 21-6. Manton will look to build on its three-game winning streak with four straight home games.
With a roster of just 10, the Rangers knew they would take their knocks early, and Manton suffered December league losses to McBain and Evart. But the Rangers already have their sights on those rematches and exciting possibilities once the postseason begins.
“It felt pretty good knowing that we don't have a lot more that we need to do in order to beat those teams,” Katona said. “We just have to play a complete game but with the type of team that we have, that takes time. The majority of the teams that were at the top last year have everybody or majority of the starters back, and my personal opinion is the Highland Conference is by far the most competitive girls conference in Northern Michigan.”
While still holding conference championship hopes, the Rangers are looking to the Division 3 District tournament. They will vie for the title with four other league opponents: Lake City, McBain, Pine River and host Evart.
“We've had two great past seasons, and we want to go for a third one,” Hiller said. “We're just a building team and we really are building it. We improved a lot from the beginning of the year till now.”
Tom Spencer is a longtime MHSAA-registered basketball and soccer official, and former softball and baseball official, and he also has coached in the northern Lower Peninsula area. He previously has written for the Saginaw News, Bay County Sports Page and Midland Daily News. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Manton’s Aubrey Hiller points something out on her coach’s clipboard during a break against LeRoy Pine River. (Middle) Hiller handles the ball while defended by multiple Pine River players including Sabrina Cutler (20). (Photos by Mike Dunn/Cadillac News.)