Shutdown Defense Lands Portland in 1st Final
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
April 7, 2021
GRAND RAPIDS – Defense has been a staple of the Portland girls basketball team all season.
The Raiders displayed that defensive prowess when it mattered most and are on their way to their first Finals appearance after a 45-38 win over Parma Western in Wednesday’s second Division 2 Semifinal at Van Andel Arena.
Portland held the Panthers scoreless the final 4½ minutes to punch its ticket to Friday’s championship game against Newaygo.
“It’s been like that all year for us,” Raiders coach Jason Haid said. “We spend an awful lot of time on defense, and that’s been key for us all year. We felt like they were getting in the paint too much in the first half, so we really focused on closing the gaps and taking away the paint and getting those tough rebounds.”
Parma Western’s Alyssa Gennety scored on a lay-up with 4:29 remaining to put her team ahead 38-37.
Unfortunately for the Panthers (18-5), those were the last points they would muster.
“We tried to slow the game down a little bit, and then we missed some crucial layups and had to put them on the line,” Parma Western coach Gina Fortress said. “We just couldn’t dig out of that hole.”
Parma Western, which was led by Lilli Luma’s 15 points and nine rebounds, also was searching for its first MHSAA Finals appearance.
“Our main goal and the focus for this season was to win a Regional championship, and we did that and then we won on Monday so every game we’ve gotten past we’ve been so thankful for,” Fortress said. “And what an experience for these girls to come here and play in the Van Andel and have the experience we had today. We showed up to play, we gave them a good game and that was our plan all along.”
Portland junior guard Ava Guilford made perhaps the biggest shot of the game. Her 3-pointer with 2 minutes left gave the Raiders a lead they would never relinquish.
“I just wanted to help my team any way I could, and my 3-pointer was looking good,” said Guilford, who made four from long range and finished with 12 points.
Portland, which led 25-21 at the half, last made an appearance in the Semifinals 11 years ago.
That made the journey to get back even more satisfying.
“This was a history-making game,” Haid said. “No other Portland team has done that, and this is a very proud program. There’s been a lot of good teams that have come through Portland.
“It’s been a goal of ours to get here, and they’ve been dreaming about this for a long time. I’m just proud of the way they battled all game, and I’m just really happy for them.”
Junior Ashley Bower paced Portland (19-2) with 17 points, including making 7 of 9 from the free throw line.
“We’ve always dreamed about going to the Breslin, and to play for a state championship is just really exciting,” Bower said. “I’m proud of the way we played.”
Added senior point guard Ava Gruber, who had a team-high six assists: “It means a lot. All of us have played together since we were in third grade, and we’ve looked forward to this. All of our hard work is finally paying off.”
Friday’s Division 2 Final will be a rare rematch.
Portland handed Newaygo its only loss of the season, 38-33.
“They are just like us,” Haid said. “They play hard-nosed physical man-to-man defense and mix in a little zone. They have great guard play and they are a hungry team, as are we. It’s a great match-up with two smaller schools going at it again, and we will be up for the challenge.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Portland defenders swarm a driving Parma Western player Wednesday at Van Andel Arena. (Middle) The Raiders' Ashley Bower (10) and Western's Riley Kubiak battle for a loose ball. (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.)