St. Patrick's Next Generation Inspired by Past in Securing Championship Chance
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
March 19, 2026
EAST LANSING – It’s been nearly 25 years since Portland St. Patrick won its most recent of six MHSAA Finals championships in girls basketball.
The Shamrocks will have the opportunity to add to their rich tradition after knocking off Onekama 49-26 in Thursday night’s Division 4 Semifinal at Breslin Center.
St. Patrick (23-5) will meet Ishpeming on Saturday in the Division 4 Final. Tipoff is set for 10 a.m. The Shamrocks last won a Class D title in 2002, but hadn’t been to a Semifinal in 14 years before Thursday.
Freshman Macie Leonard and junior Gracelyn Rockey were key factors in the Shamrocks earning a return to championship Saturday. The pair combined for 35 points, with Leonard scoring 18 and Rockey adding 17 points and 12 rebounds.
Second-year St. Patrick coach Michelle Smith was a member of the 1999 and 2000 Class D championship teams.
“My mom and Coach and some of the other moms played together and won championships, so our goal was always to be as good as our moms,” Rockey said. “So that’s what we work towards.”
The Shamrocks never trailed Thursday after jumping out to an early 11-2 advantage. They outrebounded the Portagers 39-15.
“Really pleased with the way they played today,” Smith said. “We knew defensively they were a very good team and scrappy, and we prepared to handle their press. I asked them to play with poise, and I think that's what they did. I’m happy with the way they handled the pressure, and our ability to rebound really showed.”
Ava Mauntler knocked down a 3-pointer during the final minute of the second quarter to pull the Portagers within five at 21-16.
However, St. Patrick extended its lead to double digits by holding Onekama to only five points in the third quarter.
St. Patrick ended the quarter with a 9-2 spurt to pull ahead 36-21.
“What worked well for us was they tried to press us, but we looked ahead and really took our time,” Smith said. “We got in positions we needed to be in.”
Leonard was 7-of-11 from the field and drained two 3-pointers.
“As a freshman we put her in big moments at times, and I told her that she’s ready for this,” Smith said. “She was willing to shoot the ball and made some big shots. I thought her and Lily Sanborn’s defense at the top was fantastic.”
The Shamrocks surrendered only 10 points total during the second half and held Onekama to 25-percent shooting from the field.
It was the fifth time in the tournament that the Shamrocks held a team under 30 points.
“Throughout the season our goal is to keep the other team under 30 points,” Rockey said. “It shows that our defense works together well and we are good at communicating.”
It had been nearly 30 years since Onekama appeared in a Semifinal. The team broke through for the first time since 1997 with a Quarterfinal win over Frankfort, which had defeated the Portagers twice in Northwest Conference play.
Onekama, which finished fourth in the league, will graduate only three seniors after concluding the season at 19-8.
“An amazing run, that’s all I can tell you,” first-year coach Dan Mesyar said. “We made a commitment last summer that, #Breslin Bound, on the first day of practice that we wanted to get here. We wanted it. To call it out as a team, and work every day and gut through tough losses and get better. … I’m just so proud of these girls."
“We have now established a standard, and you are not going to see us every 29 years. They’ve set an unbelievable standard.”
Junior Addy Zeller led Onekama with six points.
PHOTOS (Top) Portland St. Patrick’s Gracelyn Rockey pushes the pace as Onekama’s Callie Sinke keeps stride during Thursday’s Semifinal at Breslin Center. (Middle) The Shamrocks’ Lily Sandborn (4) makes her move into the lane with Addy Zeller defending. (Photos by Lilanie Karunanayake/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
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.)