Terwilliger Shines in Leading Irish
March 13, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
EAST LANSING – Marine City Cardinal Mooney knew about point guard Sara Hansen, the Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart’s only senior. It had a plan for 6-foot-3 sophomore center Averi Gamble, and it worked well at the start of Thursday’s Class D Semifinal.
But Cardinals’ coach Susan Everhart admitted after that Irish junior guard Riley Terwilliger was not on her team’s radar before their trip to the Breslin Center.
She showed up in a hurry.
Terwilliger, who averaged a respectable 9.3 points per game entering the week, scored 19 and grabbed 10 rebounds and led the key run as Sacred Heart broke away for a 54-42 win and its first MHSAA Final berth since finishing Class D runner-up in 2008.
“I felt I needed to step up at some point in the game, and they were focused a lot on Sara and Averi,” Terwilliger said. “I just did what I had to do.”
Sacred Heart will face either Crystal Falls Forest Park or Athens in Saturday’s 10 a.m. Final. The Irish (21-5) have played only in that one championship game, and as such are seeking their first title.
But they’ve played in plenty of big games this winter, including against a few of the top teams in Class C. And coach Damon Brown could tell that experience paid off in one of the best wins in program history.
Sacred Heart trailed much of the first quarter and half of the second as Cardinal Mooney zoned to give Gamble double coverage and attacked the Irish with its trio of senior standouts.
But when Terwilliger caught fire, it swung everything in the Irish’s favor – including the Cardinals’ defense that had focused so much attention on the post.
She had 11 points, a rebound and a steal as Sacred Heart closed the first half on a 15-5 run to take a 27-20 lead into the break.
“We know going into games that Sara is number on one people’s scouting reports and Averi is number two. They often forget about Riley, but she finds a way to get open in zones,” Brown said. “She’s the ultimate utility player, and that’s what we need in order to be successful.”
She did so during the second half in part by opening things up for Gamble and Hansen. Gamble had eight of her 10 points after the break, and Hansen had eight of her 16 points during the last three minutes of the game.
Hansen hit a 3-pointer with 2:55 left to push Sacred Heart’s lead from four to seven points, and Terwilliger then made it nine after a steal and layup to effectively put the game away.
“We thought we had a great gameplan … and we got away from it,” Cardinal Mooney coach Susan Everhart said. “They got a little physical at times for us, and that’s where they got a jump on us.”
Whereas Sacred Heart has just one senior in Hansen, Cardinal Mooney followed a strong class of six to its first Semifinals since 2009. Guard Katie Theut had 19 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots, and center Madison Southers added 13 points and 14 rebounds.
The Cardinals finished 19-6.
“Our girls made it however many years ago, and the guys made it four years ago, so it means a lot to me to be part of the program and get here,” Theut said. “I couldn’t ask to do it with a better group of girls. They’re all my best friends, and sharing this moment with them means the world to me.”
Hansen exited the game during the final minute, and appeared to take pause when the final buzzer sounded before she rushed into Terwilliger to celebrate the moment.
“The last 30 seconds, you just want to get it over. It’s my first State Finals ever, and it’s just really special,” Hansen said. “It’s kinda fun (being the only senior). Everybody looks up to you and stuff, but I don’t look at it as being the only senior. I’m really good friends with everyone, and it’s just really fun. They play really hard for me, and I play really hard for them.”
Click for a complete box score and video of the press conference.
PHOTOS: (Top) Sacred Heart's Riley Terwilliger tries to drive around Cardinal Mooney's Madison Stouthers. (Middle) Megan Engish (10) puts up a shot over the Cardinals' Lauren Higgins.
HIGHLIGHTS: (1) Sara Hansen of Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart cans a 3-pointer at the first-quarter buzzer. Sacred Heart went on to beat Cardinal Mooney 52-42 in the Class D Semifinal. (2) Cardinal Mooney hits its own trey to end the third quarter. Katie Theut beats the buzzer to cut the Irish lead to 36-33.
Power Pair - with Plenty of Help - Drives Belleville to Program-Defining Win
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
March 22, 2025
EAST LANSING – It’s no secret. The Belleville girls basketball team is certainly going to savour this moment.
Behind the superb play of sophomore Sydney Savoury and junior Se’Crette Carter, the Tigers claimed the program’s first Division 1 Finals championship Saturday with a 61-48 win over Rockford at Breslin Center.
Savoury scored a team-high 22 points, while Carter made four 3-pointers and finished with 12 points.
“We knew today that we could make history, and we were super excited to get out there and play,” said Savoury, who added five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
“It means everything, and it’s about legacy. We played our hardest and played for Belleville.”
Belleville reached the Semifinals for the first time last year, falling to Grand Blanc, but returned four starters this season.
“It feels amazing to be one of the great teams now,” Carter said. “Rockford is a great team with great players, but we wanted it more. You could tell we had moments where we had lapses, but our perseverance and passion pushed through.”
The Tigers (28-1) held a slim 18-14 lead after the first quarter, but back-to-back 3-pointers from Savoury and Carter gave the Tigers a 24-16 lead midway through the second.
Belleville took a 26-20 advantage into the half and never relinquished the lead.
“I can’t even believe this, honestly,” Tigers head coach Jason Wilkins said. “When I first got the job at Belleville, I didn't think we would be in the position to be a top program, especially in our conference, so five years later to be a state champ is a great feeling. I’m proud of these kids. They bought into our system in the summer, and it all paid off.”
Savoury opened the second half with a 3-pointer after a Rockford turnover, making it 29-20. Late in the third quarter, Belleville scored six in a row, capped by a Jaida Qinn lay-up that added to a double-digit advantage (42-29).
Carter dropped in another 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter to increase the lead to 49-34.
While Savoury was the leading scorer, the Tigers received contributions throughout the lineup, as four players scored in double figures.
Senior Iyana Stephens was a perfect 5 of 5 from the floor and scored 12 points while grabbing eight rebounds. The only other senior, Rylan Buschell, dished out six assists. Freshman guard Paisley Stephens added 10 points and three assists.
“I was really happy that I was able to step up today,” Iyana Stephens said. “It’s something everybody strives for and our coach says that everyone has a role and I just played my role and was able to help my team.”
This was the Rams’ second appearance in the Division 1 Final in three years. They won in 2023.
“Super proud of them and the fact that we were able to get to the final game of the season.” Rockford coach Brad Wilson said. “We came up a little bit short, but our three seniors are the face of our program and we wouldn't be anywhere without them.”
Rockford shot a dismal 3 of 21 from behind the 3-point arc and committed 12 turnovers. But Miss Basketball Award winner Anna Wypych connected on 9 of 15 shots to score a game-high 26 points for the Rams, who finished 27-2 overall.
PHOTOS (Top) Belleville players and fans begin celebrating the team’s Division 1 championship win Saturday at Breslin Center. (Middle) The Tigers’ Sydney Savoury pulls up for a jumper. (Below) Rockford’s Desirae Donley (23) gets up a shot with Belleville’s Iyana Stephens defending. (Photos by Adam Sheehan/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)