Highlight Reel: Class C-D Girls Semifinals

March 17, 2017

By John Johnson
MHSAA Communications Director

The first day of the MHSAA Girls Basketball Finals at the Breslin Center in East Lansing produced three first-time finalists in the Class C and D fields for Saturday's championship games.

Class C

Detroit Edison PSA 54, Flint Hamady 31

Edison Scores On A Steal - Detroit Edison scored the first 11 points of this Semifinal, with Gabrielle Elliott capping the run on this play. Elliott had 24 points in the game. 

Hawks On A Run - Aryana Naylor led Flint Hamady with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Detroit Edison, including this fastbreak basket in the third quarter. 

Pewamo-Westphalia 64, Maple City Glen Lake 51

Lakers Out to Early Lead - Maple City Glen Lake led throughout the first half in its Class C Semifinal with Pewamo-Westphalia. The Lakers got a three-point play along the way from Allie Bonzelet. 

Spitzley Leads Pirates - Pewamo-Westphalia pulled away in the fourth quarter against Maple City Glen Lake in the second Class C Semifinal. Emily Spitzley had a double-double for the winners with 24 points and 12 rebounds. 

Class D

Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary 64, Engadine 59

Panko Paces Cardinals - Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary led by as many as 13 points in the fourth quarter against Engadine. Rylee Pankow makes it 62-49 with this jumper. 

Vaughn Goes Coast-To-Coast - Engadine led late in the first half against Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary in Class D. Olivia Vaughn gives the Eagles the lead driving the length of the floor for a basket.

Pittsford 57, Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart 39

First Class Scout - Scout Nelson scores on a putback for Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart in the second quarter against Pittsford. Nelson led the Irish with 16 points. 

Clark Down The Lane - Maddie Clark led Pittsford with 19 points and eight rebounds against Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart, with two points off this power move to the basket in the third quarter. 

PHOTO: Maple City Glen Lake's Kelly Bunek launches a shot during Thursday's Class C Semifinal against Pewamo-Westphalia.

Hoops on Film: 1973 Class C Boys Final

June 22, 2015

By John Johnson
MHSAA communications director

Straight out of the dusty tin canisters where they’ve sat for a long time, some of the classic basketball championship games of years past will be featured for 10 weeks this summer on MHSAA.tv’s Hoops On Film Series.

From the late 1940’s to the mid 1970’s the Michigan High School Athletic Association shot portions of the action at its basketball finals on 16mm film. The films were loaned out, primarily to the participating schools, to help them relive the moments of playing in a championship game.

While many of the old films have wandered astray over time, about 60 games still exist in the MHSAA archives. Anyone in possession of such a film is encouraged to contact John Johnson at the MHSAA Office ([email protected]) to discuss having the film converted to a digital format.

Some of the films only have portions of the second half and the postgame awards; some have most of the action. None of the films have sound. They range in length from 10 minutes to about an hour. A new film will be posted online each Monday beginning June 22, through the week of August 17.

Click below for the first installment of the Hoops On Film series and to check out the game recap courtesy of MHSAA Historian Ron Pesch of Muskegon.

Detroit East Catholic 50, Saginaw St. Stephen 49 – 1973 Class C Boys Final - With four ticks remaining on the clock, Larry Merchant's 18-foot jumper from left of the key gave underdog Detroit East Catholic a 50-49 win over top-ranked Saginaw St. Stephen in Class C. Merchant, who scored 10 of his 14 points in the first half, gave the Chargers a 48-47 lead with just over a minute to play, but a pair of free throws by Elijah Coates pushed St. Stephen out front 49-48 with 45 seconds left.