Today in the MHSAA: 1/15/16
January 15, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Thursday provided a substantial appetizer for another big weekend with key basketball games, noteworthy swimming and diving finishes and a milestone wrestling victory.
Boys Basketball
Clarkston earned a key Oakland Activities Association Red edge with a win over similarly state-ranked North Farmington, 60-47 – Oakland Press
Frankfort earned a similarly important win in Northwest Conference play, winning a matchup of Class D ranked teams 65-55 over Buckley – Traverse City Record-Eagle
For the second straight day, a basketball team made an incredible comeback; this time, it was East Jackson building off a 21-2 deficit at the end of the first quarter to beat Napoleon 42-39 – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
Olivet junior Delbert Redfield made nine of 11 3-point tries and scored 33 points total to lead the Eagles to a 73-55 win over Lansing Christian – MLive Lansing
Girls Basketball
Warren Cousino handed Grosse Pointe North the latter’s first loss this season, 64-58, to move to 9-1 overall – Macomb Daily
Boys Swimming & Diving
Lower Peninsula Division 3 honorable mention Spring Lake downed No. 4 Hamilton, No. 5 Grand Rapids Christian and Division 2 honorable mention Holland in its best meet of a strong run so far – Grand Haven Tribune
Wrestling
Leslie defeated Olivet (and also lost to Lake Odessa Lakewood) on Thursday, giving Blackhawks coach Todd Stern his 400th career win since taking over as head coach in 1987 – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
Good Reads
Battle of the Fans V kicks off tonight with our first visit to Yale, a finalist as well in 2015 – Port Huron Times-Herald
Grand Haven’s basketball teams will return to their former gym now part of Lakeshore Middle School – Pirates Pit – on Feb. 6 and for the first time since 2007 as the high school gym will be used for the league wrestling meet – Grand Haven Tribune
Vanderbilt’s boys basketball team has one win this season, but it was the first in nearly two years and a testament to the rebuilding of the program under first-year coach Darren Conn and assistant Amie Byelich – Petoskey News
Today in the MHSAA: 1/27/16
January 27, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Tuesday evening was arguably the most highlight-filled of any so far this basketball season, with plenty of important results and intriguing performances making headlines across the state.
Girls Basketball
Utica Eisenhower has gotten the attention this season with an 11-1 record heading into this week, but Utica is undefeated in the Macomb Area Conference White after downing Eisenhower 34-30 – Macomb Daily
Southfield-Lathrup remains the team to beat in the Oakland Activities Association Red and among contenders in Class A after defeating Clarkston 57-44 – Oakland Press
One-loss Frankenmuth dealt Ithaca its first this season in a Tri-Valley Conference crossover, 45-44 – Saginaw News
Saginaw Nouvel also dealt a first loss to an undefeated power, downing Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 46-41 – Saginaw News
Jackson Northwest’s Lexie Khon scored her 1,000th career point in the Mounties 72-32 win over Stockbridge – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
Pewamo-Westphalia picked up a key Central Michigan Athletic Conference win by handing Bath just its second loss, 53-40 – Lansing State Journal
Mendon won a matchup of Class D contenders, carrying a one-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter to a 45-39 win – Sturgis Journal
Grosse Pointe South earned an upset over rival Grosse Pointe North, handing GPN its second loss, 60-55 – Detroit News
Muskegon’s Mardrekia Cook, this week’s Michigan National Guard “Performance of the Week” honoree (see story posted on Second Half today) led the Big Reds to a 63-19 win with a quadruple-double – 19 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists and 10 steals – Muskegon Chronicle
Boys Basketball
Arthur Lyons helped keep Lake Linden-Hubbell undefeated with 39 points in a 76-73 double overtime win over Ewen-Trout Creek – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
Holly coach Lance Baylis tied the school coaching record for wins with his 148th in a 72-42 victory over Flushing – Flint Journal
Alma had three buzzer-beating shots in moving to 10-1 with a 78-77 overtime win over Freeland – Saginaw News
Wyoming Godwin Heights broke free during the final quarter to hand Grandville Calvin Christian its first loss, 64-50 – Grand Rapids Press
Petoskey took sole possession of first place in the Big North Conference with a 62-57 win over former co-leader Traverse City Central – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Demetrius Lake, featured on Second Half last week after a buzzer-beating performance, finished another with 48 points and the winning shot in a 79-77 win over Hudsonville Unity Christian – Holland Sentinel
Negaunee won a battle of undefeated teams by a basket, edging Iron Mountain 51-49 to take over first place alone in the Mid-Peninsula Athletic Conference – Iron Mountain Daily News