Today in the MHSAA: 1/18/17

January 18, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

A strong argument can be made that Tuesday night was the basketball season’s most eventful so far, with an abundance of pivotal matchups in both girls and boys and a buzzer beater thrown in.  

Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state. 

Girls Basketball

Saginaw Heritage took the first of two regular-season meetings against Midland Dow, 50-47, in a matchup of two of the top teams statewide in Class A as well – Saginaw News

Hartland, 9-1 this season, handed Howell its first loss in stunning fashion, 48-28 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

Undefeated Houghton avenged last season’s sweep by rival Calumet with a 56-40 win – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Farmington Hills Mercy finished a regular-season sweep of Detroit Catholic League Central rival Bloomfield Hills Marian, 33-30, in another matchup of top Class A teams – Oakland Press

Boys Basketball

Detroit East English made its claim as Detroit’s best and one of the Class A elite with a 71-57 win over Detroit Martin Luther King – MLive-Detroit

T.J. VanKoevering’s 3-pointer at the buzzer gave Hudsonville Unity Christian a 48-45 win over Holland Christian, and his coach Scott Soodsma his 500th victory on the bench – Grand Rapids Press

West Bloomfield came back from a halftime deficit to down Bloomfield Hills 62-43 in an Oakland Activities Association Red opener – Oakland Press

Hillsdale emerged a big winner in a matchup of unbeaten Lenawee County Athletic Association teams, handing Dundee its first defeat, 74-54 – Hillsdale Daily News

Undefeated Buckley handed Frankfort its first Northwest Conference loss in 28 games, and first loss overall this season, 50-38 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

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