Today in the MHSAA: 1/21/20

January 21, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Major matchups at basketball events honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s memory made for a highlight-filled weekend and Monday across Michigan, and girls basketball, wrestling, competitive cheer, hockey and boys swimming & diving also contributed headliners as teams braved the mid-January weather.

1. Boys Basketball: Division 3 Flint Beecher downed Division 1 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 70-61 in a matchup of MHSAA championship contenders – State Champs Sports Network

2. Girls Basketball: Howell handed Brighton its first loss, 43-41, with Maeve St. John connecting on two last-minute free throws – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

3. Wrestling: Division 4 No. 7 Hart defeated No. 6 Leroy Pine River 40-20 in the championship match of the Fallen Bucks Memorial Tournament – Cadillac News

4. Boys Basketball: Grand Rapids Christian remained undefeated with a 66-64 win over Wyoming, which also was unbeaten entering the contest – WOOD TV

5. Girls Basketball: Reeya Patel’s basket with 2.5 seconds to play pushed Ann Arbor Huron past previously-undefeated Temperance Bedford 53-51 – State Champs Sports Network

6. Boys Swimming & Diving: Midland Dow – No. 8 in Lower Peninsula Division 2 – locked up its 18th-straight Tri-Cities championship, nearly doubling up the field – Midland Daily News

7. Boys Basketball: Detroit Martin Luther King got past Detroit Douglass 55-46 in a matchup of two more Finals hopefuls – Detroit Free Press

8. Boys Basketball: Emoni Bates led Ypsilanti Lincoln on a 13-2 run to close a 75-68 win over Detroit Edison – Detroit News

9. Hockey: Division 3 No. 10 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central avenged a late December loss to rival Forest Hills Northern/Eastern, winning this time 3-1 – FOX 17

10. Cheer: Stevensville Lakeshore won the Division 2 and overall championships at the Coloma Invitational – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Also of note …

Girls Basketball: Although Niles fell to St. Joseph 59-54, Alycia Patterson went over 1,000 career points – Niles Daily Star

Boys Basketball: Reese Hazelton scored his 1,000th career point on a game-winner to lead Maple City Glen Lake past Saginaw Heritage 51-49 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Girls Basketball: Elise Besonen also went over 1,000 career points in leading Ewen-Trout Creek past Ontonagon – The Upbeat

Today in the MHSAA: 12/9/19

December 9, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Matchups of a number of the state’s anticipated girls basketball best topped a weekend list full of high achievers with hockey, bowling and swimming & diving also contributing to the headliners.

1. Girls Basketball: Reigning Division 3 champion Pewamo-Westphalia downed last season’s Division 1 runner-up Southfield Arts & Technology 43-31 at the Arbor Prep Ice Breaker Challenge – State Champs Sports Network

2. Girls Basketball: Hart earned its first win since 2004 over eight-time reigning West Michigan Conference champion Muskegon Oakridge, 56-34 – Local Sports Journal

3. Girls Basketball: Hartland handed a 61-40 loss to two-time reigning Division 4/Class D champion Adrian Lenawee Christian at Arbor Prep – Adrian Daily Telegram

4. Hockey: Traverse City Central took wins of 4-3 over Division 3 No. 8 Houghton and 7-2 over No. 9 Hancock during a weekend trip – Traverse City Record-Eagle

5. Bowling: Cadillac’s boys and Traverse City West’s girls repeated as Big North Conference champions – Cadillac News

6. Boys Swimming & Diving: Grand Rapids Christian, No. 3 in Lower Peninsula Division 3, earned a 108-78 win over No. 6 Hamilton – Holland Sentinel

7. Hockey: Gaylord bounced back from a loss to Traverse City West with a 3-1 road win at Division 1 No. 7 Midland – Gaylord Herald Times

8. Girls Basketball: Midland Dow got past Maple City Glen Lake 45-43 in a game that was tied at the end of each of the first three quarters – Midland Daily News

9. Girls Basketball: East Grand Rapids got past host Kalamazoo Central 66-57 at the Lady Giant West Side Showcase – JoeInsider.com

10. Hockey: Grosse Pointe South scored five first-period goals in a 7-2 win over Traverse Bay Reps – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Also of note …

Girls Basketball: Jasmine Clerkley went over 1,000 career points as Okemos got past Haslett 58-51 – Lansing State Journal

Girls Basketball: Muskegon Reeths-Puffer’s Lauren Ross scored her 1,000th career point during a 49-40 win over Greenville – Muskegon Chronicle

Girls Tennis: Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central is mourning the death of retired coach Wayne Asher, who led the girls team to two Division 4 Finals runner-up finishes over 14 seasons – Monroe News

Softball: Longtime Spring Lake coach Bill Core has stepped down with a 642-473 record since taking over the program in 1990 – Grand Haven Tribune