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: 2/5/20

February 5, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Every basketball game is carrying more importance this season with the addition of limited seeding at the District level, and Tuesday saw a bunch that impacted rankings, standings or featured significant individual milestones.

1. Girls Basketball: Michigan Center avenged a December loss with a 65-55 win over Division 3 title contender Grass Lake – Jackson Citizen Patriot

2. Girls Basketball: Grosse Pointe South reshuffled the Macomb Area Conference Red standings, moving into first place with a 50-47 win over previous leader Macomb Dakota – Macomb Daily

3. Boys Basketball: Kalamazoo Central delivered Portage Central’s first loss this winter, 66-44 – FOX 17

4. Boys Swimming & Diving: Zeeland – an honorable mention in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – swam past LPD3 No. 6 Hamilton 103-83 – Holland Sentinel

5. Girls Basketball: Saginaw Heritage earned a 40-36 road win at Freeland – Midland Daily News

6. Boys Basketball: Ke’ontae Barnes’ buzzer beater helped Muskegon Orchard View deliver a second defeat to Fremont, 63-60 – Local Sports Journal

7. Boys Basketball: Undefeated Bridgeport ended Flint Southwestern’s 10-game winning streak, 60-56 – Flint Journal

8. Girls Basketball: Coldwater came back from a 14-point second-half deficit to get past Three Rivers 62-58 in overtime – Coldwater Daily Reporter

9. Hockey: Chelsea moved into a first-place tie in the Southeastern Conference White thanks to a 4-3 win over Saline – Chelsea Sun Times News

10. Boys Basketball: Carney-Nadeau earned an important 53-52 overtime win over Powers North Central – Escanaba Daily Press

Also of note …

Girls Basketball: Makenna Bryant qualified for the MHSAA record book with nine 3-pointers as Cadillac won big over Manistee – Cadillac News

Boys Basketball: Ishpeming held on for an 88-83 win over Houghton despite 63 points by Brad Simonsen – The Upbeat

Girls Basketball: Faith Guritz reached 1,000 career points in Martin’s 58-33 win over Delton Kellogg – Kalamazoo Gazette

Boys Basketball: Menalito McGee went over 1,000 career points in Wyoming’s 61-56 win over Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central – FOX 17

Boys Basketball: Gavin Fisher scored a school-record 39 points in Fruitport’s 67-56 win over Holton – Grand Haven Tribune