Today in the MHSAA: 1/22/20
January 22, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Tuesday was milestone day as four more of the state’s top girls basketball players went over 1,000 points for their careers, headlining an evening that also saw a number of upsets in multiple sports.
1. Girls Basketball: Ellie Droste joined Pewamo-Westphalia teammate Hannah Spitzley in going over 1,000 career points this season, reaching the milestone in a big win over Bath – Lansing State Journal
2. Girls Basketball: AJ Ediger went over 1,000 career points with 21 in Hamilton’s 41-29 win over Zeeland West – Holland Sentinel
3. Girls Basketball: Joanna Larsen went over 1,000 career points with 19 in Centreville’s 66-26 win over Mendon – Sturgis Journal
4. Girls Basketball: Gabi Saxman scored 29 points in Schoolcraft’s 57-30 win over Constantine to go over 1,000 for her career – JoeInsider.com
5. Boys Basketball: Thomas Kurowski tied a school record with 43 points, including four big ones over the final seconds, to lead Sturgis past Battle Creek Central 62-58 – Sturgis Journal
6. Boys Swimming & Diving: Pinckney – an honorable mention in Lower Peninsula Division 3 – got past LPD1 No. 10 Brighton for the first time in a long time, 96-90 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
7. Girls Basketball: Kent City dealt the first loss this season to Morley Stanwood, 75-33, thanks in part to 16 3-pointers – Muskegon Chronicle
8. Boys Basketball: Gaylord St. Mary defeated previously-unbeaten Pellston 59-54 to move up in the Ski Valley Conference – Gaylord Herald Times
9. Girls Basketball: Richland Gull Lake handed Three Rivers its first loss, 73-49 – Kalamazoo Gazette
10. Girls Basketball: Ubly moved into first place alone in the Greater Thumb Conference East with a 31-17 win over Sandusky – Huron Daily Tribune
Also of note …
Football: Recently retired pro Zach Line will take over Oxford from longtime coach Bud Rowley, who retired after this past season – State Champs Sports Network
Today in the MHSAA: 1/20/16
January 20, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Buzzer beaters and milestone basketball victories made headlines all over Michigan today, and check out as well a moving video that tells of the importance of our national anthem.
Girls Basketball
Reigning Class C champion Calumet added another accomplishment to the long list with its first win over Houghton since 1999, 44-31 – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
Three Rivers’ sophomore Arionne Fowlkes went baseline to baseline for a last-second layup to give her team a 43-41 win over Niles – Niles Daily Star
Class A favorite Saginaw Heritage remained undefeated with a 53-38 win over rival Midland Dow, also ranked in Class A – Saginaw News
One-loss St. Ignace handed Newberry its first defeat of the season, 64-57 – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News
Cedar Springs also knocked a team from the unbeaten ranks, with Sam Taylor’s 3-pointer in the closing seconds ending Kent City’s perfect run, 50-47 – Grand Rapids Press
Muskegon edged East Kentwood 50-47 after trailing by 10 and on the strength of 26 points and 22 rebounds by senior Mardrekia Cook – Muskegon Chronicle
Boys Basketball
Despite being outscored 30-22 in the fourth quarter, Southfield Christian held on for an 82-79 win over Southfield – MLive-Detroit
Merrill earned its first win since 2013 by downing Coleman 49-36 – Midland Daily News
One-loss Alma handed previously-undefeated Ithaca its first, 56-53, as Dylan Carl hit 3-pointers to send the game to overtime and then win it – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Muskegon Oakridge’s Brady Luttrull drilled a 3-pointer during the final seconds to push his team past Scottville Mason County Central 67-66 – Muskegon Chronicle
Cassopolis followed a strong third quarter by Deoin Gatson to hand Niles Brandywine its first loss, 61-47 – Niles Daily Leader
One-loss Clarkston also handed out a first loss Tuesday, to Rochester Adams, in a matchup of top Class A teams – Oakland Press
Caleb Brown’s only basket for Northport was the game winner during the final seconds of a 51-49 victory over Central Lake – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Nate Dugener’s sixth 3-pointer of the game gave Muskegon Western Michigan Christian a 52-49 win over Holland Christian – Grand Haven Tribune
Boys Swimming & Diving
In a matchup of top teams on the west side of the Lower Peninsula, Division 1 No. 6 Zeeland got past Division 2 honorable mention Holland 104-73 – Holland Sentinel
Worth Watching
We ran across and were moved by Virginia Tech’s honoring of veterans at the start of this men’s basketball season. Check out this meaningful presentation and how it relates to providing proper respect during The Star-Spangled Banner.