Farmington Our Lady of Mercy (now known 1977 as Farmington Hills Mercy) finally emerged victorious after finishing runner-up in each of the previous three years. The Marlins rallied from 12 points back to defeat Detroit Mumford, 63-52, in the Class A Final at MSU's Jenison Fieldhouse in East Lansing. Mercy had defeated Mumford in the city cham- pionship contest earlier in the year. Trailing 27- 15 with just over five minutes to play in the second quarter, the Marlins switched to the press and cut the lead to three points, 34-31, at the half. All five of Mercy's players con- tributed points in the third quarter as the

team grabbed a 47-42 lead entering the photo courtesy of Carrollton High School final frame. Katie McNamara ended the day with 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead all Rita Peterson of Carrollton drives past DeWitt’s scorers. Mumford's Debra Walker totaled Lizabeth Willard in the 1977 Class C Final, a 51- 18 points, while teammate Michelle Grier 36 DeWitt victory. added 17 points. Sophomore Terri Soullier netted six half, to lead Rock Mid-Peninsula to the Class D straight buckets in the second quarter crown over previously unbeaten North Adams, 56- and finished with a game-high 26 40. A 5-3 guard, Royer had played at Perkins High points to lead Harper Woods Bishop School before a merger with Rock created Mid- Gallagher to a 50-31 victory over Peninsula at the beginning of the school year. The Okemos in Class B. Soullier finished senior finished her varsity career with 1,469 points, with 12 rebounds and five steals. ranking third on the MHSAA all-time list at the time. Dree Look, the only other player in Kay Drake led North Adams with 19 points, while double figures, led the Chieftains Becky Hull added 10. with 12 points. Plagued with early fouls, Farmington Our Lady of Carrollton bowed to DeWitt, 51-36, Mercy ended Flint in the Class C contest. DeWitt hit Northern's four-year six free throws and jumped out to 1982 championship reign with a 61-58 win in Class A, a 16-8 lead in the first quarter of built upon a stunning fourth-quarter rally at play as a pair of Cavalier University of Detroit's Calihan Hall. Trailing by 19 at starters were forced to the the end of three, Mercy used a full-court, trapping bench with foul trouble, and the press to get back in the game, cutting the margin to Panthers never looked back. four points with three minutes left. A Vickie Prince Sophomore Kelly Robinson free throw put Northern ahead by five, 58-53, but led the winners with 15 the Vikings turned the ball over on their next four rebounds and 21 points, possessions. Amy DeMattia then scored six of her including 9-of-12 shooting 13 points to put Mercy ahead for the first time in the from the free-throw line. contest, 59-58, with 1:14 remaining. Free throws by Freshman Laura Collison Annette Ruggiero and Mary Rosowski iced the scored 11 for the game for the Marlins. Sarah Basford scored 20 to Cavaliers. lead the victors. Evette Ott topped Northern with 18 Lynnette Royer points. scored 24 points, includ- Heather Hogan scored a season-high 23 points ing 8-of-12 shooting as Manistee defeated Fenton, 43-29, for the Class B from the field in the first title. The victory was bittersweet for Chambers 13 and Brenda Kelly added 11 Manistee coach Mike Munro. A Fenton for the winners. Karen Kramer netted 18 graduate, Munro learned much about the and Laurie Leik tallied 13 to lead St. game as a “gym rat” watching the style of Patrick. Fenton's coach, LeRoy Decker. “I really have mixed emotions about beating Trailing by 20 LeRoy,” he said. “The man deserves the with two min- state championship.” 1987 utes to play in Defensively, Manistee's Louise the third quarter, Detroit Cass Tech rallied Stapleton held Fenton all-stater Maria to defeat Saginaw, 52-51, in the Class A Reynolds to a total of eight points. Final at Grand Valley State University in Carrollton captured its second straight Allendale. The Technicians held the defend- Class C crown, and its third title in four ing champions scoreless over the final years with a 60-32 defeat of White Cloud 4:16, while scoring the final nine points to (See “Legends of the Game” article, page grab the title. LaTonya Tate finished with 20 6). Vonnie Thompson led the winners with points, including the game-winning three- 22 points and six assists, while Sue Mayes point field goal with 1:43 remaining. added 18 points. Teresa Harvatich paced Sheronda Mayo added 14 points, including the Indians with 18 points. eight in the fourth quarter. Sentaria Leland defeated Portland St. Patrick, Johnson finished with a career-high 20 54-41, in Class D. It was the third consec- points for Saginaw. utive crown for Leland and Coach Larry Flint Beecher defeated Frankenmuth, Glass, a former head coach of the boys 49-34, for the Class B crown. Senior Marie cage squad at Northwestern University. St. Williams scored 17 points, including six in Patrick pulled to within five points early in the third quarter to bust open the game for the fourth period before the Comets went the Buccaneers. Poor shooting took its toll Randy Borst, Farmington Observer on an 11-0 run to seal the victory. Shawne on the Eagles, who had knocked off Grand Brow scored 16 points, Stephanie Rapids Christian in a Semifinal thriller. Amy DeMattia scored three straight Frankenmuth hit only 29 percent of baskets down the stretch in the 1982 its shots in the first half, and 33 per- Class A Final vs. Flint Northern to give cent in the entire game. Lynn Farmington Mercy its first lead of the Pavlicek notched nine points for the game. Mercy went on to win, 61-58. Eagles. Detroit St. Martin dePorres, led Northwestern in the Class A Final at by the outstanding defense of Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek. guards Natasha Porter and Tuonisia Northwestern's Larecha Jones scored 10 Turner, grabbed its first-ever girls of her 16 points to tie the game at 20 in the basketball title with a 73-50 thrash- third before reserve guard Colleen Conway ing of top-ranked St. Joseph Lake broke the Marian drought with a pair of free Michigan Catholic in Class C. Dana throws with 1:32 remaining in the period. Joubert (first cousin to prep legend Jones, however, responded with a bucket, Antoine) led the Eagles with 27 and Kamena Robinson opened the fourth points and 14 rebounds. Maureen quarter with a layup to give the Vikings their Nelligan paced the Lakers with 19 first lead, 24-22. It was short-lived as points. Conway, who averaged just 2.1 points per Angela Frick and the Walkerville contest, scored on another layup and was Wildcats notched a 65-59 upset vic- fouled. Her free throw gave Marian a 25-24 tory over top-ranked Martin in Class lead it never relinquished. The combined D. The Wildcats took advantage of total of 66-points set an MHSAA champi- the recently instituted three-point onship game record for fewest points. shot to overcome Martin's height Upended in the Semifinals in 1989 by advantage. Frick scored 33 points, eventual champ Dearborn Divine Child, including a trey that put the Wildcats and in 1990 by Grand Rapids West ahead to stay, 50-47. Teammate Catholic, longtime Frankenmuth coach Art Angie Bond hit 3-of-6 from beyond Pelzer finally emerged with his first MHSAA the three-point arc. Julie Davis tal- title as the Eagles downed St. Joseph, 67- lied 31 for the Clippers. 54, in an exciting Class B game. With the win, Frankenmuth ended the year 27-0. Leading The opening two quarters featured out- 20-10 in standing play, with nine lead changes and John Johnson, Okemos 1992 the sec- four ties before Frankenmuth took a 32-23 Flint Beecher’s Carlotta Craven (41) and ond quarter, Birmingham Marian advantage at the half by scoring the final 11 Frankenmuth’s Laura Butman battle for a went 22 consecutive possessions points. Sophomore Ann Lemire posted a rebound during the 1987 Class B Final, won by without scoring, but still came away triple double with 17 points, 11 rebounds with a 39-27 victory over Flint Beecher, 49-34. – continued on page 48 and 10 assists, while senior Jaami left in the third period, the McClellan scored 25 points. Kim Knuth led Eagles watched their 13- the Bears with 27 points including 7-for-7 point lead evaporate as shooting from the free-throw line. Marian went on a 16-0 Once-beaten Carrollton used quickness run for a 54-51 advan- and seven three-pointers en route to a 63- tage with 3:30 to play. 41 victory over Elk Rapids. Four Cavaliers Two free throws by scored in double figures, led by Gina Christian's Amanda Humpert with 16 points. Carrollton’s single Vriese at the 2:40 mark, loss was against Class B champ cut the lead to one. A Frankenmuth. pair of missed shots by Auburn Hills Oakland Christian grabbed the Mustangs gave the a slim 22-21 lead at the half, then pres- Eagles a shot at redemp- sured its way to a 53-36 win over Grand tion, and with 31 sec- Rapids Covenant Christian for the Class D onds remaining, 5-4 sen- crown. The Lancers forced 29 turnovers by ior guard Brianne Gallert Covenant Christian. Laurie Ales led the sank a driving layup – winners with 24 points and nine rebounds. her only field goal of the Jamie Englesma scored 12 for the game – for a 55-54 Chargers. Christian lead. Fouled on the shot, she missed the At Rose Arena free throw but nailed two on the Central additional chances from 1997 Michigan the charity stripe three University campus in Mt. Pleasant, Grand seconds later, giving the Rapids Christian capped a perfect 28-0 Eagles a 57-54 lead. A season with a thrilling 58-56 win over free throw by Mandy defending Class A champ Birmingham VanDenBosch with nine Marian. It was sweet revenge for Christian, seconds left sealed the which fell to the Mustangs in the Semifinals win. Jenny Newsone by a point in 1996. Leading 51-38 with 2:48 scored 20 points to lead the Eagles. Breean Walas Gary Shook, Otsego topped Marian with 18. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian’s Laurie Ales pulls down Sporting a a rebound during the 1992 Class D Final. Ales scored a roster filled with game-high 24 points to lead the Lancers to a 53-36 win underclassmen, over Grand Rapids Covenant Christian. Detroit Country Day defeated Saginaw Swan Julie Becker's layup with 11 seconds to Valley, 41-35 in Class B. Junior play broke a 37-37 deadlock and gave center Jennifer Thomas notched Harper Woods Bishop Gallagher a 39-37 15 points and dominated the paint win over Rapid River in the Class D Final. with 14 boards for the It was the first girls basketball title for the Yellowjackets. Trailing 23-20 at the school since 1977, when the Lancers half, Country Day took control in downed Okemos for Class B honors. the opening minutes of the fourth Trailing 31-23 at the 6:10 mark of the quarter capped by a trey from third quarter, Bishop Gallagher went on an Katie Blazewski and a jumper by 8-0 run, including six points from senior Casey Keys. The buckets opened Otema Ansong to knot the game at 31-31. up a 34-26 lead from which Swan Ansong added four points down the stretch Valley never recovered. to finish with a game-high 18 points despite Redford Bishop Borgess picking up her fourth foul early in the sec- snagged its third crown in five ond half. Mari Hall's layup with 4:57 to play years, overpowering Hancock, 54- gave Rapid River a 37-35 lead, but the 21 in Class C action. The Spartans Rockets were held scoreless the rest of the built a 29-8 lead at the half as cen- way. Junior Sara Boyer got off a shot at the ter Karen Merchant scored eight of buzzer from 25 feet out near the top of key her game-high 16 points. that fell short. Andi Wilbee finished with 11 Merchant and Aiysha Smith for Rapids River, while Boyer contributed eight. Gary Shook, Otsego added 10 rebounds apiece. Elizabeth Pietila led Hancock with Harper Woods Bishop Gallagher’s Otema eight points and five caroms. – Ron Pesch Ansong scored 18 points in the the Lancers’ 39- 37 Class D Final win over Rapid River in 1997.