Three Flint girls’ basketball teams entered Friday with opportunities to win district championships on March 6, and one is still standing after competitive games for all three teams.
As expected, Powers Catholic cruised through its district and clinched a championship with a 56-32 win over Corunna in Clio on Friday. Corunna cut the lead to 12 early in the fourth quarter, but Powers closed the game on a 16-2 run to pull away.
Scoring points in bunches is a hallmark of the style Powers plays. High-scoring senior guard Kendyl Smith became the program’s all-time leading scorer in February, when she surpassed 1,600 points for her career. She also became one of just eight girls’ basketball players in MHSAA history to have more than 1,500 points and 500 assists for her career. Smith has limitless range as a shooter and is able to pull up from anywhere on the court, and she’s also surrounded by talented shooters like Bella Harley, Paige Ringwelski, and Presley Schriner, who all help space the floor. Inside, Evah Smith is a force around the basket and in the mid-range, giving the chargers a balanced attack and ability to play at a fast pace.
Powers opened district play with a 72-8 win over Clio. Powers finished the season ranked fourth in the Associated Press girls’ basketball rankings.
Powers (22-3) moved on to Regionals on March 9, defeating Frankenmuth 51-42. It was Powers’ second win over Frankenmuth this season. They face Portland for the district championship at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, at Alma High School.
Portland defeated Alma 70-29 in their regional opener. Portland is 21-4 on the season. Their only common opponent this season was Frankenmuth, who Portland lost to by two points early in the regular season.
Hamady Loses Tough Game Against New Lothrop
Hamady and New Lothrop getting matched up in a playoff game is no big surprise – the two schools have been among the best girls’ basketball programs in Michigan for around two decades now.
On March 6, they added another competitive game to their long histories of facing each other in the postseason, with New Lothrop coming out on top 46-38 at Moses Lacy Fieldhouse in Beecher.
Throughout much of the game, the teams were only separated by a possession or two. Hamady tied the game at 24 early in the third quarter and then tied it again with less than a minute in the third quarter on an offensive rebound and putback by Jahniya Cuthpert. They also pulled within one twice during the second half, but couldn’t get the lead. Hustle plays, defense, and two baskets by Alexandria Jones pushed the Hawks within one at 36-35 with just over five minutes remaining, but New Lothrop closed the game on a 12-3 run to pull away.
Analiya Fields led Hamady with 11 points, Jones scored 8, and Taleah Lassister had 6. Hamady finished its season with a 17-5 record.
International Academy Shows Program Growth in Loss
The International Academy of Flint girls’ basketball team fell short in its district title game, losing 69-48 to Hamady.
However, the season can only be described as a positive one as the Phoenix won eight games, the same number they’ve won in the last two seasons combined. Even the loss to Genesee, one of the best girls’ basketball programs in the Flint area over the past three seasons, shows improvement. Genesee beat IAF by 43 points in each of the two regular season games the teams played. The 48 points the team scored in the district final also represent their third highest-scoring total of the season.
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