Beaverton boys basketball coach Roy Johnston

Basketball has always been a way of life in the Johnston household, with longtime Beaverton High School coach Roy Johnston being the patriarch.

His stops at Yale, Howell and Beaverton have put him at 728 victories in Michigan high school boys’ basketball history, which is tied for the most ever with Lofton Greene, the legendary coach at New Buffalo and River Rouge high schools. Add the 55 victories as the girls coach at Beaverton and the Michigan High School Athletic Association has Johnston at 783 total victories as a varsity coach.

“He’s a great guy,’’ said Beaverton athletic director Ryan Roberts. “To reach such a milestone in his career is something most coaches don’t get a chance to do. To endure coaching for that long is not an easy feat. It speaks to the passion and dedication he has for the sport.’’

His initial goal was modest at the start.

“My goal when I first started was to win a game,’’ said Johnston. “I had some rough years. I’ve always told my coaching friends that to be a coach you have to be nuts. There’s just a drive in you. I don’t know what it is. It’s something you have. No matter what passion you have, your passion might be writing, somebody’s passion might be golf. It’s something you live for. That’s the only way I can explain it.’’

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Johnston, 74, could break the record for most boys victories Wednesday when Beaverton faces Farwell or Friday against Sanford Meridian.

“To be honest the whole number of wins thing was pretty quiet until about three weeks ago,’’ said Johnston’s son Jeff, an All-State player in 1985 who played at Michigan Tech. “With my kids coming through it really isn’t a big thing for my family; the number of wins. All of a sudden last month it has become a big deal. Obviously, his coaching has been important to us and a big part of who we are as a family.’’

The Beaverton history is littered with Johnstons.

Besides Jeff, Jennifer, the athletic director at Maple City Glen Lake, was an All-Stater and played for Northern Michigan in 1994-98. She played for her dad because the girls coach, one of Roy’s former players, had quit before the season.

“He coached the girls for five or six years,’’ said Jennifer. “He coached me my junior and senior year. It was a lot of fun. We went to every single game. It was never a question that you were going to a game. My mom (Judy) taught second grade and hauled all five of us to games every Tuesday and Friday. On top of that people would come over after the games. Mom was cooking, so it was a great way to grow up. My mom has put her heart and soul into it as well.’’

Sister Jill also played for Beaverton but not for Roy. Jody and Troy didn’t play basketball but attended games. The story goes Troy was named Troy because it rhymed with Roy.

Grandson Spencer Johnston was a two-time All-State player in 2014-15 and is at Mid-Michigan Community College. Oldest grandson Grant also played at Beaverton, and on the current roster senior Carter Johnston is the team’s best player and was All-State as a junior.

“We don’t have a lot of height this year,’’ said Carter, who stands a shade under 6-feet-3 and is the Beavers’ tallest player. “It’s really fun playing for him. He’s a really competitive guy. He does all he can to help us win and makes us work really hard. Lately, he has been saying he’s going to take it year by year, so we’ll see what he does after the season as far as retiring.’’

Beaverton, a Class C school, is 10-1 this season with its only loss coming on a last-second shot by Class A Midland Dow. The winning basket came from Trevor Davis, who played with Carter in the summer on an AAU team.

“It has been unbelievable coaching my grandsons,’’ said Roy Johnston. “It was a goal I had and I just hoped my health held up and God be willing I could do it. It has happened.’’

Judy, who has been married to Roy 53 years, has kept stats for decades and would tote all the kids to games while they were growing up.

She revealed a secret about Roy Johnston most don’t know.

“There’s a side to him that a lot of people don’t know because he’s rough and gruff on the sidelines, but he’s not like that all the time,’’ said Judy Johnston. “He has a really good side that some people don’t see.’’

At times, parents might have wondered about Roy’s tactics, but the community has embraced the Johnstons.

“Beaverton has been very good to us,’’ said Judy. “We’ve made a lot of good friends and had a lot of good teams and a lot of good players. Our life revolved around going to the games. Then the kids played and we had grandkids who played. It has been a big part of our life. Between you and me, he was probably the toughest on Spencer, but that’s unofficial. Spencer could take it.”

Said Spencer: “It was great playing for him. He made the game fun and he made us work hard.’’

Through five decades of coaching, Roy Johnston said kids haven’t really changed.

“I tell everybody this; kids are going through the same struggles and anxieties that we all went through when we were in high school,’’ said Roy. “I graduated in 1960 and in those days I didn’t even know there were drugs. I know there was alcohol. The kids have drugs around today, but basically it’s a human nature thing. We still have good kids. I usually don’t have any wayward ones. They are still respectful. I’ve grown with them, I guess.’’

GENERIC PHOTO of a basketball, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Wednesday, November 13, 2013. Kelly Wilkinson / The Star

Prep basketball

Girls basketball

Arbor Prep 62, Jonesville 26: Cydney Williams scored 21 points and collected 12 rebounds and Mahri Petree added nine points and four bounds for Arbor Prep (15-0). Jonesville is 12-3.

Detroit CMA 62, Detroit Westside Academy 33: Vantane Garrett scored 26 points and Jamiya Owens added 13 points and 15 rebounds for CMA (8-7, 4-4 PSL). Alexis Crawford scored 13 for Westside Academy.

Detroit Jalen Rose Academy 57, Pontiac School of Excellence 21: Shontell Rogers had 31 points to lead Jalen Rose Leadership Academy (6-3) and Ericka Coleman and Kaija Rose each scored 10. Ashill Lee scored 10 points for Pontiac.

Lake Orion 51, Oxford 50: Sydney Strenger scored 12 points to lead host Lake Orion (5-8, 2-3 OAA). Monae Evans had 20 points for Oxford.

Prep basketball

Boys basketball

Belleville 61, Fordson 44: Kmare Carey had 13 points for Belleville (10-2, 5-1 WWAC Blue). Davion Williams had 10 points and 13 rebounds. Jawuan Griffin added 10 points. Yousef Farhat added 14 points for Dearborn Fordson (4-10, 1-5).

Cornerstone 55, River Rouge 50: Jamal Cain had 21 points for Cornerstone (9-2). Robert Carpenter added 16 points.  Darian Owens-White scored 28 points for River Rouge (12-10).

Detroit Cass Tech 68, Detroit Pershing 56: Chris Murry had 23 points, six assists and six rebounds for Cass Tech (11-3, 6-1). Jalen Tobias and Matt Richmond both added 10 points. Pershing is 3-11.

Dearborn 55, Garden City 31: Mahdi Hamade had 15 points, while Shane Moran added 14 points for Dearborn. Cameron Walter had eight points for Garden City (2-9, 1-6 WWAC).

Dearborn Heights Robichaud 58, Dearborn Heights Annapolis 50: Shannon Woods finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Jaylen Favor added 14 points and 14 rebounds for Robichaud (9-2, 5-1 WWAC). Alex Ismail had 11 points for Annapolis (7-4, 4-2).

Detroit Douglass 88, Detroit Cody 69: Carlos Byars-Walker led Douglass (12-3, 8-1) during the PSL East Division 2 playoffs with 31 points. Kelly Broadus had 27 points and eight steals. Jarnard Smith Jr. scored 24 points. Isaiah Cunningham added 15 points. Cody is 10-5 (5-3).

Detroit Henry Ford 71, Detroit Western 59: Deontae Ulmer led Henry Ford with 27 points. Antonio Green added 17 points. Western’s Loren Bowman scored 18 points. Anthony Roberts added 10 points.

Detroit Northwestern Collegiate Prep 54, Detroit CMA 30: Cameron Lamar had 18 points for Northwestern (11-2, 11-0). Kylan Shipp added 16 points. Jalen Peterson scored 20 points for CMA.

Detroit University Prep 73, Ferndale University 44: Tavis Smith had 15 points and five steals, while Derrick Bryant Jr. and Terrence Bowens each scored 14 for University Prep (11-3).

Farmington 65, Birmingham Detroit Country Day 59: Ray Bryant had 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Jay Kirby added 17 points for Farmington (10-3). Wendell Green finished with 18 points for Country Day.

Grosse Pointe North 58, Roseville 42: Steven Levick had 16 points, while Sam Cross scored 12 and Ryan Webb added 10 points and 12 rebounds for North (9-4, 7-1 MAC White). Martell Turner had 12 points for Roseville (5-8, 2-6).

Grosse Pointe South 54, Clinton Township Chippewa Valley 42: Brennen Buszkaa had 16 points and 11 rebounds for South (7-5). Zane Draper scored 14 points.

Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett 50, Plymouth Christian 33: Jackson Walkowiak finished with 21 points, while Anthony George scored eight for Liggett (5-7, 3-3 MIAC).

New Haven 78, Warren Cousino 36: Eric Williams had 17 points for New Haven (12-1, 8-0) during the MAC Blue championship game. Tavares Oliver scored 16 points. Ashton Sherrell added 112 points. Romeo Weems added 11 points. Arthur Asberry scored 10 points for Cousino,

North Farmington 62, Rochester Adams 47: Amauri Hardy finished with 22 points, while Kendell Hayes scored 15 for North Farmington (5-7, 2-2 OAA Red). John Gurraj had 13 points for Adams (0-12, 0-5).

Peck 40, Dryden 38: Chris Beurmann had 13 points, while Dylan Dankenbring added 12 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks for Peck (7-6, 5-3 NCTL). Dryden missed a three-pointer at the buzzer that would have won it.

Plymouth 41, Livonia Franklin 37: Tariq Woody and Anthony Crump each scored 13 points for Plymouth (6-7, 3-4 KLAA South). Johnny Cantrell scored 11 points for Franklin (5-7, 1-7).

Riverview Richard 53, Austin Catholic 10: Eric Wigginton scored eight points for Richard (12-0, 7-0 Catholic). Garrett Balazsi added seven points. Alex Radwick scored six point for Austin Catholic (0-10, 0-7).

Romulus 93, Dearborn Heights Crestwood 62: Jaren English finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds, while Dylan Price added 19 points and Braedon Morgan scored 12 for Romulus (9-2, 6-0 WWAC). Malik Rogers had 33 points for Crestwood (9-3, 3-3).

Quincy 66, Homer 54: Nathan Karney had 22 points and eight rebounds, while William Dunn added 12 points and 11 rebounds for Quincy (9-3, 6-1 Big Eight). Caden Konkle had 21 points for Homer (5-6, 4-3).

St. Clair Shores Lake Shore 70, St. Clair 56: Cortez Jackson led Lake Shore with 18 points. Ricky Dixon scored 15 points. Davon Woodard added 12 points. Jaylen Dixon added 11 points.

Troy 61, Troy Athens 57: Jason Bitz scored 28 points for Troy (9-2, 2-0 OAA White). Isaiah Smith scored 18 points. Taylor McCaskill scored 20 points for Athens (7-5, 2-2).

Woodhaven 67, Wyandotte 35: Byron Wilkinson scored 14 points for Woodhaven (8-4, 6-1 Downriver League). Weshaun Warren scored 13. Josh Warren added 11 points.

Girls basketball

Birmingham Detroit Country Day 60, Southfield Arts & Technology 51: Destiny Pitts led Country Day (12-0) with 22 points. Kaela Webb scored 13. Maxine Moore scored 12.Tylar Bennett added nine. Alexis Johnson scored 23 points and Deja Church added 13 points for Arts & Technology (8-4).

Battle Creek Athens 46, Bellevue 25: Jillayne Wheller scored 15 points for Athens (9-4). Bellevue is 11-4.

Belleville 57, Dearborn 43: Katelyn Sherwood had 18 points, six blocks, five steals and four assists for Belleville (10-3). Victoria Perez had 13 points. Dearborn is 10-3.

Clinton Township Chippewa Valley 42, Fraser 30: Ivy Velazquez had 14 points and Zhiyon Mitchell added 10 points and 12 rebounds for Chippewa Valley (6-7, 4-3 MAC Blue). Barbara Clark had 12 points for Fraser (7-9, 3-6).

Dearborn Fordson 50, Garden City 43: Rana Elhusseini and Kiki Dardarwiche each scored 21 for Fordson (10-4, 6-0 WWAC Red). Aleea Montgomery had 12 points for Garden City (6-7, 4-2).

Dearborn Heights Robichaud 71, Dearborn Edsel Ford 41: Kamaria McDaniel led Robichaud (8-5) with 34 points. Kayla Brown added 17. Allia Hamood scored 18 points for Edsel Ford (6-7).

Detroit Edison 43, Flint Hamady 39: Gabrielle Elliott had 15 points and five steals, while Rickea Jackson added 12 points and seven rebounds for Edison (11-1).

Detroit Voyageur College Prep 35, Detroit Community 15: Angel Gainey had 16 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and five steals for College Prep (10-1).

Farmington Hills Mercy 50, Livonia Ladywood 34: Jess Mruzik had 10 points and three steals, while Jackie Bauer added nine points for Mercy (12-2, 10-1 Catholic). Abbey Reppen had nine points for Ladywood (2-11, 1-9).

Macomb Dakota 41, Romeo 35: J’May Simmons had 12 points, while Emily Langolf scored 12 for Dakota (10-4, 5-3 MAC Red). Amber Flinn finished with nine points for Romeo (8-6, 2-6).

Northville 52, Plymouth Salem 23: Jessica Moorman had 14 points, while Brook Adams scored 10 for Northville (12-1, 7-0 KLAA Central). Lyniah Wilson had seven points for Salem (2-11, 1-6).

Plymouth 56, Livonia Franklin 42: Chantal LeDoux and Sydney McCaig each scored 13 points for Plymouth (5-8, 4-3 KLAA South). Livonia Franklin is 1-2 (0-7).

Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 48, Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest 21: Celia Gaynor scored 14 points for Notre Dame Prep (6-8). Kaily Grulke scored 12 for Lutheran Northwest.

Romulus 49, Dearborn Heights Crestwood 32: Gabriel Futch scored 18 and Julianna Blevins had 13 points for Romulus (4-7). Demi Rodriguez had nine points for Crestwood.

Roseville 54, St. Clair Shores South Lake 21: Nija Collier finished with 22 points and seven rebounds, while Chantae Parker added nine points and eight steals for Roseville (9-5, 7-1 MAC Silver). Myia Rogon had eight points for South Lake.

St. Clair Shores Lakeview 67, New Baltimore Anchor Bay 50: Alicia Bullaro had 24 points for Lakeview. Michelle Austin had 10 points and 13 assists.

Trenton 49, Allen Park 48 (OT): McKenna Tanguay, who hit the game-tying three-pointer with 4 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime, finished with 11 points for Trenton (12-1, 7-1 Downriver). Therese Hebda led the victorious Trojans with 15 points. Izzy Slate had 19 points for Allen Park.

Warren Cousino 56, Grosse Pointe South 19: Kiera Fletcher had 17 points for Cousino. Kate McArthur added 15.

Pioneer High linebacker Antjuan Simmons, joined by his mom, Tawan, signed with Michigan State on Wednesday.

Since the Big House casts a big shadow in Ann Arbor, how ironic is it that the two top players from the city are bound for East Lansing?

Linebacker Antjuan Simmons of Pioneer signed his national letter of intent Wednesday with Michigan State and will join early enrollee wide receiver Hunter Rison of Skyline High in green and white.

For Rison — the son of former Spartan and NFL wide receiver Andre — the pedigree provided a natural link. But for Simmons — whose school is literally in the shadow of Michigan Stadium — the route was a lot more complicated.

A 6-foot-1, 215-pounder who received 42 scholarship offers, Simmons tweeted last March that he was committing to one of the Wolverines’ big rivals, Ohio State. When things didn’t seem to work out there, Simmons reopened his search in November, only to settle on another U-M rival earlier this month.

And he took some flak for considering either school.

“It was definitely hard,” Simmons said. “It was Monday and I was sitting in class and somebody said, ‘man, you just don’t like Michigan, do you?’ I’m like, ‘It’s not like that, you know.’ They’re great people, but it just wasn’t the right fit for me. For the most part, the majority of the people I talk to, they’re happy for me. They’re happy to see me going to place I like, to play.

“Just because I go to school across the street or down the road doesn’t mean I’m obligated to go there.”

It wasn’t a bad campaign for Michigan, which nabbed the top six recruits on the Detroit Free Press’ Fab 50 list before Simmons (seventh) and Rison (eighth) broke the string. Simmons was also the highest-ranked blue-chipper in this class to flip his choice.

“I’m a big guy on relationships, and (Ohio State) was just a place that really felt like it was right for me at the time, but it’s a recruiting process, and things changed, and I went from there,” he said. “I wouldn’t say it was one complete factor that made me do it, but it was just a lot of different things that took place. Things were not bad, really; I can’t complain about where I am today. I’m happy to sign with Michigan State, and I’m ready to get after it.”

Simmons said Rison even played a role in prompting the flip.

Antjuan Simmons

“Even when I was with Ohio State, he was getting on me every other week and saying, ‘man, I need you, I need you over here,’ ” Simmons said. “We’re actually pretty cool. I actually spent some time with Hunter over the weekend when I went down there for the (Michigan State-Michigan basketball) game. Me and him sat down for 15 minutes and talked.”

At 3-9, Michigan State underachieved last season — but so did Pioneer (3-6) — so Simmons wasn’t put off by the Spartans’ recent turn of fortune.

“Everybody goes through ups and downs,” he said. “It’s football; you never know what’s going to happen. Nobody is promising anything to you — if you win a few games last year, that doesn’t mean you’re going to win a few games this upcoming year.  You’ve still got to get out there and work, and some things didn’t fall their way, but you’ve just got to come back ready to work.

“If you look at their history, this is Coach D’s first losing season since he’s been there, right? So the past five, six years he’s won 50-some games. I have complete trust in the coaching staff to turn that program around. I’m not worried about that.”

Actually, several Pioneer football players were in the spotlight during Wednesday morning’s signing ceremony in the school gym. Tight end Derrick Hubbard (No. 38 on the Free Press list) signed with Western Michigan and wide receiver Cedric Benton signed with Grand Valley State.

Tight end Jordan Nwogu signed with Michigan for baseball. Terius Wheatley, who used to attend Pioneer before going to Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia, has enrolled early at Virginia Tech. He was represented in the Pioneer ceremony by younger brother Tyrique. Both are sons of former Wolverine standout Tyrone Wheatley, who signed on with the Jacksonville Jaguars last month as running backs coach.

Prep basketball

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Roseville 54, Madison Heights Madison 45

Nija Collier scored 16 points and 16 rebounds for Roseville (10-5)  while Maddy LaGassa added 14 points. Alexis Peck scored 15 for Madison (6-8) in the loss.

East English Village 55, Henry Ford 38

Cierra Macholmes led with 24 points for Village (11-4). Jayla Smith added 11 points while Charelle Mathis scored 10. Beyonce Campbell scored 12 points for Ford in the loss.

Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes 51, Clarkston Everest 32

Tiffany Senerius scored 18 points for Lakes (11-3) while Kayla Sanders added 10. Serra Lowney scored 15 points to lead Everest (6-7).

Dearborn Henry Ford Academy 65, Jalen Rose Academy 17

Jada Williams had a monster game with 23 points, 10 steals and seven rebounds for Henry Ford (11-4). Destiny Destine Billinger scored 14 points and six steals while Lauren Whitford added 12 points and seven rebounds.

Gross Ile 56, Riverview 35

Madison Swick led with 14 points for Gross Ile (7-6). Sam Dorn scored 14 points for Riverview (4-10) in the loss.

Stoney Creek 46, Rochester Adams 28

Ally Voss and Emily Eckhout each scored 11 points for Stoney Creek (8-8). Morgan Porter added nine. Maggie Rogers led with 12 points in the loss for Adams (3-8).

Quincy 41, Athens 35

Hannah Economou scored 15 points for Quincy (6-8) while Payton Hines added 13. Noelle Fuller put up 14 points and eight rebounds for Athens (9-5) in the loss.

Chippewa Valley 57, Lakeview 56  OT

Zhiyon Mitchell hit a last second hook shot to seal the victory for Chippewa Valley (7-7). Mitchell finished with 23 points and 16 rebounds. Idy Delazquez scored 16 points. Gina Liss added 10. Lashauna Young scored 18 points for Lakeview (15-1) in the loss while Seanna Saccone scored 11.

Birmingham Groves 63, Berkley 42

Shay Carter led with 24 points for Groves (12-2) while Lauren Palmer added 14. Makayla Denham scored 15 points for Berkley (11-4) in the loss.

Elijah Collins of U-D Jesuit.

One of the top prospects in the state of Michigan for the class of 2018 will be Elijah Collins of U-D Jesuit High School. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound blue-chip recruit picked up a scholarship from Michigan State last weekend. I spoke with Collins to extract the details about his recruitment and time in East Lansing.

Collins had a strong junior season. His play helped lead the team to the playoffs, where they dropped a tough game to Oak Park, 26-17. Collins accounted for over 1,000 yards on the season and found the end zone nearly 20 times. The Spartans have been keeping close tabs on him throughout the fall and were excited to have him on campus.

“The visit (to East Lansing) was great,” Collins said. “I had a chance to make my relationships with the coaches stronger. Michigan State is a great program and in the next year or so will for sure surprise a lot of people. I like what Coach Dantonio has done at Michigan State.”

Collins is listed as a running back in the Rivals.com database, but he stars at multiple positions. It would not be a surprise if he is one of those players that gets a serious look on both sides of the ball at the next level. He also has the ability to be a playmaker on special teams.

Michigan State needs to replenish the backfield and a player with Collins’ running and receiving skills would have a chance to make an early impact. The Spartans will graduate Gerald Holmes after the 2017 season and it is also possible that junior LJ Scott will leave early for the NFL. If that happens, MSU will be precariously thin at running back.

I asked Collins about his scholarship offer and what type of feedback he has gotten from the Spartans’ staff.

“They like my style of running, very explosive and powerful,” he said. “They like that I am able to make plays out of the backfield. As a person, they like how I bring energy to the team and that I am able to step up and lead. I was offered a full scholarship three days ago. Being my second Big Ten offer, they stand pretty high.”

In addition to Michigan State, Collins has scholarship offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Syracuse, Toledo, Northern Illinois and Central Michigan. Teams such as Wisconsin, Kentucky and a host of other Power-five programs are in contact. The Badgers signed Collins’ teammate Scott Nelson on Wednesday and they will be working hard to have Collins to visit Madison.

Collins hopes to take some additional college visits in the coming weeks if he can fit it into his schedule. In addition to football, he is also an excellent basketball player for U-D Jesuit. The Cubs are one of the top basketball programs in the state and they are hoping to repeat as state champs.

Related:

Who to watch in Michigan State’s 2017 football recruiting class

Signing Day: MSU’s Dantonio looks for diamonds in the rough to emerge

Couch: Recruits give MSU football a mulligan – it won’t happen again

Matt Dorsey is a recruiting analyst for SpartanMag.com and Rivals.com.

Prep basketball

Scores, stats from across the state of Michigan in boys and girls hoops

Boys Basketball

Ann Arbor Pioneer 57, Bedford 56: Deric Murray led Piooner with 18 points and four rebounds. Jordan Currie also added nine points and 15 rebounds.

Armada 66, Yale 50: Mitch Ruczynski led Armada (6-7, 4-4 BWAC) with 19 points. Adam Job scored 12 points. Dylan Szafranski chipped in 11 points and seven steals, and Drew Davis also added 10 points. Mark Donnellon paced Yale (6-7, 4-3 BWAC) with 14 points.

Belleville 83, Dearborn Heights Crestwood 38: Gabe Brown led Belleville (11-2, 6-1 WWAC Blue) with 30 points. Davion Williams scored 14 points. Kamare Carey added nine points and nine assists, and Matt Bradley also chipped in 10 points. Malik Rogers paced Crestwood (10-4, 3-4 WWAC Blue) with 15 points.

Bellevue 73, Climax-Scotts 26: Gino Costello led Bellevue (11-1, 8-1 SCAA)  with 15 points and eight assists.

Berrien Springs 60, Parchment 52

Birmingham Seaholm 45, Oxford 33: Graham Girdler led Seaholm (6-6, 2-3 OAA Blue) with 18 points. Cooper Mixon also added 10 points. Ray Levine paced Oxford (11-2, 3-2 OAA Blue) with 14 points.

Breckenridge 65, Vestaburg 46: Jack Staley led Breckenridge (10-1, 7-1 MSAC) with 26 points. Carter Staley also added 15 points. Seth Stratton paced Vestaburg (5-5, 5-3 MSAC) with 19 points, five rebounds and three steals. Noah Johnston also added 14 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and three steals.

Brown City 58, Harbor Beach 40: Calvin Cook led Brown City with 21 points. Andrew Geiger also added 14 points and eight rebounds. Ryan Siemen paced Harbor Beach with 20 points.

Clarkston Everest Collegiate 63, Chesterfield Township Austin Catholic 25: Trevor Myers led Clarkston (9-4, 7-1 Catholic East) with 15 points, and Michael Nardone also added 11 points. Alex Radwick paced Austin (0-11, 0-8 with nine points.

Clinton Township Clintondale 62, Warren Lincoln 58: Richard Washington scored 16 points for Clintondale (4-11) while Ryan Petty added 12. Jaylen Passmore scored 21 points in the loss for Lincoln (7-8).

Dearborn Divine Child 64, Madison Heights Bishop Foley 42: Jordan Jones led Divine Child with 16 points. Ryan Michael and Sam Siepker each scored 10 points for Bishop Foley.

Dearborn Fordson 47, Redford Thurston 44: Yousuf Farhat led Fordson (5-10) with 21 points. Hamze Elzayat added 15 points. Karlos Berry paced Thurston (5-8) with 13 points.

Dearborn Heights Annapolis 61, Livonia Clarenceville 15: Alex Ismail led Annapolis (8-4, 5-2 WWAC Red) with 22 points and nine rebounds. Larry Rivers III also added 10 points, five steals and four assists.

Dearborn Heights Robichaud 67, Dearborn 62: Shannon Woods led Robichaud (10-2, 6-1 WWAC Red) with 30 points and six assists. Daryl Lockhart also added 22 points and five rebounds. Hassan Beydoun paced Dearborn with 18 points.

Dearborn Henry Ford Academy 70, Taylor Trillium Academy 23: Trevion Williams filled the stat sheet with 35 points, 23 rebounds and five assist for Henry Ford (9-5). Jaylin Styles added eight points and 10 assist. Daiveon Kennedy scored nine points in the loss for Trillium (0-10).

Detroit Cass Tech 50, Detroit Henry Ford 45: Leonard Silas scored 19 points, five assist and five steals for Cass Tech (12-3). Jalen Tobias added 10 points and eight rebounds. Malik Harris scored 14 points for Henry Ford (8-8).

Detroit Davis Aerospace 55, Detroit Central 31: Grady Burton led Aerospace (6-4) with 18 points. Marquise Hudson added 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Edmen Stewart also chipped in 11 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks. Tre’Von Hill led Central (4-12) with 23 points and 10 rebounds. DeMario Bell also added 13 rebounds and seven blocks.

Detroit Martin Luther King 66, Detroit East English Village 60: Jessie Scarber led with 17 points and 10 assist for King (11-3). John Massey Jr. added 12 points and 10 rebounds while Drayvon Taylor scored 10.

Detroit Northwestern 91, Detroit Cody 81: Steve Pearson led Northwestern (11-2, 11-0 PSL West) with 30 points. Kylin Shipp added 25 points. Deshawn Hardnet also chipped in 20 points. William Palmer led Cody (10-5, 5-5 PSL West) with 26 points. Kyle Jones also added 16 points.

Detroit Pershing 73, Detroit Edison 71 F/OT: Ron Hill hit a three to win the game for Pershing (4-11). D’Juan Field led with 24 points while Patrick Hatchet added 15 points. Deontate Johsnon scored 18 points in loss for DEPSA.

Detroit Southeastern 73, Detroit Denby 49: Cody Currie led Southeastern (9-7, 5-5 PSL East) with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Marcel Wilkins added 17 points, and Davon Pippen also chipped in 13 points. Tonato Tutt paced Denby (6-4 PSL East) with 16 points.

Ecorse 53, Melvindale ABT 51: Kaleb Maddox led with 19 points for Ecorse (4-9) while Kyron Terrell added 16. Elijah Smith led with 22 points and 19 rebounds in the loss for Melvindale (2-8).

Flushing 66, Fenton 43

Grand Rapids Catholic Central 67, Sparta 51: Justin Bradford and Ben Wilcox each scored 14 points for Sparta.

Grandville 52, East Kentwood 51

Grant 57, Stanton Central Montcalm 54: Carter Chase led Grant with 24 points. Gunther Ebels paced Stanton with 18 points.

Grosse Pointe North 72, Warren Mott 57: North (10-4, 8-1 MAC White) was led by Dillon Webb with 21 points. Steven Levick added 20 points, and Sheldon Cage also chipped in 13 points. Jaalon Brown paced Mott with 17 points, and Tyler Gillery also scored 16 points.

Grosse Pointe South 61, L’Anse Creuse North 53: Zane Drapper scored 18 points for Gross Pointe (8-3) while Brandon Buszka added 14 points and 11 rebounds. Julian Harral scored 11 points.

Hamtramck 54, Detroit University Prep Science & Math 37: Jermaine Byas led Hamtramck (10-3) with 15 points, nine steals and four assists. Charles Shannon added nine points, six rebounds, seven steals and five assists. Cyir Riley paced Detroit with 15 points.

Hazel Park 58, Troy Athens 53: David Hearns led Hazel Park (10-2, 5-0 OAA White) with 14 points. Khari Adams also chipped in 14 points. Brendt Stephens led Troy Athens (6-7, 1-3 OAA White) with 10 points. Jacob Brantley also added 10 points.

Hillsdale 75, Ida 40

Imlay City 67, Richmond 55: Griffin Schirmer led Imlay City (7-6, 6-2) with 25 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and three blocks. Chase Churchill led Richmond (10-2, 7-1) with 22 points, and Anthony Tavano also added 20 points.

Lansing Sexton 69, Jackson 59: Marquise Robinson and Shonte Suddeth each scored 17 points for Jackson.

Macomb Dakota 88, Sterling Heights Stevenson 50: Jermaine Jackson Jr. had a monster game with 31 points, six assist and two steals for Dakota (12-3). Jack Valentine scored 18 points and 15 rebounds while Thomas Kithier added 14 points and nine rebounds. Brandon Michrina scored 17 points for Stevenson (5-8).

Marlette 61, Ubly 46: Isaac Dale led Marlette with 17 points. Barret George also added 16 points.

Martin 62, Eau Claire 54: Tanner Curry led Martin (8-5, 5-1) with 27 points, 18 rebounds and five assists. Carter Hilton also added 21 points.

New Haven 77, East Detroit 38: Romeo Weems led New Haven (13-1, 9-0 MAC Blue) with 25 points, 12 rebounds and seven steals. Tavares Oliver added 15 points, and Ashton Sherrell also chipped in 10 points and 11 rebounds.

North Farmington 80, Bloomfield Hills 66: Amari Hardy put up 35 points for Farmington (6-7). Nate Brooks added 17 points while Kevin Edwards scored 12. Tyler Canfield scored 20 points in the loss for Bloomfield (8-5) while Josh Jones added 17.

North Muskegon 55, Shelby 41: Spencer Brown paced Shelby with 21 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks.

Okemos 55, Grand Ledge 44: Jordan Henry scored 16 points for Okemos (10-3). Nick Goedel scored 12 points in the loss for Grand Ledge (6-7).

Onaway 65, Central Lake 55: Keyton Brewer led with 27 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks for Onaway (5-6). Trevor Wregglesworth scored 11 points and eight rebounds.

Ortonville Brandon 57, Linden 51: Isaac DeJose led Brandon with 16 points. Nolan Tews added 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Ethan Hunt also chipped in 10 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and five steals. Aaron Sarkon paced Linden with 17 points, and Cole Sarkon also added 13 points.

Peck 61, Carsonville-Port Sanilac 49: Dylan Dankenbring led Peck (8-6, 6-3 NCTL) with 25 points and 18 rebounds. Kody LaFleur also added 10 points. Tony Nugent led Carsonville with 22 points.

Plymouth 73, Livonia Churchill 51: Tariq Woody led with 22 points and 13 rebounds for Plymouth (7-7). Joe Robb scored 11 while Zach Beatle added 10. Evan Cummins scored nine points in the loss for Churchill (2-12).

Quincy 54, Athens 34: William Dunn led Quincy (10-3, 7-1 Big 8) with 19 points and seven rebounds. Nathan Karney added 10 points, eight assists, five rebounds and five steals.

Redford Union 44, Garden City 29: Eric McCarter led Redford Union with 13 points. Cameron Walter paced Garden City with nine points.

River Rouge 57, Detroit Voyager 17: Draquan Bell put up 20 points and six rebounds for Rouge. Darian Owens-White scored 17 points and seven assist.

Romulus 91, Dearborn Edsel Ford 52: Jaren English scored 17 points for Romulus (10-2). Kaevon Merriweather scored 15 points. Jalal Baydoun scored 17 points for Edsel Ford (3-9).

St Clair Shores Lake Shore 55, Port Huron Northern 42: Ricky Dixon led Lake Shore (13-2, 9-0 MAC Gold) with 20 points. Cortez Jackson also added 10 points. Nick Tremble paced Port Huron with 13 points.

Salem 61, South Lyon East 47: Shawn Srivistava and Camren Barden each scored 12 points for Salem. Chris Kaminski paced South Lyon East with 17 points.

Southfield Christian 69, Oakland Christian 37: Bryce Washington led Southfield (10-2, 8-0) with 19 points, and Brock Washington also added 11 points and 10 rebounds. Seth Williams paced Oakland with 11 points.

Stoney Creek 45, Birmingham Groves 43: Mike Melaragni led with 12 points for Stoney Creek (11-3) while Nate Davis added 10. Charles Jones scored 13 points for Groves (7-6) while Marcus Pittman added 13.

Taylor Kennedy 69, Taylor Truman 64: Deontae Wilson led Kennedy (5-7, 5-3 Downriver) with 34 points. Chris Dobessi also added 20 points. Ramoy Anglin paced Truman (5-8, 2-6 Downriver) with 14 points.

Troy 58, Pontiac 23: Jason Dietz led Troy (10-2, 3-1 OAA White) with 15 points. Leon Ayers also added 13 points.

Utica Eisenhower 66, Clinton Township Chippewa Valley 60: Brandon Munn led Eisenhower (7-7, 3-6 MAC Red) with 18 points. Chris Mickovski and Matt Donahue each scored 13 points. D’lano Woods paced Chippewa Valley (4-10, 2-7 MAC Red) with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Utica Ford II 61, Roseville 34: Alex Iafrate led Utica Ford II (8-6, 7-2 MAC White) with 19 points. Donnie Schuster also added 14 points. Austin Lorentzen paced Roseville with 11 points.

Warren De La Salle 71, Detroit Novi Catholic Central 50: Luke Pfromm led Warren (8-7, 4-3 Catholic Central League) with 30 points. Kole Gjonaj also added 13 points. Gio Genrich paced CC (9-6, 3-4 Catholic Central League) with 15 points.

Wayne Memorial 60, Canton 58 F/OT: Terrence Williams led Wayne (11-2, 7-1 KLAA South) with 15 points. Napier Bryant also added 12 points. Vinson Sigmon paced Canton (8-6, 5-3) with 20 points. B. Artis White also chipped in 13 points.

West Bloomfield 57, Southfield A&T 55: Kevin McAdoo led with 19 points, eight assist and six rebounds for West Bloomfield (9-5). Tre Mosley scored 12 points while Tyler Davis added 11. Michael Flowers scored 20 points for Southfield (4-7) while Brandon Rucker added 14.

Westland John Glenn 67, Livonia Franklin 40: Christian Agnew led Glenn with 27 points. Joe Moon IV added 13 points, and Khalil Wright also chipped in 10 points.

Woodhaven 55, Trenton 39: Joshua Warren led Woodhaven (9-4, 7-1 Downriver) with 20 points and 10 assists. Weshawn Warren also added 15 points and 10 rebounds. Robert Barker paced Trenton with 15 points.

Girls Basketball

Allen Park 46, Lincoln Park 12: Chloe Bateman led Allen Park (10-4, 7-3 Downriver) with 12 points.

Allen Park Cabrini 42, Wixom St. Catherine of Siena 37: Grace Gulowksi paced Wixom (8-6) with 13 points.

Ann Arbor Pioneer 44, Bedford 30: Asaria Turman led Pioneer (10-4) with 15 points.

Bellevue 56, Climax-Scotts 40: Gabby Costello led Bellevue (12-4, 9-3 SCAA) with 13 points, 20 rebounds and six steals. Bailey Whitcomb added 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Modaina Angus also chipped 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Berrien Springs 45, Parchment 36

Dearborn Heights Crestwood 47, Belleville 40: Miya Barakat led with 21 points for Crestwood (9-5) while Alicia Ortiz added 11. Victoria Perez scored 22 points for Bellville (10-4) in the loss.

Dearborn Heights Robichaud 62, Dearborn 57: Kamaria McDaniel scored 27 points and 10 rebounds for Robichaud (9-5). Kayla Brown scored 15 points while Tierra Fisher added 14 points and 11 rebounds. Isabelle Clark scored 18 points in the loss for Dearborn (10-4) while Harper Vandenbosch added 15.

Farmington Hills Mercy 50, Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard 34: Chloe Godbold led Mercy (13-2, 11-1 Catholic Central Division) with 14 points, and Jenna Schluter also added 11 points. Mary Jenkins paced Ann Arbor (8-5, 7-4 Catholic Central Division) with 10 points.

Gibraltar Carlson 47, Southgate Anderson 41: Bailey Mruzik led Carlson (5-5 Downriver) with 15 points. Rebecca Zilka also added 13 points and 11 rebounds. Julia Bogart paced Anderson with 15 points.

Grand Blanc 40, Milford 37: Abby Knapp paced Milford with 13 points. Mallory Barrett also added seven points and 11 rebounds.

Grant 52, Stanton Central Montcalm 47 F/OT: Libby Ledford paced Stanton with 13 points.

Hartland 41, Brighton 30: Graysen Cockerham led Hartland (13-1, 8-0 KLAA West) with 15 points. Whitney Sollom also added 14 points. Sophia Eziekan paced Brighton (10-4, 5-3 KLAA West) with 16 points.

Kent City 43, White Cloud 30: Kaitlyn Geers led Kent City (12-3, 7-0) in scoring with 14 points. Teanna McCuaig also added 12 points.

Lansing Christian 53, Maple Valley 20

Lapeer 55, Davison 46: Sam Thick led Lapeer with 15 points, and Lisa West also added 14 points.

Macomb Lutheran North 49, Dearborn Divine Child 40: Ashley Thomas scored 16 points for North (8-6). Hannah Milligan added 15 points. Elena Welker scored 11 points for Divine Child (6-9).

Muskegon Mona Shores 72, Muskegon 47: Miss Basketball candidate Jordan Walker led Mona Shores (12-3, 6-1 OK Black) with a monstrous 39 points (11/12 FT), 12 rebounds, six steals and three assists. Alyza Winston also added 16 points, four assists and three rebounds. Muskegon was paced by Tierra Williams with 11 points and seven rebounds.

Northville 65, Livonia Stevenson 27: Brook Adams led Northville (13-1, 6-0 KLAA Central) with 12 points.

Novi 39, South Lyon 25: Cara Ninkovich led Novi with 12 points.

Novi Detroit Catholic Central 60, Sparta 16

Oakland Christian 30, Southfield Christian 24: Madison Calone led Oakland with 14 points.

Plymouth 34, Livonia Churchill 20: Chantal LeDoux led Plymouth (6-8, 5-3 KLAA South) with 11 points, while Mikayla Rose also added 10 points.

Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 44, Chandler Park Academy 32: Sarah Stewart scored 11 points for Prep (7-8) while Ceila Gaynor added 10. Anyan Kennedy scored 13 points for Chandler Park (9-7).

Redford Union 37, Garden City 30: Johnnia Steele led Redford Union with 22 points.

River Rouge 41, Detroit Consortium 27: Asia Turner led Rouge with 12 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. Tyesha Currie added 13 rebounds, and Curtisey Williams also chipped in six points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals. Angel Gainey paced Consortium (6-4) with 15 points.

Romulus 45, Dearborn Edsel Ford 39: Kenndi Fulwylie led with 16 points for Romulus (10-2). Allia Hamood scored 17 points for Edsel Ford (2-11).

St. Joseph 45, Stevensville Lakeshore 37: Sarah Dubbert led Lakeshore with 20 points, and Taylor Wagner also added 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes 64, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook 32: Tiffany Fenerius led Waterford (12-3, 10-0 Catholic North) with 22 points. Isabelle Kline also added 16 points, and Sophia Hadash chipped in 11 points. Lexi Dietz paced Cranbrook with 20 points.

Watervliet 54, Saugatuck 42: Logan Mizwicki led Watervliet with 19 points, six rebounds and four steals.

Woodhaven 48, Trenton 45: Therese Hebda paced Trenton with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Ypsilanti Community 49, Dexter 20: Sandra Guilford led Ypsilanti (14-0) with 17 points.

Prep basketball

GIRLS BASKETBALL

East English Village 65, Osborne 15

Diamond Massey led with 24 points and 12 rebounds for English Village 10-3). Jayla Smith added 20 points and 11 assist while C’Erra McHolmes tallied 18 points and 10 steals.

Farmington Hills Mercy 46, Dearborn Divine Child 31

Cloe Godbold put up 10 points for Mercy (11-2). Jenna Schluter scored nine points. Courtney Smithon scored eight points in the loss for Child (5-8).

Concord 42, Athens 41

Grace Clark scored15 points for Concord (6-7). Noeller Fuller scored 16 points, six steals and nine rebounds for Athens (8-4) in the loss.

Gabriel Richard 37, Macomb Lutheran North 24

Christin Cleary scored 11 points for Richard (8-4). Julia Kennedy added 10. Ashley Thomas led with eight for North (7-5).

BOYS BASKETBALL

Birmingham Seaholm 46, Rochester 38

Lamarko Gulledge led with 13 points for Rochester (6-5) in the loss. Graham Girdler scored 11 points for Seaholm (5-5).

Troy 64, Avondale 63

Junior Martone scored 18 points for Avondale (6-4) while DreShaun Allen added 16. Dan Sulley led with 22 points for Troy (8-2) while Isaih Smith added 16 points.

Centerline 72, Clawson 54

Jof Houston scored 19 points for Centerline (8-3). Dominic Stevens scored 12 points for Clawson (2-8). Nate Vester added eight points.

Groves 67, Lake Orion 54

Charles Jones scored 21 points while Marcus Pittman added 16 for Groves (7-4). Jamie Lewis scored 16 points for Lake Orion (3-7).

Harper Woods 82, University High 45

Javon Horton put up 16 points and six assist for Harper Woods (11-1). Josh Miller added 15 points.

Troy Athens 65, Oak Park 61

Taylor McCaskill scored 18 points for Athens (6-5). Clark Joslin added 13 points. Justin Koch scored 13 points as well. Maliq Carr put up 15 points for Oak Park (5-6) while Robert Vanders added 14 points.

Gross Pointe North 69, Romeo 53

Steven Levick had a monster game with 28 points for North (8-4). Dillon Webb added 20 points while Sheldon Cage put 11 points and 10 rebounds. Blake McCrae put up 26 points for Romeo (4-8).

North Farmington 76, Southfield 70

Amauri Hardy put up 35 points for Farmington (4-7). Karl Patrick scored 19 points. Michael Flowers scored 21 points in the loss for Southfield (3-7). Brandon Rucker scored 14 points.

St. Claire Shores Lakeshore 45, Warren Tower 43

Ricky Dixon led with 22 points for Lakeshore (11-2).

Sterling Heights 57, Warren Lincoln 44

Antonio Sinisthtaj led with 21 points for Heights (10-1). Alaa Toma added 13 points while Malot Dushaj scored 11 points. Delvin Hawkins scored 11 Lincoln (6-6).

D-II WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Northwood 60, Wayne State 49 Jordan Nurenberg and Lindsay Orwat each scored 19 points for Northwood (9-8, 6-6 GLIAC). Nastassja Chambers put up 16 points for Wayne State (6-13, 3-9 GLIAC).

D2 MENS BASKETBALL

Wayne State 89, Northwood 66

Chuck Key scored 20 points for Wayne State (10-6, 7-5 GLIAC) while Marcus Moore added 17.

Prep basketball

Powers North Central boys basketball has now set a new record with its 66th consecutive win after defeating Bark River-Harris, 76-29, tonight.

The winners of the last two Class D state championships improved to 11-0 on this season.

Senior Jason Whitensb led the balanced Jets with 23 points. Senior Dawson Bilski added 21 points and finished the night with 1,002 career points. Bobby Kleiman added 14 points for the Jets.

The win moves the Jets past Chassell boys basketball, which set the mark from Feb. 1956 to Nov. 1958.

The Jets have not suffered a loss since the 2014 Class D state quarterfinal against Cedarville.

Prep basketball

Detroit East English Village 51, Detroit Denby 13: Jayla Smith had 27 points and 10 steals for East English Village (12-4). C’Erra McHolmes added 14 points.

Detroit King 81, Detroit Cass Tech 34: Mariah Mitchel led King (16-1) with 17 points, while Jordan Lewis added 16 and De-Janae Williams 14. Arian Powell led Cass Tech with 13.

Roseville 57, Madison Heights Madison 18: Nija Collier had 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead Roseville (11-5, 9-1 MAC). Maddy LaGassa added 11 points.

With the Kensington Lakes Activities Association membership shrinking to 14 for the 2017-2018 school year following the departure of 10 schools, the biggest shake-up will occur next fall in football.

The remaining 14 athletic directors from the KLAA met recently to map out their divisional realignments based on an equity formula where each team’s winning percentage was calculated from the past four football seasons.

Kensington Lakes Activities Association.

The two seven-team divisions are as follows based on those four-year performance rankings for the 2017 football season:

KLAA Black: Canton (1), Hartland (4), Livonia Stevenson (5), Brighton (8), Howell (9), Novi (12) and Salem (13).

KLAA Gold: Northville (2), Plymouth (3), Livonia Churchill (6), Grand Blanc (7), Westland John Glenn (10), Livonia Franklin (11) and Wayne Memorial (14).

“I think it’s been pretty receptive,” said Northville athletic director Bryan Masi, who oversees football in the KLAA. “There’s good balance. Instead of having one division really loaded, I think there’s good balance.”

Scheduling, however, proved to be the biggest challenge facing the athletic directors heading into the 2017 football season.

New opponents

The first week is still considered an open date, which allows for a non-KLAA opponent. But two KLAA teams are scheduled to face each other in the openers including Hartland-John Glenn and Stevenson-Franklin.

In addition to playing the required six division opponents, there will be a bye week that will include a crossover game between Black and Gold teams sprinkled throughout the season. It will allow for rival district schools to continue to play each other. The ninth week will pair of teams in a crossover game determined by first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh place in the final standings from each division.

“You’re going to cross over with a team in the other division,” Masi said of the bye week. “And who we determined who plays who is a rival, such as Novi-Northville, which still has to play. After that we matched up by winning percentage. Our bye week, Novi-Northville, is week eight. The ninth week is a crossover. The only negative to that is that we play Novi in week eight and week nine if we end up similar in the standings in our divisions, then we may have to play again.”

Facing the same opponent two weeks in a row in the eighth and ninth weeks, or even in the ninth week and the first round of the MHSAA playoffs, has occurred in the past.

Scheduling quirks

“When you have that crossover there is an increased chance of having a back-to-back opponent,” Northville coach Matt Ladach said. “We had it this past year with Canton (in the Kensington Conference final and the first round of the Division 1 playoffs). The year before that we played Plymouth twice within a matter of three weeks. When you have all of our teams close in geography, then you end up having a crossover game between playoff teams … I kind of hoped we would have had week nine open for us and have that crossover game in week eight, but almost all of us had a contract for week one for the KLAA because it was open.”

Travel remains a concern and there remains a discrepancy in enrollments in the new KLAA.

Grand Blanc boasts the KLAA’s biggest student body with 2,630, while Franklin now ranks as the smallest with 1,507. The two schools, now fellow members of the KLAA Gold in football only, are located 64 miles apart.

“It looked odd to see Grand Blanc in that one division with Wayne and John Glenn,” Novi coach Jeff Burnside said. “It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, but if that’s how they broke it up. My theory has always been line up whoever you’ve got in front of us and let’s play them.”

Schools departing

The shake-up within the KLAA came after nine schools voted to form their own league led by a group of administrators and coaches from Milford and White Lake Lakeland.

South Lyon, South Lyon East, Walled Lake Central, Walled Lake Western, Walled Lake Northern, Waterford Mott and Waterford Kettering also voted to leave the KLAA and join the new nine-team league (which has yet to be named) with Milford and Lakeland.

Pinckney, the other KLAA member school, is also leaving this fall to join the Southeastern Conference.

“I’m really disappointed that the league had to break up,” Burnside said. “I personally think the MHSAA needs to take a look at every team making the (state) playoffs. Whether we have to shorten up and go eight weeks (regular season) and go a ninth week with the playoffs . . . it’s all driven by football, at least as far as breaking apart.”

Six wins will automatically qualify teams to get into the Michigan High School Athletic Association tournament. Last season, 13 of the 24 KLAA member schools made the state football playoffs.

“Teams want to get in the playoffs,” Burnside said. “Teams that are smaller don’t want to play teams that are bigger. I understand that to a certain extent, but I think we need to do something about it. We’re breaking up a really good league. And that’s disappointing. I think we need to take a look at what’s best for everybody because it’s a shame. Some teams are afraid to play somebody good out of conference because they want to get those six wins.”

Meanwhile, the new KLAA for 2017-18 will have a distinct geographic look to it outside of football.

Division set-up

One division will consist of Grand Blanc, Howell, Hartland, Brighton, Novi, Northville and Stevenson, while the other will include Canton, Salem, Plymouth, Franklin, Churchill, Wayne and John Glenn.

“In every other sport our divisions are going to be pretty consistent in geographics,” Masi said. “But what we’re going to do to alleviate the travel is that we’re going to go through the conference once one time (13 dates) instead of doing a double round-robin. We’re going to do that in basketball, volleyball and soccer. At the end you may have a crossover game or I think we may still do a two- or three-game (KLAA) tournament.”

Meanwhile, the new KLAA also accepted applications through Jan. 31 from outside conference members for the 2018-19 school year.

Among the schools that reportedly expressed interest included Saline, Ann Arbor Skyline, Ann Arbor Pioneer, Ann Arbor Huron, all from the Southeastern Conference, along with Belleville (Western Wayne Athletic Conference) and Lapeer (Saginaw Valley High School Association).

“2018 will be interesting to see,” Ladach said.

bemons@hometownlife.com

Twitter: @bemons1

Jiovanni Miles and his Novi teammates had a couple big reasons for wanting to come out Tuesday and get a boys basketball win over host Livonia Stevenson.

The main reason was for the Wildcats to clinch the KLAA Central Division, although almost as important was getting the big W at Stevenson — where Novi head coach Brandon Sinawi spent a decade coaching.

Novi hit the floor running and scoring, building a quick 12-6 lead and ultimately rolling to an entertaining 89-80 victory over the second-place Spartans. That gave the Wildcats a 9-0 mark in the division (12-4 overall) and sealed the deal on the division title.

The defeat dropped Stevenson’s record to 12-3 overall and 6-3 in the KLAA South.

“We just came out, did what he had to do,” said Miles, a sophomore guard who plays with the savvy of a senior. “Made sure we got the win so we could clinch the division, and we just played as a team.”

Miles led all scorers with 27 points, sparking an attack that outgunned the potent offense of the Spartans, which was led by outside shooters Chris Tanderys (five treys, accounting for 15 of his 17 points) and Ian Knoph (three triples, 16 points).

Also coming up big for Novi was junior guard Trendon Hankerson, with 26 points. Chipping in with 17 and 11 points, respectively, were senior forard Alec Begeris and junior guard Traveon Maddox Jr.

Victorious return

“We knew it was going to be a high-scoring game, they can score the basketball,” Sinawi said. “So for us, our focus was to win it tonight. so that gives us no pressure on Friday for our rivalry game against Northville. It gives us a chance to go in there and have some fun.

“To be at 9-0 in the division is great, we have a lot more to accomplish. … I coached in here for 10 years (at Stevenson), so it’s nice to come in here and win it with our guys.”

Sinawi also praised the all-around effort turned in by Miles, who scored 14 points in the first half to help Novi go up 39-29 at the break.

“If you would have seen him (Miles) in the locker room he was gassed,” Sinawi added. “He gave it everything he had in that first half. We kind of had to help him to the locker room.

“He wanted this one so bad. … he knew I wanted this one in the place where I coached for a long time. I think he wanted to come out and get the win for me.”

Stevenson head coach Kareem Smart lamented not being able to put a successful defensive roadblock against the high-flying Wildcats.

“We could not stop them for anything,” Smart said. “They had everything going, inside, outside and even the free-throw line. I think they were 22 for 26 from the free-throw line.”

Tough to watch

Smart gave props to the Wildcats, however.

“You never want to see them celebrate on your floor, but that’s a good team over there,” Smart noted. “They’re coached really well by Brandon Sinawi and Ricco (Rowry).

“Hats off to them. But we got to keep pushing and grinding and maybe we see them in the KLAA tournament.”

In the third quarter, which began with the Wildcats up 39-29, both teams each connected on four 3-balls in a fast and frenetic frame.

The back-and-forth began just 10 seconds into the quarter, when Stevenson’s Jeremiah Eason (eight points) buried a trey from the right corner.

Before one minute had elapsed in the quarter, Begeris and Stevenson’s Tanderys found the mark from beyond the three-point arc.

Novi sophomore guard Jiovanni Miles had a big game Tuesday against Livonia Stevenson. He scored 27 points to help the Wildcats earn a division-clinching victory.

And so it went, with the Spartans getting to within 44-38 on another Tanderys triple, but never getting any closer.

“It was like practice for us, that’s what it felt like, because we normally don’t shoot like that,” Miles said. “But we just had to step up and make big shots.”

Smart, meanwhile, said Tanderys “had a great game tonight, … and Ian (Knoph) down the stretch played well.”

But Stevenson just could never get over the hump, always trailing by six-to-10 points during the second half.

“My teammates were finding me,” Tanderys stressed. “When I was open they were feeding me the ball so that’s always nice. My coaches trusted me, when I have a little space I have the green light.

“But whenever we scored they scored right back. We had some hands in their faces when they were shooting and they were still making shots.”

tsmith@hometownlife.com

Twitter: @TimSmith_Sports

Prep basketball

Boys basketball

Allen Park 68, Taylor Kennedy 53: Antonio Mangiapane led with 23 points for Allen Park (8-5). Donovan Ebo added 11 points. Nathan Braley put up 12 points in the loss for Kennedy (5-8).

Allen Park Inter-city Baptist 67, Novi Franklin Road Christian 47: Nathaniel Pardo scored 19 points to lead Inter-city Baptist (3-11). Cameron Hunter added 17 while Max Walker put up 11 points. Rahman Skruggs scored 20 points in the loss for Road Christian (2-12) while Max Holeman added 13.

Battle Creek Central 66, Portage Northern 29: Jahmiel Wade and Orlando Lee each scored 12, while Juan Warren scored 10 for Central (12-2).

Birmingham Seaholm 56, Clawson 52 (OT): Kourtney Manley hit the game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime and finished with 22 points for Clawson (2-12).

Detroit Cass Tech 65, Detroit Southeastern 45: Marcus Gibbs put up 11 points for Cass Tech (13-3). Leonard Silas, Chris Murray and Randy Gilbert each added 10 points. Marcell Wilkins and Cody Curry each scored 13 points in the loss for Southeastern.

Detroit East English Village 102, Detroit Cody 64: David DeJulius had 23 points, while Greg Elliott scored 22 for East English Village. Kyle Jones finished with 25 points for Cody (10-6).

Detroit Northwestern 67, Detroit Osborn 65: DeShaun Hardnett hit the go-ahead layup late in the fourth quarter to lift Northwestern (12-3, 11-1 PSL) over visiting Osborn. Cameron Lamarr and Steve Pearson each scored 18 for Northwestern. Armonee Felder had 30 points for Osborn.

Detroit Old Redford 70, Detroit Public Safety 68: Bobby Walton hit the game-winning layup for Old Redford (8-7). Walton finished with 23 points while Rocket Watts added 24 points. Jawan Snobby scored 14 points and 11 rebounds. Vincent McKinney led with 14 points in the loss for Public Safety (8-4) while Steve Burgess had 15.

Detroit Pershing 82, Detroit Frederick Douglass 65: Ron Hill led with 22 points for Pershing in the opening round of the DPSL playoffs while D’juan Steel added 21. Patrick Hatcher scored 17 points. Janard Smith Jr. put up 22 points for Fredrick Douglass in the loss.

Detroit University Prep 55, Auburn Hills Avondale 53: Derrick Bryant Jr. hit the go ahead jump shot in the final seconds to seal the victory for University Prep (12-3). Bryant finished with 14 points. Travis Smith scored 24 points. Dreshawn Allen led with 18 points in the loss for Avondale (11-4).

Detroit University Prep Science and Math 71, Taylor Prep 53: Christian Baker had 15 points and eight assists, while Michael Bryant added 25 points and 12 rebounds for Science and Math (6-6).

Kingston 46, Peck 42: Grant Kohler led with 17 points for Kingston while Nathan Cloyd added 14. Dillon Dankenbring scored 14 points and 12 rebounds for Peck (8-7) while Zach Dudley scored 12 points.

Marine City Cardinal Mooney 51, Riverview Richard 49: Bryant Williams hit a game-winning layup to secure the win for Mooney (7-8). Williams finished with 15 while Daniel Everhart scored 21 points and 10 assist. Taj Magee scored 14 points for Richard (14-1).

Northville 63, South Lyon East 34: Jake Justice had 22 points and seven rebounds, while Colin Latta finished with eight points for Northville (9-6, 5-4 KLAA Central). Demani Martin had 12 points for East (3-12, 0-9).

River Rouge 81, Melvindale AB&T 44: Draquan Bell led with 17 points and seven rebounds for Rouge (14-1). Dalen Parker added 13 points. Jamar Sanders scored 16 points in the loss for Melvindale (2-10).

Romulus 74, Birmingham Detroit Country Day 62: Dylan Price finished with 26 points and eight rebounds, while Jaren English added 15 points for Romulus (11-2).

Sterling Heights 66, Lakeview 34: Josh Davis scored 14 points for Sterling Heights (12-2). Antonio Sinisthtaj added 12 points. Joe Charette scored nine points for Lakeview (2-13).

Utica Eisenhower 64, Gross Pointe South 56: Dante Candela led with 23 points for Eisenhower (8-7). Matt Donahue put up 12 points. Brennan Buszka scored 24 points for South (9-6) in the loss.

Utica Ford 61, Gross Pointe North 52: Donnie Schuster scored 17 points for Utica Ford (9-5). Kenyatta Byron scored 10 points while Alek Ivanovic added 10 of his own. Dillon Web had a game high 18 points in the loss for North (10-5).

Walled Lake Central 61, White Lake Lakeland 53: Christian Isso had 16 points and four rebounds, while Anthony Qarana scored 15 for Central (10-5, 6-3 KLAA North). Cass Phillips had 16 points for Lakeland (5-9, 3-6).

Warren De La Salle 51, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 48: Josh Vaillancourt had 14 points, while Luke Pfromm scored 12 for De La Salle (9-7, 5-3 Catholic). Clarence Wilson had 17 points for St. Mary’s (8-8, 3-4).

Warren Michigan Collegiate 91, Macomb Lutheran North 61: Jordan Davis finished with 28 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists, while Ty Lawrence added 22 points and six assists for Michigan Collegiate (14-2). Drew Arft had 20 points for North (12-3).

Warren Mott 88, Romeo 71: Tyler Gillery put up 22 points for Mott (8-6) while Howard Turner scored 16. Mario Ready scored 12 points. Blake McCray scored a game-high 25 points in the loss for Romeo (6-8).

Wayne Memorial 51, Livonia Franklin 45: Rashad Williams had 21 points, while Isaiah Lewis scored 12 for Memorial (12-3, 8-1 KLAA South). Mark Mettie had 22 points for Franklin (2-12, 0-9).

West Bloomfield Frankel Jewish Academy 50, Chesterfield Twp. Austin Catholic 44: Paul Schmitz had 14 points, while Jordan Salesin scored 13 for Frankel (2-13, 2-6 Catholic). Alex Radwick had 16 points for Austin Catholic (0-12, 0-9).

Westland John Glenn 79, Plymouth 63: Joe Moon put up 26 points for Glenn (13-1) while Daijon Parker added 16. Anthony Crump led with 22 points for Plymouth (7-8) while Tariq Woody scored 17.

Woodhaven 60, Southgate 43: Washaun Warren led with 13 points for Woodhaven (10-4) while Deondre Walker added 12.

Girls basketball

Allen Park 31, Taylor Kennedy 25: Abbie Slate led with 16 points for Allen Park (11-4).

Athens 46, Concord 42: Jillayne Wheeler led with 16 points for Athens (10-5) while Noelle Fuller added eight points, six rebounds and four steals. Gracie Clark scored 16 points in the loss for Concord (8-8).

Bellville 51, Lincoln 25: Victoria Perez put up 18 points, seven rebounds and two steals for Bellville (11-4). Katlyn Sherwood added 12 points and eight rebounds.

Bloomfield Hills 56, Royal Oak 49: Maryan Hashim finished with 16 points, while Victorie Franklin scored 14 for Bloomfield Hills (14-1, 7-0 OAA White). Jessica Adams had 13 points, while Mikea Williams scored 11 for Royal Oak (11-5, 5-2).

Birmingham Groves 56, Hazel Park 33: Sha Carter finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Sacha Tyler scored eight for Groves (13-2, 7-0 OAA Gold).

Detroit Community 45, Detroit Henry Ford 32: Passion Hargrove led with 26 points and five assist for Community (3-4). Jada Broner score 10 points for Ford (1-4) in the loss.

Hartland 33, Howell 28: Graysen Cockerham and Lexey Tobel each scored 11 for Hartland (14-1, 9-0 KLAA West). Alexis Miller finished with 12 points for Howell (13-2, 7-2).

Ionia 52, Lakewood 47: Jaylann Williams scored 24 points for Ionia (8-7).

Macomb Lutheran North 28, Warren Regina 27: Ashleigh Thomas made the game-winning basket with less than 45 seconds left and finished with 12 points for North (9-6, 6-6 Catholic).

North Farmington 51, Rochester Adams 32: Cherney scored 15 points for Farmington (12-5). Maggie Rogers scored nine points for Adams (5-9).

Plymouth 56, Westland Glenn 50: Chantal LeDoux led with 22 points for Plymouth (7-8). Alexa Ebeling added nine while Sydney McCaig scored nine. Sharon Woodard scored 18 points for Glenn (4-11) in the loss while Carly Loving added 13.

River Rouge 75, Melvindale AB&T 15: Lamariyee Williams scored 10 points, 10 assist and six steals for Rouge (11-4). Moriyah Hamell scored 20 points, six assist and three steals. Asia Turner put up 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Romulus 47, Garden City 35: Julianna Blevins had 14 points, while Kenedi Hall added 13 points for Romulus. Kayley Hewer and Alicia Ascencio each scored eight for Garden City (6-9).

Troy Athens 37, Oak Park 32: Maddie Crum led with 10 points and six rebounds for Athens (8-7). Nicole Hughes scored eight points. Anaya Springer out up 12 points in the loss for Oak Park.

Utica 37, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 31: Lindsay Levelle and Emily Suchoski each scored 14 points for Utica (9-7). Celia Gaynor scored 11 points for Prep (7-9).

Ypsilanti 75, Marine City 29: Adrian Anderson led with 16 points for Ypsilanti (16-0) while Kayla Knight added 15. Mari Petree scored 14 points.

Students crowd around to take a selfie with Clague Middle School 7th-grader Emoni Bates after his team defeated Ann Arbor Steam Middle School on Friday, Feb. 3, 2017 at Clague Middle School in Ann Arbor.

Emoni Bates, who might be the best seventh-grade basketball player in the United States, is doing amazing things on the court, but he isn’t happy.

Bates lives in Ypsilanti and he attends Clague Middle School in Ann Arbor. He is ranked as the No. 1 player at his grade level by at least one website, he is 6 feet 6, and he can do it all — while doing it all really, really well.

He handles the ball with both hands effortlessly. He can hit a shot from anywhere on the court. He has a smooth jumper. He can dunk.

And he’s only 13. In fact, just two days removed from his 13th birthday late last month, he put on an impressive display of his basketball prowess in a private workout for the Free Press at Parkridge Community Center in Ypsilanti.

But Bates is not happy.

His father and coach, Elgin, is the running the workout. During one drill, Bates has to make several three-pointers from three spots on the court. He has been nearly flawless the entire workout, moving to his left, then to his right around some cones, switching the ball from one hand to the other before draining a 12-footer each time. He has dribbled balls simultaneously with both hands while racing up and down the court, crashing into the padded wall at each end every time.

But when Bates gets to the third spot on the three-point drill, from the left side of the arc, the ball suddenly stops going in.

“Dang!” Bates grunts.

“Want to do it over?” Elgin asks.

Bates nods his head and starts the drill from the beginning. He swishes nearly all his three-pointers until he gets to the same spot on the left side. Again the ball doesn’t go down. Bates grunts a little. His unhappiness is obvious, his intensity is palpable.

Swish!

Bates makes one. Then another. And another.

“Yes, sir,” Elgin says.

He says this standing under the hoop while the ball is in midair. He knows it’s going in. They’re all going in now.

Elgin senses his son is done and bounces a high pass toward the basket. Bates takes off, grabs the ball at its apex and ends the whole thing with a hard dunk that seems to shake the bricks on the walls.

“If he doesn’t get it right, sometimes he might get upset, but he’ll keep going till he gets it exactly how he wants to do it,” Elgin says. “I’m actually a fan because at 12, well, 13 now, I probably would have kicked the ball, walked off and picked it up another day. But, nah, he’s stays with it.”

Bates sits next to his father and nods his head. He speaks so quietly that it’s hard to hear him.

“I don’t like slacking off at anything: school, basketball, anything,” he says.

The rankings

It was around this time last year when things started to change for Bates. He had just begun to play on an Amateur Athletic Union team, the Toledo Wildcats. The team went 43-5 last season and won a big tournament in Chicago, where Bates became the talk of the gym after he averaged 28 points and about 12 rebounds. He officially was on the radar.

“And no one knew of him until then, but all these other kids (at the tournament) were ranked,” Elgin says. “So, within a year, boom! Now he’s at the top of the food chain.”

Praise from pundits started rolling in through polls and rankings. Most rankings have him as the No. 1 or No. 2 player — shuttling between those spots with Bryce Griggs, a 5-10 point guard from Houston — in the Class of 2022.

Future150.com ranks Bates as its top seventh-grade player. In October, coast2coastpreps.com ranked Bates No. 2 and wrote: “Bates is the best long-term prospect we have seen since Marvin Bagley III.” Bagley is a 6-11 high school junior from Phoenix who has offers from Arizona, Duke, Kentucky and UCLA.

Middleschoolhoops.com doesn’t offer a ranking, but wrote this: “Emoni Bates is one of the top prospects that the country has seen in the past 15 years. With his unique combination of size and skill, it’s easy to see why scouts around the country are raving about Emoni. The Class of 2022 prospect has a silky-smooth jumper, handles the ball very well and creates for teammates. Emoni Bates is the real deal, period.”

The most effusive praise has come from p2bball.com, a youth basketball blog for Prolific Performance Athletics and Apparel. The website noted Bates’ “ability to drop his hips and move laterally,” that he is “not afraid of contact” and “shows an edge and attitude that seems to be ingrained as part of his personality — a mean streak even.” Bates was lauded for his “jump shot, which has range, solid mechanics and hits with great frequency and consistency … his ability to create his own shot off the bounce” while being a “willing passer … team oriented” and possessing “great vision.”

The site summed up its analysis of Bates this way: “What we are saying is that Emoni Bates will be a top national player from this point forward, one that we believe, when it’s all said and done, will be in a draft-day conversation after occupying the top of every national ranking board at the high school level.”

The reaction

First of all, if you think all of this gushing about Bates is premature or undeserved, you have to remember the life of an elite basketball player tends to be accelerated. It is possible that Bates could be playing professionally right out of high school in five years. He could be in the NBA in six years.

As for the rankings and hype that is just starting to pick up, you should know that the Bateses don’t want it to consume them. And in case you’re wondering, Bates has not received an offer from a college program, and he isn’t even sure which high school he will attend.

“I like it, but at the same, I don’t really even worry about it,” Bates says. “I don’t pay no attention to it. When I was ranked, I didn’t even have no clue about it. Somebody just told me. I didn’t know it. I didn’t pay no attention to it. I just kept working.”

Elgin isn’t even sure when the rankings first appeared with his son on them.

“We don’t really get caught up in rankings, because he could be ranked now but three years later no one can find you,” Elgin says. “So, we just try to stay focused on what we’re doing and continue to work hard. We don’t really get caught up in that. But I think he just found out about a month ago.”

Clague Middle School 7th-grader Emoni Bates runs down the court after scoring against Ann Arbor Steam Middle School on Friday, Feb. 3, 2017 at Clague Middle School in Ann Arbor.

The goal

Make no mistake, Bates wants to play in the NBA first and foremost. He speaks often about focus and work and has his sights locked in on getting to the NBA as soon as possible.

“I wish I could just go straight out of high school,” he says. “If I go to college for one year and just dominate, then there’s no fun in my playing. I’d like to go coming out of high school.”

If this sounds a little cocky, it is. But don’t forget that Bates is 13, and most boys his age are planning for a career as a pro sports superstar, with astronaut being their fallback career choice.

Elgin chuckles at the impatience of youth.

“He just wants to hurry up and get there,” Elgin says.

But getting there requires a lot. Elgin understands this more than most, and if Bates reaches the NBA, it will be mostly due to his father’s guidance.

The grind

Once upon a time, Elgin Bates was a great basketball player. He played at Milan High and then Ann Arbor Pioneer, where he earned Free Press all-state sixth-team honors as a senior in 1994.

He played college ball at Division II powerhouse Kentucky Wesleyan, then played six years of pro ball in Switzerland. He’s 6-3 1/2 and 40 years old, and still shoots the lights out of the gym. He knows basketball inside and out, and for the past two years has worked full-time running his own business: Bates Fundamentals Elite Basketball Training.

Elgin has crafted a very specific training regimen for his son. They work on basketball two to three times a week. They started strength training six months ago, mostly with bands, because Elgin isn’t a fan of weights. They started working on nutrition.

It’s a lot — the work, the sacrifice, the discipline — but Elgin sees it’s starting to coalesce.

“I feel like he just adopted that mentality that, OK, I’ve got to be in bed by a certain time,” Elgin says. “I can’t stay up too late. I can’t go swimming this weekend because I won’t have no legs. I’ll be dead tired on the floor. I’ve got to take care of my body. I’ve got to stretch. I’ve got to put the right food in me. So far, most of it’s been working.”

Love and basketball

Beyond Bates’ size and talent and accolades, beyond everything else, one thing is very clear. He loves basketball to its core. He always has.

When he was 2, Bates would dribble a little rubber ball around the house. The incessant noise would draw threats from his mother, Edith: “Hey,” Elgin remembers her saying, “I’m gonna pop it!”

“I just told her, ‘That’s his gift, I believe, because he’s gravitating toward it, and he does it countless hours over and over, the repetition throughout the day,’ ” Elgin says. “He still does it. He’s 6-6 in the basement playing on a 5-9, 6-foot Nerf rim, still dribbling the same rubber ball he’s had for years.”

It wasn’t just his mom, though. Dad wasn’t always thrilled with his son’s obsession, especially after a long day.

“So, I really saw it around 5 years old to where this is what he wants to do,” Elgin says. “There were times where I’m just dead tired laying down and, ‘Dad, I want to go to the gym.’ Ugh! OK. I can’t argue with that because I can see it in him. I mean, his drive, his determination. He’s always wanting to improve. …

“So, I love that about him. He takes care of his grades at school. He keeps his grades up. And you’ve got to feed that. When he wants it, hey, I’ve got to give it to him.”

Clague Middle School 7th-grader Emoni Bates talks with his father Elgin Bates after his team’s win over Ann Arbor Steam Middle School on Friday, Feb. 3, 2017 at Clague Middle School in Ann Arbor.

Something special

There often comes a time, or a moment, when a star athlete reveals his potential to the world. For Bates, it happened when he was 6 and tagging along to watch his dad play in a rec-league game. Bates always tried to sneak onto the court every chance he got. During warm-ups, Bates got his hands on a ball and grabbed everyone’s attention.

“And he’s shooting,” Elgin says. “And I’m paying attention. He’s just knocking not like one shot, one three-pointer, down. Then the next thing I know he’s at five or six of them in a row. Then, I’m like, ‘Keep passing it to him. Keep shooting it.’

“And then he made like 17 straight threes. I’m like, ‘OK, this is getting serious.’ And this is in warm-ups. We’re supposed to be playing, but we’re watching him shoot. Like, ‘All right, just keep shooting it. He’s gonna miss the next one.’ Nope. Swish, swish, swish.”

It verified what Elgin had suspected for a while, that the basketball court is where his son belongs. When Elgin played in pro-ams, his young son would get on the court in front of paying fans to try to impress.

“Every opportunity, halftime, he was out there on the court shooting around, dribbling and everybody watching,” Elgin says. “He loves the attention. He always has. He always loved the lights, he loved the lights. Hey, I knew it then.”

Clague Middle School 7th-grader Emoni Bates poses for a photo at Partridge Community Center in Ypsilanti on Monday, Jan. 30, 2017.

The future

It’s late afternoon on a gray winter’s day as Bates and his father sit on a bench and talk basketball and life on Parkridge Community Center’s court. The light filtering in through the high wood-framed windows is fading. It’s not quite day and not quite night. Emoni Bates occupies a similar interstitial space between boyhood and manhood.

“Basketball,” he says, “it’s really like a lifestyle, you know? It’s not just a game no more. It’s like my life. It’s Plan A. There ain’t no Plan B.”

Bates credits the game for giving him confidence and making him who he is. Elgin knows his son’s identity is in its nascent stages and wants him to remember his family is always there for him. Maybe the NBA will come. Maybe it won’t. But Elgin’s hope for his son is a simple but profound one.

“My hope for him is just to stay grounded,” Elgin says. “Like I always tell him, you can be whatever you want to be. But whatever that may be, be the best version of it. If you’re going to be a doctor, a lawyer, whatever you want to be, a therapist.”

Emoni, sitting next to his father, quietly shakes his head. Elgin laughs and looks at his son before he speaks the following.

“I know you want to do ball, but outside of that you can be anything you want to be, son,” Elgin says. “I know what you want to do, but whatever you choose to do, I know you’re going to be good at it because I know your mentality. I know you’re a perfectionist. So, whatever it is you want to do in life, you can do it, period.”

Bates listens to his father.

“Yes, sir,” he says quietly.

Contact Carlos Monarrez: cmonarrez@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @cmonarrez.

Hoop it up

Bates Fundamentals will host a camp Feb. 18-19 at Ypsilanti Lincoln High. To register, visit bfballcamp.com.

The Class of 2022

Future150.com’s top-five seventh-graders:

1. SF Emoni Bates

From: Ypsilanti.

Vitals: 6-6, 180.

2. PG Bryce Griggs

From: Houston.

Vitals: 5-10, 150.

3. SF Calen Houstan

From: Ontario, Calif.

Vitals: 6-4, 170.

4. SG Jaden Bradley

From: Charlotte, N.C.

Vitals: 6-1, 160.

5. SG Chris Livingston

From: Akron, Ohio.

Vitals: 5-10, 150.

Clague Middle School 7th-grader Emoni Bates plays against defenders from Ann Arbor Steam Middle School during a game on Friday, Feb. 3, 2017 at Clague Middle School in Ann Arbor.

Prep basketball

Boys basketball

Cornerstone Health and Technology 69, Dearborn Heights Robichaud 54: Jamal Cain led Cornerstone Health and Technology (11-4) with 27 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and four blocks. Robert Carpenter had 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Davion Bradford had 10 points and five assists. Daryl Lockhart scored 15 points and Kenvin Simpson added 10 points for Robichaud (11-3).

Fife Lake Forest Area 76, Onaway 63 (OT): Hollis Thomas led Fife Lake Forest Area (6-6) with 27 points. Cody Schelske added 15 points. Keaton Brewer had 28 points and 12 rebounds for Onaway (6-7). Trevor Wregglesworth had 26 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds and four steals. Cody Cruse had 16 points, eight rebounds and four steals. Cody Neelis had 10 points.

Girls basketball

Dearborn Henry Ford Academy 50, Romulus Summit 4: Jada Williams led Henry Ford Academy (12-4) with 17 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks. Lauren Whitford had 10 points, three rebounds and three assists. Summit is 3-5.

Farmington Hills Mercy 47, Allen Park 25: Chloe Godbold scored 15 points for Mercy (14-2). Lexi Thomas added seven points. Izzy Slate and Kendall Hamilton each scored seven points for Allen Park (11-5).

Macomb Dakota 42, Grosse Pointe North 30: Emily Langolf scored 14 points for Dakota (11-5, 6-4 MAC Red). Tara Bieniewicz added nine points. Congratulations to Phil McCune for his 200th girls’ varsity win. Meghan Gallagher scored eight points for North (9-7, 4-6).

Macomb Lutheran North 31, Center Line 26: Hannah Milligan scored 11 points for North (10-6). Lauren Mow added seven points. Camryn Gibbs scored nine points for Center Line (10-5).

River Rouge 74, Taylor Prep 13: Moriyah Hamell led River Rouge (12-4) with 22 points, four steals and four assists. Asia Turner had 10 points and 10 rebounds.  Lamariyee Williams had 10 points, 10 steals and five assists. Serena Curtis scored seven points for Prep (0-9).

In-between heats, Brian Williams stays loose by swimming laps in the practice pool at Western International High School on Scotten Street in Detroit on Feb. 8, 2017. Williams is hoping to become the first African-American swimmer from the Detroit PSL to qualify for two events at states.

Life can work in mysterious ways. Just ask Brian Williams.

A high school junior at West Side Academy in Detroit and a member of Mumford’s swim team, Williams said a near catastrophe as a child at a Port Huron beach led him down a competitive swimming path.

“I went out too far and started drowning,” Williams, 17, said this week. “My mom came out and got me back onto the shore. Soon after that, she took me to Adams Butzel (Recreation Center), and I’ve been swimming there ever since.”

Twelve years later, Williams is one of the top high school swimmers in Detroit. He’s also an accomplished club swimmer for the Adams Butzel All-Stars, an affiliate of the Detroit Recreation Swim Team of USA Swimming.

Williams, who was home-schooled before becoming a student at West Side Academy this year, joined Mumford’s swim team since his school doesn’t have one. Mumford, which has only two other swimmers on its team, is Williams’ school of residency.

Now a Detroit Public School League athlete, he’s eager to put the PSL and Mumford on the proverbial swimming map.

“It means a lot, because not many PSL swimmers have done what I’m doing,” said the 5-foot-11, 165-pound Williams. “There’s a lot riding on me.”

In-between heats, Brian Williams stays loose by swimming laps in the practice pool at Western International High School on Scotten Street in Detroit on Feb. 8, 2017.

He already has qualified for the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 3 state meet in the 100-yard breaststroke, 100 backstroke and 200 individual medley. He can compete in only two individual events at the state meet March 10-11 at the Holland Aquatic Center, so he’s focusing on the 100 breaststroke and 200 IM.

His personal-best time of 59.99 seconds in the 100 breaststroke makes Williams optimistic he can challenge for a top-eight finish — and maybe even a state championship — in the event. He boasts personal bests of 2:03.30 in the 200 IM and 54.39 in the 100 backstroke.

“If we taper right and everything goes perfect, I can hopefully get top four,” Williams said of his chances in the breaststroke. “Me and my coach (Javon Waters) have shocked ourselves before.”

Regardless of his state finish in March, simply qualifying in multiple events is a notable achievement.

According to Lawrence Williams, Brian’s father, the most recent African-American PSL boys swimmer to qualify for numerous state events was Detroit Henry Ford’s Dee McCoy, who swam the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle at the 2009 Division 1 finals.

“If it hadn’t been for the city of Detroit, Brian probably wouldn’t have been a swimmer,” Lawrence Williams said. “He nearly drowned (in Port Huron), and out of that experience someone suggested the Red Cross swim program at the Rec Center. That’s where he learned to swim, and from there, he became a swimmer.”

Swimmer Brian Williams, left, who goes to school at West Side Academy but swims for Mumford High School, talks with Mumford swim coach Michael Hamlett before he was to compete in a swim meet at Western International High School on Scotten Street in Detroit on Feb. 8, 2017.

Brian Williams won’t be content even with a strong showing at the MHSAA finals. He competes in club swimming throughout the year and is close to reaching national cut times for some prominent USA Swimming events. Making the Olympic trials tops his list of goals.

“People tell me all the time that I’m going to the Olympics,” Williams said. “But with my times right now, I don’t have a chance. Maybe down the road, if I keep working hard. Some people work their whole lives to make the Olympic trials.”

Putting future goals aside, Williams still has important high school meets ahead.

He won the 100 breaststroke (1:02.50) and 200 IM (2:04.50) at Wednesday’s PSL preliminaries, advancing to the league championships next Wednesday at Western International High.

Swimmer Brian Williams, who goes to school at West Side Academy but swims for Mumford High School, in a swim meet at Western International High School on Scotten Street in Detroit on Feb. 8, 2017.

He also plans to compete at the Michigan Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association meet beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday at Eastern Michigan’s Michael H. Jones Natatorium.

Although the PSL is best known for football and basketball, Williams hopes swimming becomes an option for more Detroit youths.

“Swimming just isn’t very popular,” he said. “People only start paying attention when it comes on TV every four years. I wish people paid more attention to it, like they do with football and basketball. I really wish the sport was more popular.”

Williams plans to encourage young Detroiters to give swimming a shot.

“The kids that do swim and want to be great, I try to support them,” he said. “Swimming has been a huge part of my life, and it’s truly been an enjoyable experience.”

In-between heats, Brian Williams stays loose by swimming laps in the practice pool at Western International High School on Scotten Street in Detroit on Feb. 8, 2017.

Mumford High School sophomore swimmer Matthew Pearson, left, and Alexander Smith, a freshman, chat as swim coach Michael Hamlett speaks with Brian Williams, right, during their swim meet at Western International High School on Scotten Street in Detroit on Feb. 8, 2017.

Prep basketball

Girls Basketball

Detroit Country Day 75, Grosse Pointe South 39: Destiny Pitts had 24 points, and Kaela Webb recorded 15 points for Country Day (15-0). Additionally, Tyler Bennett added 11 points, and Maxine Moore chipped in 10 points for Country Day.

Jonesville 40, Athens 32: Jillayne Wheeler recorded 13 points for Athens (10-6, 6-5 Big 8), while Sam Dunn finished with nine points for Jonesville (13-4, 9-2 Big 8).

Royal Oak Shrine 45, Novi Franklin Road 35: Audrey North had 12 points, and Rebecca Kruliski contributed 10 points for Shrine. Additionally, Reagan Mumford had 12 points and three blocks, while Daria Boboc had 10 points and nine boards for Franklin Road (12-4).

Ypsilanti Arbor Prep 55, Detroit Edison 41: Rozhane Wells had 13 points and five steals, while Adrienne Anderson added 11 points and seven boards for Arbor Prep (17-0). Additionally, Mari Petree finished with 10 points and six rebounds for Arbor Prep. In the loss for Edison (15-3), Gabrielle Elliot and Rickea Jackson each finished with 14 points.

Boys Basketball

Farmington 54, Lake Orion 49: Farmington (11-4) was led by Jay Kirby, who finished with 17 points. Additionally, Jordan Graham added 12 points, and Ray Bryant chipped in with 10 points for Farmington.

Oxford 64, Berkley 47: Ray Luvine led Oxford (12-2) with 17 points, while Michael Raisch added 16 points and eight rebounds.

Sterling Heights Parkway Christian 69, Clinton Township Clintondale 58: Kyle Hensley had 20 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks, while Micah McLain finished with 18 points, six assists and nine rebounds for Parkway Christian (10-2). Also, Luke Stricker chipped in 17 points, three steals and five boards for Parkway Christian.

West Bloomfield 64, Troy 61: Kevin McAdoo scored a game-high 34 points, and Tre Harvey recorded 18 points for West Bloomfield (10-5). Additionally, Troy (10-4, 3-2 OAA White) was led by Jason Dietz, who finished with 27 points. Additionally, Danny Sully added 10 points for Troy.

Men’s College Hoops

Wayne State 68, Michigan Tech 47: Chuck Key and Ronald Booth each had 18 points for Wayne St. (13-8, 10-7 GLIAC), while Kyle Monroe finished with a game-high 25 points for Tech (13-11, 11-6 GLIAC).

Women’s College Hoops

Michigan Tech 79, Wayne State 61: The Huskies (16-6, 12-5 GLIAC) were led by Elizabeth Kelliher, who recorded a game-high 21 points. Additionally, in the loss for Wayne St. (7-17, 4-13 GLIAC), Nastassja Chambers recorded a team-high 15 points.

Prep basketball

Boys Basketball

Allen Park 55, Southgate Anderson 51: Antonio Mangiapane put up 23 points for Allen Park (9-5) while Donovan Ebo added 16. Jace Matkin scored 10 points for Anderson (7-8).

Allen Park Inter-City Baptist 58, Plymouth Christian 48: Nathaniel Pardo led Allen Park (4-11, 3-7 MIAC Blue) with 24 points. Mason Howell also scored 12 points. Matt Malcolm paced Plymouth (9-6, 6-4 MIAC Blue) with 19 points.

Almont 46, Imlay City 34: Chase Kapron led Almont (11-3, 8-1) with 10 points. Noah Galbraith paced Imlay (7-7, 6-3) with 11 points.

Ann Arbor Huron 76, Monroe 31

Armada 70, Capac 55: Adam Job led with 24 points for Armada (7-7) while Mitch Ruczyski scored 14 points and five rebounds. Andrew Sams led with 16 points for Capac (5-10).

Ashley 54, Vestaburg 52: Colin Dolloff led Ashley with 19 points. Noah Johnston scpred 18 points, while Seth Stratton added 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Bellevue 66, Waldron 21: Wyatt Waterbury led Bellevue (12-1, 9-1 SCAA) with 19 points and eight assists. Gavin Jex also added 14 points and seven assists.

Brown City 49, Sandusky 41: Calvin Cook led Brown City with 15 points and eight rebounds. Anthony Ford added 12 points and eight rebounds, while Andre Geiger also scored 10 points. Sandusky was paced by Cody Hoag with 14 points.

Caledonia 67, East Kentwood 63

Canton 53, Plymouth 49: B. Artis White scored 12 points for Canton (10-6, 7-3 KLAA South). Vinson Sigmon also added 11 points. Tariq Woody led all scorers with 19 points for Plymouth (7-9, 4-6 KLAA South).

Clawson 33, Madison Heights Lamphere 24: Kourtney Manley scored 11 points and 11 rebounds for Clawson (3-12). Cal Terry scored six points in the loss for Lamphere (3-12).

Comstock 58, Parchment 55

Dearborn Divine Child 72, Detroit Loyola 55: Quinn Blair led Divine Child with 21 points. Keith Johnson paced Loyola with 14 points.

Dearborn Heights Crestwood 69, Dearborn Edsel Ford 47: Malik Rogers led Crestwood (11-4) with 30 points. Asa Robertson added 15 points, and Jemail Saleh also chipped in 12 points. Jared Weigand paced Edsel Ford (2-13) with 13 points.

Dearborn Heights Robichaud 62, Garden City 56: Jasir Poole scored 21 points and dished six assists for Robichaud (11-3, 8-1 WWAC Red). Shannon Woods also added 20 points and eight rebounds. Cameron Walter paced Garden City with 16 points.

Detroit Cass Tech 81, Detroit Edison 70: Leonard Silas put up 13 points and eight assist for Cass (14-3). Jalen Tobias scored 13 points and seven rebounds. Michael Green added 12 points and 12 rebounds. Pierre Mitchell and Gary Solomon each scored 18 points in the loss for Edison.

Detroit Community 56, Hamtramck 45: Demario Turner scored 20 points and blocked six shots for Community (6-10, 3-5 Michigan Metro). Kejuan Sanders added 14 points and 12 rebounds. Keyon Smith also chipped in 11 points.

Detroit Cristo Rey 58, Austin Catholic 17: Samuel Stewart led with 16 points for Crystal Ray (7-8) while Daniel Worthy added 15. Alex Radwisk scored eight points in the loss for Austin Catholic (0-13).

Detroit Henry Ford Creative Studies 73, Detroit Jalen Rose Academy 55: Trevion Williams had a monster triple-double game with 28 points, 31 rebounds and 10 assist for Henry Ford (11-5). Jaylin Styles scored 15 points and seven assist while James Grigsby added 14 points. Anthony Ball scored 22 points for Jalen Rose (2-10) while Malik Cooper added 16 points.

Detroit Northwestern 61, Detroit Henry Ford 52: Kylan Shippe led Northwestern with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Steve Pearson added 17 points and 12 rebounds. Davonpaye Webb paced Henry Ford with 23 points, four assists and five rebounds. Northwestern advances to the next round of playoffs.

Flint Kearsley 62, Fenton 55: Chandler Ford led Kearsley with 21 points. Drew Miller paced Fenton with 17 points.

Flushing 47, Ortonville-Brandon 45: Joe Kujat led Flushing with 26 points. Isaac DeJose paced Brandon with 10 points.

Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett 67, Novi Franklin Road Christian 47: Anthony George led Liggett (7-8, 5-4 MIAC Blue) with 30 points. Jackson Walkowiak also scored 25 points.

Harper Woods 54, Mount Clemens 48: Sergio Steven led Harper Woods (13-1) with 14 points. Jovon Horton added 13 points. Jordan Cotton paced Mount Clemens (8-5) with 16 points.

Jackson 58, Grand Ledge 52: Marquise and Jonathon Robinson each scored 16 points for Jackson.

Kalamazoo Central 83, Battle Creek Lakeview 58: Bass Ollie led Central (14-1) with 19 points.

Kingsley 69, Mesick 52: Dylan Reno led Kingsley with 26 points and 13 rebounds. Nathan Schaar also added 21 points and 10 rebounds. Isiac Riffle paced Mesick with 19 points.

Livonia Franklin 55, Livonia Churchill 51: Mark Mettie led Franklin (6-10, 2-8 KLAA South) with 19 points and nine rebounds. Keyon Brown added 17 points and five assists. Trajan Stinson paced Churchill (2-14, 0-10 KLAA South) with 17 points.

Livonia Stevenson 65, Salem 58: Devin Dunn led Stevenson with 16 points. Cameron Grace paced Salem (7-9) with 18 points, six rebounds and five assists. Camren Barden also added 16 points.

Macomb Dakota 79, Grosse Pointe South 54: Jermaine Jackson Jr. put up 25 points and six assist for Dakota (14-3). Thomas Kithier added 21 points and 14 rebounds while Jack Valentine scored 14 points and 12 rebounds. Julian Harrell led with 21 points in the loss for South (9-7).

Manton 71, Lake City 41: Jaden Perry led Manton (12-2) with 19 points.

Marlette 63, Harbor Beach 52: Barret George led Marlette with 16 points, and Bryce George added 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Newaygo 50, Stanton Central Montcalm 44: Mitch Nichols paced Stanton with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Austin Proctor also added 14 points.

Onaway 63, Gaylord St. Mary 56: Keaton Brewer led with 24 points and 13 rebounds for Onaway (7-7). Cody Creuse scored 22 points and five rebounds.

Quincy 70, Springport 31: William Dunn led Quincy (11-4) with 17 points. Nathan Karney also added 14 points.

River Gabriel Richard 59, Clarkston Everett Catholic 46: Garrett Balezsi led with 12 points to help Gabriel Richard (9-1) become Intersectional Catholic League champions. Tim Augustyniak scored 12 points. Tom Thibobeau scored 11 points in the loss for Everett Catholic (6-3, Intersectional Catholic League).

Romulus 67, Dearborn Fordson 39: Kaebon Merriweather led with 19 points for Romulus (12-2). Jaren English scored 14 points.

Spring Lake 66, Sparta 64 F/OT: Justin Bradford paced Sparta with 20 points.

Taylor Kennedy 76, Wyandotte Roosevelt 58: Renaudd Broaden led with 23 points for Kennedy (6-8). Chris Dobessi added 16. Riley Stewart put up 12 points in the loss for Roosevelt (2-11).

Wayne Memorial 61, John Glenn 47: Wayne Memorial (13-3) earned the KLAA South League Championship behind Rashad Williams’ 23 points and nine rebounds. Trevez Knix added 11 points and seven rebounds. Joe Moon scored 10 points for Glenn (13-2) in the loss.

Westland Lutheran 70, Sterling Heights Parkway Christian 62: Luke Stricker paced Parkway with 21 points, six steals and five rebounds, and Micah McLain also added 15 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Woodhaven 76, Lincoln Park 44: Weshaun Warren led Woodhaven (11-4, 10-1 Downriver) with 18 points. DeAndre Walker added 16 points, and Joshua Warren also chipped in 11 points and 11 assists. David Espita paced Lincoln Park with 14 points.

Girls Basketball

Ann Arbor Pioneer 43, Ann Arbor Skyline 28: Laura Stroud led Pioneer with 15 points.

Battle Creek Lakeview 72, Kalamazoo Central 65

Belding 67, Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian 47: Haley Briemayer led Belding with 19 points. Kaycee Sluiter scored 22 points for NorthPointe, and Izzy Redfield also added 12 points.

Belleville 65, Dearborn Heights Robichaud 52: Janessa Franklin led Belleville (12-4) with 16 points and six assists. Katelyn Sherwood also scored 18 points, dished six assists, grabbed seven rebounds and pocketed four steals. Victoria Perez also added 14 points and 13 rebounds. Kamaria McDaniels paced Robichaud with 18 points. Kayla Stewart also added 16 points.

Canton 36, Plymouth 32: Brianna Finn led with 12 points for Canton (13-3). Chantal LeDoux paced Plymouth (7-9, 6-4 KLAA South) with 22 points.

Dearborn 61, Romulus 45: Isabelle Calrk led Dearborn (12-4, 5-3 WWAC Blue) with 16 points. Harper Vandenbosch added 15 points, and Layaill Mustafa also chipped in 13 points. Miyona Barden-Clark paced Romulus (6-9, 4-4 WWAC Blue) with 10 points.

Dearborn Fordson 61, Livonia Clarenceville 15: Kiki Darwiche led Fordson (12-5, 8-0 WWAC Red) with 14 points. Sarah Abdallah also added 10 points. Myla Haskins paced Livonia with 10 points.

Dearborn Heights Crestwood 56, Dearborn Edsel Ford 40: Maya Barakat led Crestwood (11-5) with 16 points and 16 rebounds. Hiba Daifi also added 14 points. Brooke Gaillard scored 13 points for Edsel Ford (7-9), and Allia Hamood also chipped in 11 points.

Dearborn Henry Ford 50, Harper Woods Chandler Park 35: Jada Williams led with 11 points and 18 rebounds to help Henry Ford (13-4) win the Charter School Conference championship. Destiny Billenger added 12 points. Diamond Williams scored six points for Chandler Park (9-9).

Detroit Community 23, Hamtramck 22: Shemia Warren hit two free throws in the final seconds to seal the victory for Community (4-5). Alana Jackson led with 18 rebounds, six steals and four blocks while Passion Hargrove put up 10 points.

Farmington Hills Mercy 54, St. Claire Shores Southlake 21: Brooke Madak led with 13 points for Mercy (15-2).

Fenton 62, Flint Kearsley 49: Chloe Idoni led all scorers with 29 points (10/13 FG) and grabbed 15 rebounds for Fenton. Emma Evo also added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Zaria Mitchner ;ed Kearsley with 21 points.

Garden City 41, Redford Thurston 36: Aleea Montogmery scored 18 points for Garden City (7-9) while Alex Leleneiwski added 10. Brianna Burton led with 14 points in the loss for Thurston.

Gaylord 48, Petoskey 40: Casey Korte led Gaylord with 27 points and 13 rebounds. Isabell Anderson paced Petoskey with 14 points.

Gibraltar Carlson 61, Melvindale 28: Whitney Light paced Carlson with 10 points.

Gobles 42, Watervliet 40: Casie Gohr led Watervliet with 12 points.

Hartland 29, Grand Blanc 23: Lexey Tobel scored eight points for Hartland (15-1). Maija Gillum led with 10 points for Grand Blanc (6-10) in the loss.

Kent City 42, Lakeview 20: Kaitlyn Geers led Kent City (14-3, 8-0) with 19 points (9/10 FT).

Lake Orion 50, Farmington Hills Harrison 39: Shannon Falter led Lake Orion (6-10, 3-5 OAA White) with 10 points. Lauryn Van Loon also added nine points. Olivia Perkins paced Farmington with 17 points.

Lapeer 49, Flint Powers Catholic 39: Samantha Thick led Lapeer with 13 points, while Ashleigh Garcia and Lisa West each also added 11 points. Rachel Phillpotts paced Flint with 11 points.

Muskegon Mona Shores 61, Fruitport 36: Jordan Walker and Alyza Winston each scored 15 points for Mona Shores (14-3, 7-1 OK Black).

Northville 50, Novi 41: Ellie Mackay paced Novi with 21 points, and Cara Ninkovich also added 12 points.

Redford Union 50, Dearborn Heights Annapolis 17: Johnnae Steele led Redford Union with 15 points. Dannatural Mejia added 13 points.

Roseville 53, Warren Lincoln 27: Nija Collier scored 15 points and 15 rebounds for Roseville (12-5). Shantae Parker added 14 points and seven rebounds. Amari Davis scored eight points for Lincoln.

Royal Oak 42, Oxford 37: Mikea Williams led Royal Oak (12-5, 6-2 OAA White) with 12 points. Samantha Potter and Jessica Adams each added eight points and 10 rebounds. Maddie Morris paced Oxford (5-11, 2-5 OAA White) with 14 points.

St Clair Shores Lakeview 56, L’Anse Creuse 40: Alicia Bullaro led Lakeview (16-1) with 12 points. Nicole Austin added 11 points and dished eight assists, and Lauren Wynn also scored 12 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Tiffany Burgess paced L’Anse Creuse with 20 points.

Shelby 73, Mason County Central 46: Jenny Beckman led Shelby with 20 points and eight assists.

Southfield A&T 63, North Farmington 42: Kierra Crockett paced North Farmington (12-5, 3-3 OAA Red) with 20 points and seven rebounds.

Stanton Central Montcalm 54, Newaygo 29: Libby Ledford scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Stanton. Hannah Putnam added 15 points and four rebounds, and Kenzie Rutz also chipped in 10 points and six rebounds.

Sterling Heights Parkway Christian 51, Westland Lutheran 36: Lauren Turned scored 14 points for Sterling Heights (10-5, 8-1). Erica Mack added 11 points, and Taylor Hunt and Talli Guido each chipped in 10 points.

Swartz Creek 51, Holly 46: Rebecca Fugate led Holly with 31 points, six rebounds and six steals. Paige Reid also added 15 points and five rebounds.

Trenton 49, Taylor Truman 15: Therese Hebda led Trenton with 11 points and four assists.

Walled Lake Northern 46, Walled Lake Central 18: Grace Fredericks led Northern (5-11) with 13 points.

Prep basketball

Boys basketball

Allen Park 55, Southgate Anderson 51: Antonio Mangiapane scored 23 points for Allen Park (9-5) while Donovan Ebo added 16. Jace Matkin scored 10 points for Anderson (7-8).

Allen Park Inter-city Baptist 58, Plymouth Christian 48: Nathaniel Pardo led Inter-city Baptist (4-11, 3-7 MIAC Blue) with 24 points. Mason Howell also scored 12 points. Matt Malcolm paced Plymouth (9-6, 6-4) with 19 points.

Almont 46, Imlay City 34: Chase Kapron led Almont (11-3) with 10 points. Noah Galbraith paced Imlay (7-7) with 11 points.

Armada 70, Capac 55: Adam Job led with 24 points for Armada (7-7) while Mitch Ruczyski scored 14 points and five rebounds. Andrew Sams led with 16 points for Capac (5-10).

Ashley 54, Vestaburg 52: Colin Dolloff led Ashley with 19 points. Noah Johnston scored 18 points, while Seth Stratton added 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Bellevue 66, Waldron 21: Wyatt Waterbury led Bellevue (12-1, 9-1 SCAA) with 19 points and eight assists. Gavin Jex also added 14 points and seven assists.

Brown City 49, Sandusky 41: Calvin Cook led Brown City with 15 points and eight rebounds. Anthony Ford added 12 points and eight rebounds, while Andre Geiger also scored 10 points. Sandusky was paced by Cody Hoag with 14 points.

Canton 53, Plymouth 49: B. Artis White scored 12 points for Canton (10-6, 7-3 KLAA South). Vinson Sigmon also added 11 points. Tariq Woody led all scorers with 19 points for Plymouth (7-9, 4-6).

Clawson 33, Madison Heights Lamphere 24: Kourtney Manley scored 11 points and 11 rebounds for Clawson (3-12). Cal Terry scored six points in the loss for Lamphere (3-12).

Dearborn Divine Child 72, Detroit Loyola 55: Quinn Blair led Divine Child with 21 points. Keith Johnson paced Loyola with 14 points.

Dearborn Heights Crestwood 69, Dearborn Edsel Ford 47: Malik Rogers led Crestwood (11-4) with 30 points. Asa Robertson added 15 points, and Jemail Saleh also chipped in 12 points. Jared Weigand paced Edsel Ford (2-13) with 13 points.

Dearborn Heights Robichaud 62, Garden City 56: Jasir Poole scored 21 points and dished six assists for Robichaud (11-3, 8-1 WWAC Red). Shannon Woods also added 20 points and eight rebounds. Cameron Walter paced Garden City with 16 points.

Detroit Cass Tech 81, Detroit Edison 70: Leonard Silas put up 13 points and eight assist for Cass (14-3). Jalen Tobias scored 13 points and seven rebounds. Michael Green added 12 points and 12 rebounds. Pierre Mitchell and Gary Solomon each scored 18 points in the loss for Edison.

Detroit Community 56, Hamtramck 45: Demario Turner scored 20 points and blocked six shots for Community (6-10, 3-5 Michigan Metro). Kejuan Sanders added 14 points and 12 rebounds. Keyon Smith also chipped in 11 points.

Detroit Cristo Rey 58, Austin Catholic 17: Samuel Stewart led with 16 points for Crystal Ray (7-8) while Daniel Worthy added 15. Alex Radwisk scored eight points in the loss for Austin Catholic (0-13).

Detroit Henry Ford Creative Studies 73, Detroit Jalen Rose Academy 55: Trevion Williams had a monster triple-double game with 28 points, 31 rebounds and 10 assist for Henry Ford (11-5). Jaylin Styles scored 15 points and seven assist while James Grigsby added 14 points. Anthony Ball scored 22 points for Jalen Rose (2-10) while Malik Cooper added 16 points.

Detroit Northwestern 61, Detroit Henry Ford 52: Kylan Shippe led Northwestern with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Steve Pearson added 17 points and 12 rebounds. Davonpaye Webb paced Henry Ford with 23 points, four assists and five rebounds.

Flint Kearsley 62, Fenton 55: Chandler Ford led Kearsley with 21 points. Drew Miller paced Fenton with 17 points.

Flushing 47, Ortonville-Brandon 45: Joe Kujat led Flushing with 26 points. Isaac DeJose paced Brandon with 10 points.

Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett 67, Novi Franklin Road Christian 47: Anthony George led Liggett (7-8, 5-4 MIAC Blue) with 30 points. Jackson Walkowiak also scored 25 points.

Harper Woods 54, Mount Clemens 48: Sergio Steven led Harper Woods (13-1) with 14 points. Jovon Horton added 13 points. Jordan Cotton paced Mount Clemens (8-5) with 16 points.

Jackson 58, Grand Ledge 52: Marquise and Jonathon Robinson each scored 16 points for Jackson.

Kalamazoo Central 83, Battle Creek Lakeview 58: Bass Ollie led Central (14-1) with 19 points.

Kingsley 69, Mesick 52: Dylan Reno led Kingsley with 26 points and 13 rebounds. Nathan Schaar also added 21 points and 10 rebounds. Isiac Riffle paced Mesick with 19 points.

Livonia Franklin 55, Livonia Churchill 51: Mark Mettie led Franklin (6-10, 2-8 KLAA South) with 19 points and nine rebounds. Keyon Brown added 17 points and five assists. Trajan Stinson paced Churchill (2-14, 0-10) with 17 points.

Livonia Stevenson 65, Salem 58: Devin Dunn led Stevenson with 16 points. Cameron Grace paced Salem (7-9) with 18 points, six rebounds and five assists. Camren Barden also added 16 points.

Macomb Dakota 79, Grosse Pointe South 54: Jermaine Jackson Jr. put up 25 points and six assist for Dakota (14-3). Thomas Kithier added 21 points and 14 rebounds while Jack Valentine scored 14 points and 12 rebounds. Julian Harrell led with 21 points in the loss for South (9-7).

Manton 71, Lake City 41: Jaden Perry led Manton (12-2) with 19 points.

Marlette 63, Harbor Beach 52: Barret George led Marlette with 16 points, and Bryce George added 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Newaygo 50, Stanton Central Montcalm 44: Mitch Nichols paced Stanton with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Austin Proctor also added 14 points.

Onaway 63, Gaylord St. Mary 56: Keaton Brewer led with 24 points and 13 rebounds for Onaway (7-7). Cody Creuse scored 22 points and five rebounds.

Quincy 70, Springport 31: William Dunn led Quincy (11-4) with 17 points. Nathan Karney also added 14 points.

Riverview Richard 59, Clarkston Everett Catholic 46: Garrett Balezsi led with 12 points to help Richard (9-1) become Intersectional Catholic League champions. Tim Augustyniak scored 12 points. Tom Thibobeau scored 11 points in the loss for Everett Catholic (6-3 Catholic).

Romulus 67, Dearborn Fordson 39: Kaebon Merriweather led with 19 points for Romulus (12-2). Jaren English scored 14 points.

Spring Lake 66, Sparta 64 (OT): Justin Bradford paced Sparta with 20 points.

Taylor Kennedy 76, Wyandotte Roosevelt 58: Renaudd Broaden led with 23 points for Kennedy (6-8). Chris Dobessi added 16. Riley Stewart put up 12 points in the loss for Roosevelt (2-11).

Wayne Memorial 61, John Glenn 47: Wayne Memorial (13-3) earned the KLAA South championship behind Rashad Williams’ 23 points and nine rebounds. Trevez Knix added 11 points and seven rebounds. Joe Moon scored 10 points for Glenn (13-2) in the loss.

Westland Lutheran 70, Sterling Heights Parkway Christian 62: Luke Stricker paced Parkway with 21 points, six steals and five rebounds, and Micah McLain also added 15 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Woodhaven 76, Lincoln Park 44: Weshaun Warren led Woodhaven (11-4, 10-1 Downriver) with 18 points. DeAndre Walker added 16 points, and Joshua Warren also chipped in 11 points and 11 assists. David Espita paced Lincoln Park with 14 points.

Girls basketball

Ann Arbor Pioneer 43, Ann Arbor Skyline 28: Laura Stroud led Pioneer with 15 points.

Belding 67, Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian 47: Haley Briemayer led Belding with 19 points. Kaycee Sluiter scored 22 points for NorthPointe, and Izzy Redfield also added 12 points.

Belleville 65, Dearborn Heights Robichaud 52: Janessa Franklin led Belleville (12-4) with 16 points and six assists. Katelyn Sherwood also scored 18 points, dished six assists, grabbed seven rebounds and pocketed four steals. Victoria Perez also added 14 points and 13 rebounds. Kamaria McDaniels paced Robichaud with 18 points. Kayla Stewart also added 16 points.

Canton 36, Plymouth 32: Brianna Finn led with 12 points for Canton (13-3). Chantal LeDoux paced Plymouth (7-9, 6-4 KLAA South) with 22 points.

Dearborn 61, Romulus 45: Isabelle Calrk led Dearborn (12-4, 5-3 WWAC Blue) with 16 points. Harper Vandenbosch added 15 points, and Layaill Mustafa also chipped in 13 points. Miyona Barden-Clark paced Romulus (6-9, 4-4) with 10 points.

Dearborn Fordson 61, Livonia Clarenceville 15: Kiki Darwiche led Fordson (12-5, 8-0 WWAC Red) with 14 points. Sarah Abdallah also added 10 points. Myla Haskins paced Livonia with 10 points.

Dearborn Heights Crestwood 56, Dearborn Edsel Ford 40: Maya Barakat led Crestwood (11-5) with 16 points and 16 rebounds. Hiba Daifi also added 14 points. Brooke Gaillard scored 13 points for Edsel Ford (7-9), and Allia Hamood also chipped in 11 points.

Dearborn Henry Ford 50, Harper Woods Chandler Park 35: Jada Williams led with 11 points and 18 rebounds to help Henry Ford (13-4) win the Charter School Conference championship. Destiny Billenger added 12 points. Diamond Williams scored six points for Chandler Park (9-9).

Detroit Community 23, Hamtramck 22: Shemia Warren hit two free throws in the final seconds to seal the victory for Community (4-5). Alana Jackson led with 18 rebounds, six steals and four blocks while Passion Hargrove put up 10 points.

Farmington Hills Mercy 54, St. Claire Shores South Lake 21: Brooke Madak led with 13 points for Mercy (15-2).

Fenton 62, Flint Kearsley 49: Chloe Idoni led all scorers with 29 points (10-for-13 shooting) and grabbed 15 rebounds for Fenton. Emma Evo also added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Zaria Mitchner ;ed Kearsley with 21 points.

Garden City 41, Redford Thurston 36: Aleea Montogmery scored 18 points for Garden City (7-9) while Alex Leleneiwski added 10. Brianna Burton led with 14 points in the loss for Thurston.

Gaylord 48, Petoskey 40: Casey Korte led Gaylord with 27 points and 13 rebounds. Isabell Anderson paced Petoskey with 14 points.

Gibraltar Carlson 61, Melvindale 28: Whitney Light paced Carlson with 10 points.

Gobles 42, Watervliet 40: Casie Gohr led Watervliet with 12 points.

Hartland 29, Grand Blanc 23: Lexey Tobel scored eight points for Hartland (15-1). Maija Gillum led with 10 points for Grand Blanc (6-10) in the loss.

Kent City 42, Lakeview 20: Kaitlyn Geers led Kent City (14-3, 8-0) with 19 points (9-for-10 free-throw shooting).

Lake Orion 50, Farmington Hills Harrison 39: Shannon Falter led Lake Orion (6-10, 3-5 OAA White) with 10 points. Lauryn Van Loon also added nine points. Olivia Perkins paced Farmington with 17 points.

Lapeer 49, Flint Powers 39: Samantha Thick led Lapeer with 13 points, while Ashleigh Garcia and Lisa West each also added 11 points. Rachel Phillpotts paced Flint with 11 points.

Muskegon Mona Shores 61, Fruitport 36: Jordan Walker and Alyza Winston each scored 15 points for Mona Shores (14-3, 7-1 OK Black).

Northville 50, Novi 41: Ellie Mackay paced Novi with 21 points, and Cara Ninkovich also added 12 points.

Redford Union 50, Dearborn Heights Annapolis 17: Johnnae Steele led Union with 15 points. Dannatural Mejia added 13 points.

Roseville 53, Warren Lincoln 27: Nija Collier scored 15 points and 15 rebounds for Roseville (12-5). Shantae Parker added 14 points and seven rebounds. Amari Davis scored eight points for Lincoln.

Royal Oak 42, Oxford 37: Mikea Williams led Royal Oak (12-5, 6-2 OAA White) with 12 points. Samantha Potter and Jessica Adams each added eight points and 10 rebounds. Maddie Morris paced Oxford (5-11, 2-5) with 14 points.

St Clair Shores Lakeview 56, Harrison Twp. L’Anse Creuse 40: Alicia Bullaro led Lakeview (16-1) with 12 points. Nicole Austin added 11 points and dished eight assists, and Lauren Wynn also scored 12 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Tiffany Burgess paced L’Anse Creuse with 20 points.

Shelby 73, Mason County Central 46: Jenny Beckman led Shelby with 20 points and eight assists.

Southfield A&T 63, North Farmington 42: Kierra Crockett paced North Farmington (12-5, 3-3 OAA Red) with 20 points and seven rebounds.

Stanton Central Montcalm 54, Newaygo 29: Libby Ledford scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Stanton. Hannah Putnam added 15 points and four rebounds, and Kenzie Rutz also chipped in 10 points and six rebounds.

Sterling Heights Parkway Christian 51, Westland Lutheran 36: Lauren Turned scored 14 points for Sterling Heights (10-5, 8-1). Erica Mack added 11 points, and Taylor Hunt and Talli Guido each chipped in 10 points.

Swartz Creek 51, Holly 46: Rebecca Fugate led Holly with 31 points, six rebounds and six steals. Paige Reid also added 15 points and five rebounds.

Trenton 49, Taylor Truman 15: Therese Hebda led Trenton with 11 points and four assists.

Walled Lake Northern 46, Walled Lake Central 18: Grace Fredericks led Northern (5-11) with 13 points.

Hazel Park High School is adding security and beefing up rules for fan etiquette as a result of fights that erupted last week at the boys’ basketball game against North Farmington.

The fights broke out after a student, who was eventually identified and disciplined, threw a bottle onto the court from the stands at Thursday’s game, stopping the clock with just over a minute left to play. Chaos ensued, with fans spilling onto the court.

The game was unruly even before the bottle throwing incident, as athletic director Dr. David Muylaert was thrown out of the game after a scuffle with a referee, and a referee chest bumped a scorekeeper during the game.

Principal Matt Dailey said Hazel Park Police auxiliary units will be on hand at athletic events scheduled for this week.

Read more:

Drive-thru clowning suspects arrested in Hazel Park

He said the district also put additional rules in place as discipline and fan etiquette.

Police: Partially mummified body found in Hazel Park home

“We came out with a spectator and student code of conduct … on what we expect of their behavior at these events, what our disciplinary process will look like with that,” Dailey said.

This week, the boys’ basketball team plays at Auburn Hills Avondale on Tuesday; the junior varsity and varsity girls’ basketball teams are home Thursday versus Berkley and on Friday the boys’ junior varsity and varsity basketball teams are home against Troy High School.

Contact Perry A. Farrell: pafarrell@freepress.com

Detroit High School Sports