Mackinaw City edged by Jahfetson, Baraga in state quarterfinal

MUNISING – If you were a fan of elite defense, Tuesday night’s MHSAA Division 4 girls basketball state quarterfinal showdown between Mackinaw City and Baraga was your type of game.

Over four intense quarters, the Lady Comets and Lady Vikings got after each other and showed defensively why they’re two of the best teams in the state.

But there was one major difference maker that got the Vikings over the finish line and ended a magical postseason run by the Comets.

Corina Jahfetson.

Jahfetson – who scored 20 points and made six 3-pointers in the first half – netted a game-high 26 points and helped the Vikings generate just enough offense to hold off the Comets in a 40-36 victory in Munising.

“She (Jahfetson) popped off in the first half,” said Mackinaw City coach Jake Huffman. “Some of it was we weren’t doing a bad job defensively, because we had a hand in her face and we were getting out there, or maybe the rotation was a little late, but a lot of those shots were still contested, but shooters get in zones and she was in a zone in that first half. Ultimately, that was really the difference in the basketball game. She had 26 of their 40.”

The loss marked the end of a thrilling campaign for the Comets (25-2), who battled back from a 12-point second-half deficit to cut Baraga’s lead to three multiple times.

But in the end, the Comets didn’t muster enough offense and committed turnovers at critical times.

“That’s by far the best defensive ball club we’ve played all year,” Huffman said. “Turnovers definitely hurt tonight, but to their (Baraga) credit, a lot of that is due to what they were doing defensively, and they hustle so fast to the basketball, and those were some of the adjustments we were trying to make, and understanding the reads and what’s there and what’s not there, and our group busted their tails, their group busted their tails, and unfortunately turnovers hurt us a little bit tonight, but a lot of that credit goes to how Baraga plays basketball and how hard they get after it.

“That team did a phenomenal job and they took away a lot of the stuff we normally do well.”

Jahfetson made her presence known as early as the first quarter, connecting on a three to start the contest, but Mackinaw City senior forward Madison Smith keyed a 7-0 run all by herself to help the Comets take a 7-3 lead. However, Jahfetson responded quickly with two more treys for the Vikings, who led 14-11 at the end of one.

“She was going to be our No. 1 coming into this season, she’s had over 90 threes on the season, I’m not even sure what the total is at this point, but she's a fantastic fantastic shooter,” Baraga coach Tyler Larson said of Jahfetson, who finished with eight threes. “A kid that’s been shooting in the gym since she could dribble a basketball, and big players make big plays in big games, right? She’s been kind of quiet as far as the 3-point shooting goes lately, but she has stepped up when her team needed her the most.”

Trailing 17-13 in the second, Smith drilled her second three of the game to get the Comets to within one, but Jahfetson exploded with two more threes, fueled a 10-0 run, and helped the Vikings take a 27-16 advantage. Thanks to a Smith field goal and a made free throw from senior center Julia Sullivan, the Comets only trailed 27-19 at the break.

The Comets unleashed their ferocious defense and got back into the contest in the third, which saw them slice what was a 33-21 deficit to 33-27.

In the fourth, Smith made another basket to cut Baraga’s lead to three, but the Vikings received two critical buckets from senior Autumn Tembreull, which pushed the advantage back to 37-30. Sullivan scored an inside basket with under two minutes left to trim Baraga’s lead to three, but that’s the closest the Comets would get as they were let down by miscues late.

While their season ended, the Comets went down swinging.

“That’s the thing I’m most proud of these girls, is that they’re such fighters and work so hard – and the fact that they never quit,” Huffman said. “We got down by 10 or 11 points and we fought to get that back down to three, and that game kind of sat between three and six (points) the rest of the way. Baraga did a great job of closing the ballgame out. Again, there’s a thing or two here or there that maybe we didn’t execute, and it ultimately came down to execution at that point, and they did a great job doing that, but our fight was there all the way up until the end.”

Smith had a strong finish to her Mackinaw City career, leading with 19 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals. Smith also eclipsed 1,000 career rebounds with her performance.

Sullivan tallied nine points and seven rebounds in her last game, while senior Larissa Huffman had four points, five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals, senior Marlie Postula added two points, seven rebounds and one assist, and junior Gracie Beauchamp chipped in with two points, three rebounds, one block and one assist.

“We were hoping to extend this out for another game or two, and that’s what I told the girls in the locker room. I said, ‘Every one of you can be proud of yourselves because you gave 100 percent,’ and tonight was Baraga’s night,” Huffman said. “Another night, maybe it would’ve been ours, but they are such an amazing group of kids. Very special.”

Another huge difference in the game was the stingy defense of the Vikings, who held the talented guard trio of Huffman, Postula and Beauchamp to a combined eight points.

“If you were to tell me that before the game I would’ve chuckled, but I wouldn’t say it’s unheard of because we have a very stingy defense and very scrappy guards,” Larson said. “Our press has cost disruption for many teams throughout the season, and I’m happy with their execution in the game tonight, because they (Mackinaw City) have a very stellar team, well coached, very well experienced, very well oiled, and I’m very proud of the way our kids played tonight.”

With the win, Baraga (22-5) advances to face defending champion Fowler (20-7) in a state semifinal rematch at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

Tembreull and Kinsei Jahfetson finished with four points apiece for the Vikings, who received three points each from Mia Coronado and Kylie Michaelson.

It was an incredible postseason journey for the Comets, who made history by winning a first-ever regional title last week. The Comets also claimed a fifth consecutive Northern Lakes Conference crown and a fourth district championship in five seasons during the campaign.

“I feel bad for my seniors because they’ve worked so hard and they’ve done such a phenomenal job as leaders for girls in the program, leaders in the school, and they’re great human beings," Huffman said. "Everything they do so well and they’re going to be phenomenal adults as they go into the real world and into college and all that stuff. I’m going to miss them so much because they’re such great kids. It hurts.

“A lot to be proud of, and they leave a huge legacy in the school, and I’m just so proud of what they’ve done and how hard they work.”

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Mackinaw City edged by Jahfetson, Baraga in state quarterfinal