Michigan roundup: Buchanan, Brandywine girls set for District title clash

The southwestern Michigan Division 3 girls basketball dream district title game matchup has become a reality.

No. 1-ranked (Detroit Free Press) Buchanan will face No. 7-ranked Brandywine in Friday's 7 p.m. championship game at Coloma.

Both had little trouble advancing from Wednesday's semifinals, the Bucks crushing Cassopolis 70-28 and the Bobcats routing Coloma 66-14.

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Buchanan is 20-1 and won both regular season meetings against Brandywine, 49-45 in overtime and 52-41. Brandywine is 21-2 and has won nine straight since the second loss to the Bucks.

The Division 2 final at Edwardsburg will feature the host Eddies versus Dowagiac Friday night.

Edwardsburg topped Benton Harbor 55-43 and Dowagiac defeated Niles 54-29 to set up the title game at 7 p.m. Friday.

Kenzie Schaible netted a handful of treys to pace the Eddies to the semifinal win with 15 points. Edwardsburg (16-7) will shoot for a fifth straight District crown.

Maggie Weller had 17 points to pace Dowagiac past Niles. Dowagiac, now 12-10, assured itself of the program's first winning season since 2009.

Bucks have Faith Wednesday night

Faith Carson, Buchanan's 6-4 Ohio State recruit, was simply too much for Cassopolis to handle. Carson had 24 points, 23 rebounds and five blocked shots. Katie Ailes added 13 points and eight rebounds and LaBria Austin nine points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Jillian McKean contributed five rebounds and four assists and Maddie Young had six rebounds for Buchanan, the defending district champ.

Ryley Bowsher, only a freshman, had nine points for Cassopolis, which finished 17-7, the school's best record since 2006.

BUCHANAN 70, CASSOPOLIS 28

BUCHANAN (70): Maddie Young 0, Jillian McKean 0, Justyce Cashier 4, Evyn Pruett 0, LaBria Austin 9, Caito Horvath 2, Hannah Herman 6, Katie Ailes 13, Alyssa Carson 6, Cam Carlson 0, Kirrah Robinson 4, Hannah Tompkins 2, Faith Carson 24. Totals 30 7-11 70.

CASSOPOLIS (28): Maliyah Flowers 1, Ella Smith 4, Alexis Millirans 6, Quianna Murray 1, Mackenzie Boyer 0, Atyanna Alford 6, Janayla Franklin 1, Ryley Bowsher 9. Totals 7 12-22 28.

3-point baskets: Buchanan 3 (Herman 1, Ailes 1, F. Carson 1), Cassopolis 2 (Bowsher 2). Total fouls (fouled out): Buchanan 21 (A. Carson), Cassopolis 12 (Murray). Records: Buchanan 20-1, Cassopolis 17-7

Hosts no match for Bobcats

Brandywine completely overwhelmed Coloma, grabbing leads of 25-4 after one quarter and 49-8 at halftime.

Kadence Brumitt and Allie Carter-Lee scored 10 points apiece to lead the Bobcats with Paige Krisler adding eight points and three steals, Adelyn Drotoz seven points and three steals, Ellie Knapp seven points, five assists and three steals and Ireland Prenkert seven points. Tressa Hullinger grabbed four rebounds and Miley Young also had three steals.

BRANDYWINE 66, COLOMA 14

BRANDYWINE (66): Adeline Gill 2, Ellie Knapp 7, Adelyn Drotoz 9, Ireland Prenkert 7, Tressa Hullinger 2, Macy Pellow 0, Karleigh Byrd 0, Paige Krisler 8, Miley Young 5, Kadence Brumitt 10, Cortney Bates 6, Allie Carter-Lee 10. Totals 23 11-16 66.

COLOMA (14): Hannah Grenon 0, Kourtney Smith 6, McKinleigh Kroemer 2, Andrea Bale  5, Bethany Rose 1. Totals 5 4-12 14.

3-point baskets: Brandywine 9 (Bates 2, Prenkert 2, Krisler 2, Knapp 1, Drotoz 1, Young 1), Coloma 0. Total fouls: Brandywine 11, Coloma 10. Records: Brandywine 21-2, Coloma 2-8

At Edwardsburg

Eddies hit long range vs. Benton Harbor

Kenzie Schaible hit five first-half 3-pointers to power Edwardsburg past Benton Harbor.

Schaible's barrage helped the Eddies to a 27-20 halftime lead and Jon Pobuda's was never headed in the second half. Edwardsburg locked up the win by hitting eight of 10 free throw opportunities in the fourth quarter.

Caitlin Tighe added 13 points and eight steals, Chloe Baker had 12 points and Averie Markel chipped in seven points and 13 rebounds for the Eddies (16-7), who will be seeking their fifth straight district title in Friday's 7 p.m. championship game against Dowagiac.

The two teams were both in the Wolverine Conference in recent years before Dowagiac left to join the Lakeland Conference last fall.

EDWARDSBURG 53, BENTON HARBOR 43

BENTON HARBOR (43): Janzia Wright 0, Zakeira Baxter 8, Desrae Kyles 13, Jeremy Jordan 12, Kabrina Mays 10. Totals 15 10-16 43.

EDWARDSBURG (53): Maddie Pobuda 0, Kenzie Schaible 15, Averie Markel 7, Kourtney Zarycki 0, Chloe Baker 12, Abby Bossler 6, Val Johnson 0, Caitlin Tighe 13. Totals 17 13-20 53.

3-point baskets: Benton Harbor 3 (Baxter 2, Jordan 1), Edwardsburg 6 (Schaible 5, Bossler 1). Total fouls (fouled out): Benton Harbor 18 (Baxter, Kyles), Edwardsburg 13. Records: Benton Harbor 15-9, Edwardsburg 16-7

Niles no match for Dowagiac

Maggie Weller scored 17 points to go with eight rebounds and four assists as Dowagiac ended the worst season in Niles' history.

Alanah Smith added 14 points and eight rebounds and Audrey Johnson had eight points, nine rebounds and six steals for the Chieftains (12-10), who clinched their first winning season since 2009.

Niles, which finished 0-22, got 20 points and eight rebounds from Tanaya Brown.

DOWAGIAC 54, NILES 29

At Edwardsburg

DOWAGIAC (54): Josie Lock 2, Rebecca Guernsey 2, Zabrina Shivers 2, Faith Green 0, Maggie Weller 17, Damia Brooks 0, Marlie Carpenter 9, Olivia Gadde 0, Audrey Johnson 8, Alanah Smith 14, Alanah Fleming 0. Totals 21 10-23 54.

NILES (29): Lacheryl Hampton 2, Elly Matlock 0, Anastasia Kopczynski 0, Madison Zache 0, Kloe Kiggins 0, Alizabeth VanDePutte 3, Jessica Thornton 0, Kenzie Lakes 0, Alexandria Gerrits 4, Amirah Lee 0, Kayla Kiggins 0, Kaylynn Rabecki 0, Tanaya Brown 20. Totals 9 11-19 29.

3-point baskets: Dowagiac 2 (Weller 2), Niles 0. Total fouls: Dowagiac 15, Niles 21. Records: Dowagiac 12-10, Niles 0-22

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: MHSAA girls basketball area district roundup