MICHIGAN CENTER -- The Michigan Center girls basketball team has a banner and some merchandise this season that says unfinished business.
The slogan refers back to last year’s run to the Class B state semifinals which ended against crosstown foe Northwest; one win short of a championship game and two wins short of a title.
“We haven’t talked about last year that much, but it’s in the back of all our minds,” said Michigan Center coach Joe Lusk. “We don’t really need to (talk about it), I know the girls are hungry for it.”
That much was evident on Thursday night in Michigan Center, when the Cardinals played a talented, scrappy Grass Lake team and rattled the Warriors young players while putting together an impressive second half in a 57-30 victory.
Michigan Center was up by just four at the break before out-scoring Grass Lake 33-10 over the final two quarters.
And while this year’s Michigan Center team isn’t trying to compare itself to last years squad that made the program’s deepest run in more than a decade, there are some striking similarities between the two.
First, is balanced scoring. Only once in four games has Michigan Center had a player score 20 points or more and on Thursday, the Cardinals had three athletes in double figures and four score nine points or more.
Alize Tripp had 16 points and six rebounds, Shea Tripp put up a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double and Morgan Morris finished with nine points and four rebounds.
But even with those impressive numbers, Teagan Haynes was the player of the game. Haynes finished with 14 points, three assists and three steals and her performance on the other end was even stronger.
Haynes, who consistently guarded opponents' top players as a sophomore last season, once again marked the most talented player on the court in Grass Lake’s sophomore Abrie Cabana.
Haynes held the Grand Valley State commit to a season low 10 points -- although she grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds for a double-double -- which went a long way in determining the final outcome.
“She is our bulldog, she aggravates the snot out of whoever she’s guarding, she works hard at it,” Lusk said of Haynes. “I took her out just a few times to give her a break. But she runs the floor, pushes the ball for us and defensively she’s our anchor; she sets the example and the other kind of follow it.”
Michigan Center (4-0, 1-0 Cascades) hasn’t lost a league game since 2016-17 while Grass Lake (3-1, 0-1 Cascades) now sees the level it needs to get to to compete for a conference championship. The Warriors had a great finish to last season, making the regional championship, but they had three senior starters on that lineup.
And while this team might be as talented as the 2017-18 version, it hasn’t played as much together. But even with that, Grass Lake coach Andrea Cabana wasn’t making any excuses.
“Michigan Center played great defense the whole game, they were disciplined and focused,” Cabana said. “We were not. Yes, we’re young, but we are not inexperienced. We need to be more resilient.”
Lexus Bargesser added eight points and 10 rebounds.
The part which should have other Jackson-area teams afraid in reference to Michigan Center, is it still doesn’t have one of its best players available in Kaycee Shannon. Lusk did single out the job Morris and Amanda Zaborowski did have done in her absence.
“We definitely miss her, but I will say Zabo is filling in really well for her,” Lusk said. “I told her at Lenawee Christian, she got a monster rebound on one of our free throws, I thought it saved the game.”
Shannon was initially expected back between Dec. 15-18, but according to recent updates, Lusk isn’t sure she will get cleared before Christmas. The junior is participating in drills, running and cutting and even played a game of one-on-one against one of the members of the Cardinals' boys team, but isn’t quite ready to go at game speed.
“I know she wants to charge right in there but my thought is work her into it, ease her into it,” Lusk said. “I told her, her knee won’t be the problem, it’s the mass between her ears trying to tell her to get back too quickly. But we’re ready to have her back.”