Detroit Country Day celebrates after defeating Jackson Northwest 64-48 in the Class B girls basketball finals at Calvin College in Grand Rapids on Saturday, March 17, 2018. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com)
By Tony Garcia | agarcia6@mlive.com
It was lucky No. 13 for Detroit Coutry Day.
Saturday's contest was the toughest game all postseason for the Yellow Jackets and legendary coach Frank Orlando, who has led the program to 18 championship games and 13 titles, but his experienced guards made enough plays to beat Jackson Northwest 64-48 in the Class B state championship.
Here's how it happened, quarter-by-quarter summaries, thoughts from both teams coaches and video reaction.
Related: To view the entire photo gallery from Satruday's championship game, click here.
Watch DCD celebrate winning the 2018 Class B state title
Northwest coach Ryan Carroll gives his thoughts postgame
Jackson Northwest's Baileigh Ryan (4), Jozie Bontrager (15) and Carsyn Sleight (22) walk off the court after losing to Detroit Country Day 64-48 in the Class B girls basketball finals at Calvin College in Grand Rapids on Saturday, March 17, 2018. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com)
Hanging numbers
The Northwest girls basketball team had basketball shirts made that had its goals listed on it. It was actually a very simple t-shirt with one phrase: #hangingnumbers
By "numbers" what Northwest really means is banners. The Mounties wanted to add to a program history that had just a handful of conference and district championships to its credit and boy did they.
This 2017-18 Northwest team was able to set multiple records, including picking up the most wins in a season with 26 and earning the first regional championship, state quarterfinal and state semifinal victories in program history.
"Like Ella (Bontrager) said yesterday, we had this goal all season to become state champions and even though we didn't make that goal, we made history at our school," said senior forward Michaela Caster. "We did that. We hung three numbers this season and that's something we accomplished as a team together and it was great to be a part of that with all of these people."
Jackson Northwestas Sydney Shafer (20) attempts a shot against Detroit Country Day during the second quarter in the Class B girls basketball finals at Calvin College in Grand Rapids on Saturday, March 17, 2018. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com)
Three stars
Third star: Detroit Country Day’s Kaela Webb who had 11 points, seven assists, six steals and four rebounds and was instrumental in forcing 20 Northwest turnovers
Second star: Northwest’s Sydney Shafer who led all scorers with 22 points to go with eight rebounds and three assists
First star: Country Day’s Jamsine Powell who led the team with 19 points, four assists and four steals
Detroit Country Dayas Jasmine Powell (3) steals the ball away from Jackson Northwestas Taryn Hendershot (21) during the first quarter in the Class B girls basketball finals at Calvin College in Grand Rapids on Saturday, March 17, 2018. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com
Country Day stats leaders
Kaela Webb: 11 points, seven assists, six steals and four rebounds
Jasmine Powell: 19 points, four assists and four steals
Adrian Folks: 12 points and seven rebounds
Maddie Novak: 13 points and four rebounds
Jackson Northwestas Ella Bontrager (5) attempts a shot over Detroit Country Dayas Kaela Webb (0) during the second quarter in the Class B girls basketball finals at Calvin College in Grand Rapids on Saturday, March 17, 2018. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com)
Jackson Northwest stats leaders
Sydney Shafer: 22 points, eight rebounds, three assists
Ella Bontrager: 10 points and three rebounds
Jozie Bontrager: Four points and six rebounds
Brooklynne Bevier: Two points and five rebounds
Detroit Country Daya's Morgan Morrison (22) fights for a loose ball with Jackson Northwestas Carsyn Sleight (22) during the second quarter in the Class B girls basketball finals at Calvin College in Grand Rapids on Saturday, March 17, 2018. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com)
The turning point
Detroit Country Day jumped on Northwest to open the game, mounting a 15-7 lead half way through the first quarter. The Mounties fell behind by 10 to end the period, but instead of folding they responded to tighten the game within two.
The contest would remain within eight points until the final minute of the third period.
Down 44-39, Northwest surrendered a triple to Destini Lewis with one minute remaining in the third quarter. Just 30 seconds left, Maddie Novak drained a 3-pointer of her own to close the quarter on a 6-0 run to put the Yellow Jackets up 50-39, their largest lead of the game.
"We watched a lot of film on them and they had girls step up and hit shots that we didn't expect to hit shots," Northwest coach Ryan Carroll said. "Even to start the game we didn't think Powell would knock down two early 3-pointers like that...We were in a great spot and had momentum going but that's basketball. The point of basketball is putting the ball through the net and they had kids step up and do that."
Detroit Country Dayas Maxine Moore (44) pressures Jackson Northwestas Michaela Caster (33) as she attempts a layup during the first quarter in the Class B girls basketball finals at Calvin College in Grand Rapids on Saturday, March 17, 2018. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com)
Quotable
“Like I said yesterday, I’m so blessed and grateful. I have to give it up to my teammates and coach O for just instilling you know a tremendous work ethic in all of us. In practice every day this was our common goal and to have three of these (state championships), not a lot of people can say that, but me Kaela (Webb) and Denstini (Lewis) we’re so proud of our program, our coaches and everybody.”
-- Maxine Moore on winning three state championships in four years
Detroit Country Day head coach Frank Orlando gives Detroit Country Dayas Maxine Moore (44) a hug after defeating Jackson Northwest 64-48 in the Class B girls basketball finals at Calvin College in Grand Rapids on Saturday, March 17, 2018. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com)
Final: Detroit Country Day 64, Jackson Northwest 48
The Yellow Jackets carried over the momentum from the end of the third quarter into the beginning of the fourth quarter to create an insurmountable lead.
The Yellow Jackets opened the quarter on an 9-3 run through the first three minutes, capped with a Novak And-1 layup. But the Mounties wouldn’t go without a fight. Shafer buried a triple and Ella Bontrager hit a layup to get Northwest back within 11 points.
Country Day called a timeout with the ball with 2:52 remaining to figure out how to stall on offense and it was able to do just that, holding the ball for a full 1:14 before the Mounties committed a foul with 1:38 left in the game.
Detroit Country Day would make enough free throws down the stretch to preserve its 64-48 win.
Detroit Country Dayas Kaela Webb (0) attempts a shot over Jackson Northwestas Sydney Shafer (20) during the first quarter in the Class B girls basketball finals at Calvin College in Grand Rapids on Saturday, March 17, 2018. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com)
Third quarter: Detroit Country Day 50, Jackson Northwest 39
Northwest got exactly the start it needed to open the third quarter.
After the Yellow Jackets missed two free throws on their first possession, Caster made a turnaround to get Northwest within six. Shafer got a rebound on the next Yellow Jacket miss and took it coast to coast for the layup.
An Ella Bontrager free throw got the Mounties back within three before the Yellow Jackets would answer. Powell hit a layup, Maxine Moore hit a turnaround and Folks got a put back to put Country Day up 40-32 before Shafer found Ella Bontrager in the wing for the triple to make it 40-35.
The teams would trade buckets buckets until Shafer made two free throws, getting the Mounties within 44-39 but some unsung heros for the Yellow Jackets helped Country Day pull away.
Destini Lewis and Maddie Novak hit consecutive 3-pointers in the final minute of the quarter to give Detroit Country Day the 50-39 lead, its largest of the game.
Jackson Northwest prepares to take the court against Detroit Country Day in the Class B girls basketball finals at Calvin College in Grand Rapids on Saturday, March 17, 2018. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com
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Half: Detroit Country Day 34, Jackson Northwest 26
If you thought Northwest would fold after falling behind by 10 points, think again. The Mounties forced an early turnover and turned it into an Ella Bontrager putback layup.
Morgan Hanchett then buried a triple from the wing before Shafer hit a 25-foot 3-pointer to get Northwest within 23-21. That’s when Adrian Folks came alive for Country Day. She scored the next six Yellow Jacket points to put them up 29-24 with three minutes remaining.
Country Day would outscore Northwest 5-2 the rest of the way to take a 34-26 lead into the locker room.
First quarter: Detroit Country Day 23, Jackson Northwest 13
Detroit Country Day came into play boasting arguably the best combination in the state and it didn’t take long to show it. The Yellow Jackets won the tip, swung the ball to senior Kaela Webb on the wing who knocked down a 3-pointer just six seconds into the game.
Junior guard Jasmine Powell got it going on the next possession, stealing the ball and and taking it the other way to put DCD up 5-0. After back-to-back layups by Ella Bontrager and MC Caster, Powell drained a triple for Country Day to go up 8-4. Ater a shafer layup cut Northwest’s deficit to 8-6, Powell drained another triple before two Maddie Novak free throws put the Yellow Jackets up 13-6.
Country Day got its lead up to 15-7 before Shafer hit a triple from the wing to get the Mounties back within five. But the Yellow Jackets would close the quarter strong. Powell and Webb’s quickness provided mismatches for Northwest defensively and they were able to score six consecutive points to put the Yellow Jackets up 21-10 with 1:15 to play in the quarter.
Shafer hit a big 3-pointer with 40 seconds left to slow the Yellow Jackets momentum, but a Webb floater with five seconds remaining made it 23-13 after one.
Detroit County Day players huddle up before the start of a girls basketball MHSAA State Semifinals game between Detroit County Day and Kingsley at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Friday, March 16, 2018. (Casey Sykes | MLive.com)
How they got here
District opener: Detroit Country Day 74, Center Line 29
District semifinal: Detroit Country Day 88, Ferndale University 16
District final: Detroit Country Day 72, Madison Heights Lamphere 27
Regional semifinal: Detroit Country Day 74, North Branch 20
Regional final: Detroit Country Day 47, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 25
State quarterfinal: Detroit Country Day 58, Freeland 41
State semifinal: Detroit Country Day 70, Kingsley 54
Jackson Northwest senior Ella Bontrager (5) hugs junior Sydney Shafer (20) after the Class B state semifinal game against Michigan Center at Van Noord Arena at Calvin College in Grand Rapids on Friday, March 16, 2018. (Neil Blake | MLive.com)
District semifinal: Northwest 65, Western 35
District final: Northwest 50, Eaton Rapids 42
Regional semifinal: Northwest 43, Marshall 42
Regional final: Northwest 48, Fowlerville 43
State quarterfinal: Northwest 42, Hamilton 35
State semifinal: Northwest 56, Michigan Center 47
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