Lansing Christian vs. Fowler – – Girls Basketball – – MHSAA District Semifinal – – The Bleacher Denizen – – March 1, 2023 – – by Chuck Krafft

In tonight’s second game, the Pilgrims from Lansing Christian will take on the Eagles from Fowler. Here is a play by play of the first game between Webberville and Portland St. Patrick.
https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2023/03/02/webberville-vs-portland-st-patrick-girls-basketball-district-semifinal-march-1-2023-by-chuck-krafft/

While we wait for the game to start, I hope you will enjoy the latest post to my You Tube Channel. This song is an original one which is very special to me because my father (now deceased) helped me to write the lyrics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYixQ0OWsd4

Lansing Christian enters this game with an 11-12 record. This is a bit misleading as Lansing Christian plays in the GLAC, a conference in which they are by far the smallest school. Audra Usiak is a classic pass first point guard who makes very few mistakes running the offense. She is a tough and determined perimeter defender s well.

Grace Sullivan and Ava Mustapha are solid perimeter defenders who both can slash to the basket and hit the occasional shot from the three point line. Lydia Brogan is an excellent perimeter defender who is able to score on slashes to the basket. Anna Meyer is a good defender and rebounder in the post. Sophie Hazelton can get hot from the three point line.

Fowler’s Eagle Girls bring a 15-7 record into this District Semifinal. Emma Riley is a returning All-State guard for the Eagles. She is a complete guard who is coming back from a severe ankle injury suffered during basketball. She gets healthier every game and looks (to me at least) like she is close to the player she was before her injury.

She is an excellent defender who thinks the game well and has the quick feet, quick hands and technique to back it up. On offense, she is a great three point shooter and ball handler who can pretty much get wherever she needs to go on the court. She is really creative in devising ways to score on slashes to the basket.

Grace Epkey is a rare defender who is so versatile that she can cover any position on the floor and do it well. She is a tough rebounder who gets a lot of blocked shots, but also switches and covers people well on the perimeter when needed. On offense, she is really hard to stop on putbacks and layups; she can also hit the three point shot if she is out there and left open.

Taylor Weber and Avery Koenigsknecht are fierce perimeter defenders who run the Fowler press well. They get a lot of steals and speed up opposing offenses so they cannot operate comfortable. Both of them are able ball handlers who are also huge threats from the three point line.

Quinn Watts is an aggressive Eagle perimeter defender. Grace O’Hare is a good three point shooter and aggressive perimeter defender. Katie Spicer got a lot of experience running the point before Emma Riley was able to come back from her injury. She is a tough perimeter defender who can come up with really creative approaches to slash to the basket for scores. She can also shoot well from the three point line.

Let’s take a look at the events of this game through the hopefully clear lenses of an Aging Bleacher Denizen who was never able to escape church league back when he attempted to play basketball in the days of yore. Because the Bleacher Denizen shot so many bricks, the peach baskets we shot at in ancient times were in constant danger of needing replacement. After they replaced ten peach baskets in one quarter, they ruled that the Bleacher Denizen was not allowed on the varsity courts!!

Christian wins the opening tap. Avery Koenigsknecht steals the ball for Fowler and passes to Grace Epkey, who his fouled on a fast break layup. Grace Epkey hits one of her two free throws for Fowler. Taylor Weber steals the ball for the Eagles and passes to Grace Epkey, who is fouled on a layup and hits one of her two free throws. With 7:13 to play in the first quarter, the score is Grace Epkey 2 Lansing Christian 0.

Christian misses a three point shot from the side. Ava Mustapha pulls down the offensive rebound for the Pilgrims. Emma Riley steals the ball for the Eagles. Fowler misses a fast break layup. Christian commits an offensive foul. Fowler throws a pass out of bounds. Christian fumbles a pass out of bounds. Fowler misses a three pointer near the top of the key. Taylor Weber gets the offensive rebound for the Eagles. Grace O’Hare tosses the ball to Taylor Weber, who hits a three point shot from the wing to give Fowler a 5-0 lead.

Grace Epkey blocks a Christian layup. Grace Epkey drives and hits a layup for Fowler. She is fouled on the play and also makes her free throw to give Fowler an 8-0 lead with 4:00 remaining in the first quarter.

Emma Riley gets her hand on the ball and Christian loses it out of bounds. Fowler misses an eight foot shot off the dribble in the lane. Christian misses a fifteen footer from the baseline. Fowler misses a fast break layup. Lydia Brogan hits a fast break ten footer from the side of the lane to give Christian its first two points of the game.

Fowler misses a threeball from the side. Grace O’Hare steals the ball for Fowler and passes to Quinn Watts, who hits a layup to give for Fowler. Ava Waldron is fouled on a layup and hits two free throws to trim the Fowler lead to 10-4 with 2:07 remaining in the first quarter.

Emma Riley throws in a threeball from near the top of the key for Fowler. Ava Waldron passes to Sophia Hazelton, who hits a three point shot from the wing for Christian. Lydia Brogan steals the ball for the Pilgrims. Christian misses a fast break layup. Emma Riley gets into the lane and banks in a six foot scooped shot to give Fowler a 15-7 lead.

Christian misses a ten foot shot off the dribble in the lane. The rebound goes out of bounds and Fowler takes possession. Avery Koenigsknecht passes to Katie Spicer, who hits a three point shot from the corner for Fowler. Taylor Weber steals the ball for the Eagles. Fowler is fouled on a layup, but misses two free throws. Lydia Brogan is fouled on a driving layup and hits one of her two free throws for Christian to trim the Fowler lead to 18-8.

Ava Mustapha pulls down the offensive rebound for the Pilgrims. Christian commits a traveling violation. Emma Riley is fouled on a driving layup and hits two free throws for Fowler with just 5.2 seconds left in the quarter. Audra Usiak banks in a three point shot from the wing as the first quarter buzzer announces its presence. (I heard her call “BANK” – – I think – – – -.)

After one quarter, Fowler has a 20-11 lead.

Christian inbounds the ball to open the second quarter. Emma Riley blocks a Christian layup; the rebound is tied up. The Possession Arrow consults its Magic 8 Ball and decides to give the ball to Fowler. Fowler misses a three point shot from the corner. Katie Spicer blocks a Christian corner three point shot. Lydia Brogan grabs the loose ball. Christian is fouled on a shot in the lane, but misses its free throws. With 6:51 remaining in the second quarter, Fowler has a 20-11 lead.

Emma Riley passes to a teammate who is fouled on a hook/layup, but misses two free throws. Grace O’Hare’s tough defense forces a Christian traveling violation. Fowler misses a layup. Christian misses a driving layup; the rebound goes out of bounds and Fowler takes possession. A Fowler dribbler loses the ball out of bounds. Grace O’Hare knocks the ball out of bounds; Christian retains possession. Lydia Brogan drives the baseline and hits a layup for Christian. She is fouled on the play, but misses her free throw. With 5:23 to play in the first half, the Fowler lead is at 20-13.

Fowler misses a three point shot from the side. The rebound goes out of bounds and Christian gets the ball. Ava Waldron passes to Lydia Brogan, who is fouled on a layup and hits one of her two free throws for Christian. Fowler misses a sixteen foot shot from the wing. Fowler gets the offensive rebound, but misses a driving layup. Christian misses a driving five foot hook shot. Fowler misses a short fast break hook shot. Christian misses a threeball from the wing. Emma Riley hits a long twenty-five foot three pointer from the wing to give Fowler a 23-14 lead.

Christian drives and dishes the ball out of bounds. Fowler misses a layup. Christian is fouled on the rebound, but misses the first shot of a one and one free throw opportunity. Taylor Weber passes to Katie Spicer, who hits a fourteen foot shot in the lane for Fowler. Christian misses a three point shot from the side. Audra Usiak steals the ball for Christian. Christian misses a fast break layup. Fowler is fouled, but misses the first free throw of a one and one opportunity. With 2:00 to play in the first half, Fowler has a 25-14 lead.

Lydia Brogan drives and hits a layup for Christian. Anna Meyer draws a charging foul from the Eagles. Fowler ties the ball up. The Possession Arrow is lounging in the hammock sipping a lemonade and misses the play. The ball is awarded to Christian. Audra Usiak goes way into the backcourt to retrieve Christian’s inbound pass. Christian misses a twelve foot shot from the baseline.

Fowler misses a three point shot from the wing. Katie Spicer gets the offensive rebound for the Eagles. Fowler misses an eight foot shot from the baseline. The rebound is tied up; the Possession Arrow grants the ball to Fowler. The Eagles miss a three pointer near the top of the key. Ella Hufnagel gets the offensive rebound for the Eagles. Fowler misses a three pointer from the corner. The rebound goes out of bounds and Christian takes possession.

Christian misses a three point shot from the side and the rebound goes out of bounds. Fowler takes possession, but does not try to shoot in the final 2.4 seconds of the half.

Fowler has a 25-16 lead at halftime.

Lydia Brogan has 8 points to lead the Christian scoring at halftime.

Emma Riley has 10 points to lead Fowler. Grace Epkey and Katie Spicer each have 5 points.

There is no halftime entertainment. Maybe we can listen to this acoustic hymn from my You Tube Channel as a contract from the rocking Christian song we opened the game with! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dJt6E-siOg

Christian inbounds the ball to get the third quarter underway. The Pilgrims miss a three pointer from the side. Lydia Brogan steals the ball for the Pilgrims. Christian misses a fast break layup. Quinn Watts passes to Grace Epkey, who hits a ten foot shot from the side of the lane for Fowler. Christian loses a pass out of bounds. Avery Koenigsknecht drives and hits a layup to boost the Fowler lead to 29-16.

Avery Koenigsknecht steals the ball for the Eagles. Ava Mustapha knocks the ball away from Fowler and Audra Usiak ties it up for Christian. The Possession Arrow was cleaning its glasses and misinterpreted the play. The ball is awarded to Fowler. Taylor Weber inbounds the ball to Avery Koenigsknecht, who throws in a threeball from the side to give Fowler a 32-16 lead.

Maddie Crawford drives and is fouled on an eight foot shot. She hits one of her two free throws for Christian. Emma Riley drives and hits a layup for Fowler. Lydia Brogan drives and is fouled on an eight foot shot in the lane. She hits one of her two free throws to trim the Fowler lead to 34-18 with 5:29 to play in quarter number three.

Fowler misses a threeball from the side. The rebound goes out of bounds and Christian takes possession. Christian misses a driving layup. Fowler throws a pass out of bounds. Ava Waldron passes to Audra Usiak, who hits a twelve foot shot in the lane for Christian. Fowler misses a three point shot from the top of the key. Maddie Crawford drives from the side and hits a layup for Christian to shave the Fowler lead to 34-22.

Fowler misses a fourteen foot shot in the land. Christian misses a threeball from the top of the key. Maddie Crawford snags the offensive rebound for the Pilgrims. Audra Usiak passes the ball to a teammate who is fouled on a layup, but misses two free throws.

The rebound from the missed free throw goes out of bounds and Fowler takes possession. Fowler misses a three point shot from the side. Avery Koenigsknecht dives and ties up the rebound for Fowler. The Possession Arrow meditates and issues the ball to Christian. Ava Mustapha drives and hits a layup to trim the Fowler lead to 34-24.

Fowler misses a driving layup. A Pilgrim dribbler loses the ball out of bounds. Katie Spicer passes to Emma Riley, who hits a layup for the Eagles, is fouled and makes her free throw. With 2:05 left in the third quarter, Fowler has a 37-24 lead.

Katie Spicer knocks the ball away from the Pilgrims and Grace O’Hare picks it up for the Eagles. Ava Waldron knocks the ball away from the Eagles and Lydia Brogan picks it up for the Pilgrims. Christian misses an eight foot shot in the lane. Ava Mustapha gets the offensive rebound for Christian. The Pilgrims travel on a drive to the basket. Katie Spicer passes to Emma Riley, who hits a layup to give Fowler a 39-24 lead.

Christian misses a six foot shot from the baseline. Fowler turns the ball over on a fast break. Christian drives the baseline and misses a layup. Fowler misses a three point shot from the side. Christian misses a fifteen foot shot from the baseline. Fowler misses a twenty foot shot from the side as the third quarter buzzer blares.

After three quarters, Fowler has a 39-24 lead.

Fowler has the ball to start the fourth quarter. Katie Spicer passes to Emma Riley for an Eagle layup. Christian misses a threeball from the side. Ava Mustapha hits a putback for the Pilgrims. Fowler is fouled on a driving eight foot shot in the lane, but misses two free throws. Christian drives from the side and is fouled on a layup, but misses two free throws. With 6:56 to play in the game, Fowler’s lead is at 41-26.

Lydia Brogan dives and ties up the ball. The Possession Arrow and its garden committee vote and agree to award the ball to Christian. Lydia Brogan passes to Ava Mustapha, who hits a layup for the Pilgrims to trim the Eagle lead to 41-28.

Fowler drives from the side, but misses a layup. Taylor Weber pulls down the offensive rebound for the Eagles. Avery Koenigsknecht passes to Katie Spicer, who hits a three pointer from the wing for the Eagles. Christian is fouled, but misses the first shot of a one and one free throw opportunity. Anna Meyer gets the offensive rebound for the Pilgrims. Christian misses a jump shot. The rebound goes out of bounds and Fowler takes possession. Katie Spicer is fouled on a driving layup and hits one of her two free throws to give Fowler a 45-28 lead with 5:28 left on the clock.

Ava Mustapha drives the baseline and hits a layup for the Pilgrims. Katie Spicer hits a two point shot just inside the three point line from the top of the key. Katie Spicer steals the ball for the Eagles. Fowler misses a fast break layup. Christian misses a threeball from the side. Fowler reciprocates and misses a threeball from the side. Emma Riley hits a putback for Fowler, is fouled and makes her free throw to give Fowler a 50-30 lead with 3:52 to go.

Audra Usiak drives and hits a layup for Christian. Avery Koenigsknecht is fouled on a driving layup and hits one of her two free throws for Fowler. Taylor Weber steals the ball for the Eagles. Fowler misfires on a three point attempt from the side. Christian reciprocates and misfires on a three point attempt from the side. The rebound goes out of bounds and Fowler takes possession.

Fowler misses a jump shot from the side. The Eagles get the offensive rebound. Fowler misses a three pointer from the side. Christian passes the ball through the lane and out of bounds. Grace Epkey drives and hits a layup for Fowler to give the Eagles a 53-32 lead.

Katie Spicer steals the ball and hits a fast break layup for the Eagles. Christian misses a sixteen foot shot from the side. Audra Usiak grabs the offensive rebound for the Pilgrims. Ava Waldron is fouled on a twelve foot jumper from the side and hits one of her two free throws. With 42.4 seconds to play, Fowler’s lead is at 55-33.

Avery Wayner nearly steals the ball for Christian, but Fowler recovers. Ella Hufnagel drives and hits a layup for Fowler. Christian misses a six foot hook shot from the baseline. The rebound is tied up. With just .2 of a second to play, Christian gets the ball. As soon as the ball is unbounded, the buzzer sounds.

Fowler wins this game 57-33 and will play St. Patrick in the District Final Friday night.

Lydia Brogan led the Christian scoring with 9 points. Ava Mustapha put in 8 points and Audra Usiak had 7 points. Sophie Hazelton, Maddie Crawford and Ava Waldron each scored 3 points.

Emma Riley led the Fowler scoring with 21 points. Katie Spicer joined her teammate in double figures with 14 points. Grace Epkey contributed 9 points. Avery Koenigsknecht pitched in with 6 points. Taylor Weber scored three points. Quinn Watts and Ella Hufnagel each tallied 2 points.