Niles Brandywine vs. Ypsilanti Arbor Prep – – MHSAA Division 3 Girls Basketball Final – – The Bleacher Denizen – – March 23, 2024 – – by Chuck Krafft

It is now 4 PM and its time for the Division 3 final between the Bobcats of Niles Brandywine and the Gators of Ypsilanti Arbor Prep. Brandywine enters the game with a 26-1 record while Arbor Prep is at 24-4.

Brandywine is rated Number 2 in the state of Michigan Division 3 Rankings. Their only loss this season came to Division 2 Quarterfinalist Vicksburg.

Thanks to the Michigan High School Athletic Association for providing these statistics. (Please note that they do not include the semifinal game.)

Ellie Knapp scores 14 points per game. She also passes out 4.6 assists and gets 3.8 steals per game. She is a threat from the three point line and has hit 40 long bombs this year. Miley Young averages 9.4 points and 2.8 assists per game. Kadence Brummitt scores 8.8 points and pulls down 6.7 rebounds per game. Adelyn Drotoz averages 6.6 points per game and is another three point threat; she has hit 42 long shots this year. Adeline Gill scores 6.0 points per game.

Arbor Prep is no stranger to the final week; they won the State Championship in 2022 and have made the final four many times in recent history. They are rated Number 1 in Division 3 this year. All their losses are two Division 1 and 2 opponents. Two of the loses came to Division 2 finalists Detroit Edison and Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard.

Stephanie Utomi leads the Gators in scoring with 12.6 points per game. She also gets 7.6 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. Stacy Utomi, Stephanie’s twin sister averages 10.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Taylor Wallace is a big three point threat as she has hit 87 of them so far this year. She averages 13.1 points per game. Eliza Bush passes out 4.0 assists per game.

I was here to cover the Division 4 final between Ishpeming and Kingston. Here is the play by play of that game! https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2024/03/22/frankfort-vs-kingston-mhsaa-division-4-girls-basketball-semifinal-the-bleacher-denizen-march-21-2024-by-chuck-krafft/

It is now time to look at the events of this game through the seasoned (and hopefully clear) lenses of an aging Bleacher Denizen who was never to escape church league when he attempted to hoop in the days of yore when he was considered to be “young.” He was starting to show a lot of promise as a dunker until the Basketball Powers That Be raised the rim from five feet to the current ten feet. Alas, all the time spent practicing those show dunk moves went to waste.

Arbor Prep wins the opening tap. The Gators miss a driving layup; the rebound goes out of bounds and Brandywine takes possession. Eliza Bush steals the ball for the Gators. Miley Young steals the ball for the Bobcats. Ellie Knapp passes to Adelyn Drotoz, who throws in a threeball from the wing to give Brandywine the first three points of the game.

Arbor Prep misfires on a triple try from the wing. Ellie Knapp passes to Kadence Brummit, who drives and hits a layup to give Brandywine a 5-0 lead.

Arbor Prep misses a three point shot from the wing. Brandywine misses a three point shot from the corner. Adeline Gill gets the offensive rebound for the Bobcats. Brandywine misses a three point shot from the wing. Arbor Prep misses a jump shot from the free throw line. Eliza Bush pulls down the offensive rebound for the Gators. Arbor Prep misses a fourteen foot shot from the side.

Autumn Pernell knocks the ball out of bounds to prevent a Bobcat fast break layup; Brandywine retains possession. Stacy Utomi knocks the ball away from Brandywine and Autumn Pernell picks it up for Arbor Prep. Arbor Prep misses a driving layup. Autumn Pernell hits a putback to trim the Brandywine lead to 5-2.

Stacy Utomi blocks a Bobcat driving layup. Arbor Prep misses a three point shot from the wing. Brandywine misses a three point shot from the side. The rebound goes out of bounds and Arbor Prep takes possession. Arbor Prep misses a driving layup. Stephanie Utomi hits a putback to cut the Bobcat lead to 5-4.

Taylor Wallace gets her hand on the ball to foil a Brandywine fast break; the ball goes out of bounds and Arbor Prep takes possession. Arbor Prep misses a three point shot from the top of the key and fouls on the rebound. Stephanie Utomi steals the ball for Arbor Prep. Eliza Bush passes to Stephanie Utomi, who hits a fifteen foot shot from the wing to give Arbor Prep a 6-5 lead.

Adeline Gill passes to Kadence Brummitt, who hits a fast break layup for Brandywine to retake the lead by one point. Arbor Prep misses a threeball from the wing. Eliza Bush grabs the long offensive rebound for the Gators. Arbor Prep misses a threeball near the top of the key. Brandywine misses a driving layup.

Arbor Prep holds the ball for about 35 seconds to set up a last shot. The Gators miss a three pointer from the wing. Stacy Utomi gets the offensive rebound for Arbor Prep. The Gators are whistled for a traveling violation. Brandywine inbounds the ball, but has no time to shoot.

After one quarter, Brandywine has a 7-6 lead.

Brandywine has the ball to begin the second quarter. Arbor Prep provides intense pressure and Brandywine throws a pass out of bounds. Arbor Prep misses a seventeen foot shot from the side. Taylor Wallace steals the ball and hits a layup for Arbor Prep. About two seconds later, Taylor Wallace steals the ball and hits another layup to give Arbor Prep a 10-7 lead.

(Your Bleacher Denizen’s aging fingers did well to keep up with the notes there!) Angela Meggisson ignores the Bleacher Denizen’s self-back patting and partially blocks a Bobcat triple try from the side. Arbor Prep misses a three point shot from the side. The Possession Arrow and its legal affairs committee vote to award the ball to Arbor Prep. The Gators miss a jump shot from the free throw line. Angela Meggisson hustles after the rebound and causes Brandywine to lose the ball out of bounds.

Arbor Prep loses a pass out of bounds. Ellie Knapp drives and scoops in a layup for Brandywine. Arbor Prep misses a driving layup. The rebound is tied up. The Possession Arrow consults its legal counsel and gives the ball to Brandywine. A Brandywine dribbler loses the ball out of bounds. Arbor Prep fumbles a pass out of bounds. Stephanie Utomi blocks a Bobcat driving layup.

Arbor Prep misses a turnaround jump shot from the free throw line. Brandywine misfires on a threeball from the side. Arbor Prep misfires on a threeball from the wing. Angela Meggisson gets the offensive rebound for the Gators. Arbor Prep misses a three point shot from the side. Stacy Utomi hits a putback to give the Gators a 12-9 lead.

Brandywine is fouled on a driving layup and misses two free throws with 20.2 seconds to go in the half. Eliza Bush passes to Taylor Wallace, who hits a three point shot from the corner for Arbor Prep. Brandywine does not have time to put up a shot.

At halftime, Arbor Prep holds a 15-9 lead.

Kadence Brumitt has 4 points at halftime to lead the Brandywine scoring.

Taylor Wallace has 7 points to lead Arbor Prep.

Arbor Prep inbounds the ball to get quarter number three underway. Stephanie Utomi drives and hits a layup for the Gators. Brandywine misses a driving layup. Stacy Utomi drives and is fouled on a six foot banked shot from the side. She hits one of her two free throws to boost the Gators to an 18-9 lead with 7:07 to play in the third quarter.

Miley Young passes to Adelyn Drotoz, who hits a three point shot from the side for Brandywine. Taylor Wallace passes to Eliza Bush, who slings in a three pointer from the side for Arbor Prep. The Bobcats miss a twelve foot shot from the side. The Gators miss a ten foot shot from the side of the lane and foul on the rebound. Miley Young drives and dishes the ball to Kadence Brumitt, who hits a layup to trim the Gator lead to 21-14.

Miley Young’s tough defense forces Arbor Prep to call timeout to avoid turning the ball over. Arbor Prep misses a driving layup. Stephanie Utomi gets the offensive rebound for the Gators. Arbor Prep misses a threeball from the corner. Eliza Bush dives and steals the ball for the Gators. Arbor Prep misses a shot from the wing with a foot on the three point line. Ellie Knapp passes to Adeline Gill, who hits a three point shot from the corner to cut the Arbor Prep lead to 21-17.

Arbor Prep turns the ball over. Stephanie Utomi steals the ball for the Gators. Arbor Prep misses a fourteen footer from the side of the lane. The rebound goes out of bounds and Brandywine takes possession. Stephanie Utomi steals the ball for the Gators. Adelyn Drotoz draws a charging foul from Arbor Prep.

Brandywine misses a fifteen foot shot off the dribble from the wing. Miley Young plays stifling defense and causes Arbor Prep to turn the ball over for being closely guarded for five seconds. Adeline Gill drives and hits a ten foot shot from the side of the lane to pull her Bobcats to within two points at 21-19.

Arbor Prep misfires on a threeball from the side. Brandywine is fouled on a driving eight foot banked hook shot but misses both free throws. Arbor Prep misses a three pointer from the wing; the rebound goes out of bounds and Brandywine takes possession. Taylor Wallace steals a long Bobcat pass. Stacy Utomi is fouled on a driving layup and hits one of her two free throws for the Gators. With 10.9 seconds remaining in quarter number three, Arbor Prep holds a 22-19 lead.

Angela Meggisson gets the offensive rebound for the Gators. Arbor Prep misses a layup. The rebound goes out of bounds and Brandywine gets the ball. Taylor Wallace steals the ball for Arbor Prep. The Gators miss a fifteen foot shot from the side. Jourdin Lewis gets the offensive rebound for Arbor Prep. The Gators miss a layup in heavy traffic. Brandywine has not time to shoot before the third quarter buzzer announces that the period has ended.

After three quarters, Arbor Prep has a 22-19 lead.

Arbor Prep attempts to inbound the ball to open the fourth quarter, but the sticky Brandywine defense prevents them from doing so in the required five seconds. The Gators turn the ball over. Stacy Utomi steals the ball from Brandywine and draws a foul. Arbor Prep misses an eight foot shot off the dribble from the baseline.

Brandywine misses a ten foot shot off the dribble from the side. Arbor Prep misses a threeball from the side. Miley Young passes to Kadence Brumitt, who is fouled hard as she shoots a layup. Kadence Brumitt hits one of her two free throws to chop the Gator lead to 22-20 with 6:19 left on the clock.

Autumn Pernell passes to Stacy Utomi, who hits a jump shot from the free throw elbow to boost the Arbor Prep lead to four points. Brandywine misses a driving layup. Arbor Prep reciprocates and misses a driving layup. The Bobcats miss a jumper off the dribble from the free throw line. Arbor Prep fouls on the rebound. Brandywine misses a driving layup. Arbor Prep misses a three pointer from the wing. Miley Young is fouled on a fast break layup and hits one of her two free throws to trim the Gator lead to 24-21 with 4:26 remaining in the contest.

Ellie Knapp and Miley Young team up to steal the ball for the Bobcats. Brandywine throws a cross court pass out of bounds. Arbor Prep misses a three point shot from the wing. Autumn Pernell hits a putback for Arbor Prep. Stephanie Utomi steals the ball and hits a driving layup to boost the Gators to a 28-21 lead.

Brandywine misses a three point shot from the wing. Adeline Gill pulls down the offensive rebound for the Bobcats. Taylor Wallace steals the ball for Arbor Prep. Brandywine commits its fourth foul of the quarter with 1:33 to go. Autumn Pernell is fouled an hits two free throws to give Arbor Prep a 30-21 lead with 1:20 left in the game.

Brandywine is fouled on a driving layup, but misses two free throws. Kadence Brumitt snares the offensive board for the Bobcats. Stephanie Utomi hits the floor to steal the ball for Arbor Prep. Taylor Wallace is fouled and hits one of her two free throws for the Gators. With 54.1 seconds to go, Arbor Prep has a 31-21 lead.

Brandywine misses a three point shot from the corner. The rebound goes out of bounds and the Bobcats get another opportunity. Adeline Gill passes to Adelyn Drotoz, who hits a three point shot from the corner for Brandywine. Stacy Utomi is fouled and hits two free throws to push Arbor Prep to a 33-24 lead with 24.3 seconds to play.

Ellie Knapp throws in a threeball off the dribble from the top of the key for Brandywine. Arbor Prep is fouled, but misses two free throws with 18.8 seconds left. Ellie Knapp passes to Miley Young, who hits a three point shot from the side with just a couple seconds left to pull Brandywine to within three points at 33-30.

Arbor Prep allows the clock to expire and wins the game and thus the State Division 3 Championship by the score of 33-30.

Adelyn Drotoz hit three threeballs (in five attempts) and led Brandywine with 9 points. Kadence Brumitt contributed 7 points. Adeline Gill and Ellie Knapp each tossed in 5 points. Miley Young scored 4 points.

Stephanie Utomi led the Arbor Prep scoring with 9 points. Taylor Wallace chipped in with 8 points and Stacy Utomi added 7 points. Autumn Pernell had 6 points and Eliza Bush notched 3 points.