LUTHERAN NW OFF TO D3 STATE SEMIS
>> To paraphrase the ‘Star Trek’ credo, the mission of this group of Crusaders is to boldly go where no Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest hoops team has ever gone before. Mission accomplished.
On to Breslin Center.
Less than a week after hoisting their first-ever regional trophy, the Lutheran Northwest Crusaders continued their trailblazing in Tuesday’s Division 3 quarterfinal at St. Clair County Community College, steamrolling over No. 10 Sandusky, 38-16, to earn a firstever trip to the semifinals.
“It’s insanely cool because we get to play at the Breslin Center now — that was a goal of ours,” junior Morgan Griswold said.
The Crusaders (18-9) will face No. 1 Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (234) in the D3 semifinals at 2 p.m. Thursday at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center, for the right to go on to Saturday’s 4 p.m. state title game. No. 2 Niles Brandywine (25-1) and No. 3 Lake City (25-2) will match up in noon semifinal on Thursday, making the Crusaders the official party crashers of the final four bracket. They couldn’t care less.
“The school’s never won a regional in boys or girls basketball. So this is all bonus. And this is awesome. I mean, we’re, we’re gonna enjoy it. I’m pretty sure I know who we play (Arbor Prep). But we’re gonna, we’re gonna enjoy. And we’re gonna try and go play as hard as we can,” Northwest coach Jimmy Mehlberg said,
admitting that getting over the postseason hump against Madison Heights Bishop Foley was huge.
“Last however many years, they’ve got us. And we’ve seen — we knew we’re close. The biggest thing is, we’re playing really well at the right time. … You know, anything can happen. You’re one of the last four teams in and I don’t think anybody expected it. We play a tough schedule to try and get us ready. You know, we’re playing the big schools to try and get us ready for Arbor Prep, or whoever we play. And, hey, we just want to act like we belong there. Act like we belong there.”
The Crusaders certainly proved they belonged on the floor with the Wolves (25-2), who hadn’t lost since Jan. 2. Led by the legendary Al DeMott, the state’s alltime wins leader among girls basketball coaches, Sandusky hadn’t given up more than 32 points in its four previous playoff games, or more than 36 all season long.
Nor had they been held under 30 outside of that lone loss to Harbor Beach 20 games ago.
But Northwest’s pressure defense took the Wolves out of any semblance of an offense, holding them to nine points in the first quarter, and seven the rest of the way — including a goose-egg in the second.
“Defense was the whole game. I mean, that was the biggest part of the game. We were saying we didn’t we didn’t think that they’ve seen our defense like us,” Mehlberg said. “Now they may have — I don’t want to miss-speak about
that. But I knew our defense way we’ve been playing the last two, three weeks, it’s been tough. And it’s it’s keeping us in games.”
The Crusaders were able to break down the Wolves’ defense and get to the line for 10 free throws in the first quarter alone, leading 13-9 after one. Five different players scored a bucket in the second quarter, as Northwest expanded the lead to 23-9 at the half. Sandusky kept it a 14-point game through a low-scoring third, trailing 28-14 entering the fourth, but just couldn’t find any sources of quick offense, notching just a pair of free throws in the final frame, while Northwest just added to the lead.
“Until about two minutes to go, I was not thinking about anything other than getting that win,” Mehlberg admitted.
Freshman Keira Spiehs led the Crusaders’ balanced scoring with eight points, while Charlotte Gramzow had seven, and Paige Macavage and Addison Troika both had six. Grace Guibord
led Sandusky with six points.
It wasn’t a shock to the Crusaders to get the win, though.
“I don’t want to say we expected it, but we were very confident we could,” Griswold said. “I feel like in our district semifinals against Bishop Foley we just like we had some revenge that we need to get at them. And I think that’s where it like clicked. … We haven’t beat them in seven years until now. So it was very exciting for us. … (It was) like, ‘Oh, my gosh … We’re here.’”
Foley had been the local Division 3 team making deep runs, going to the quarterfinals two years, after getting to the quarterfinals in 2021. Now, it’s Lutheran Northwest’s turn.
“They were playing good at the right time. The right time. No. 1 was we wanted to beat Foley.
“That’s kind of been the the team that’s got us. And after that, I knew we’d have a little bit of a chance to get through the regional,” Mehlberg said.
“But the biggest thing is, we’re playing well at the right time — defense is locked in.”