Goodrich’s varsity girls basketball team is one win away from a trip to the Class B ‘elite eight.?
The Martians advanced to a Class B regional final matchup by defeating Williamston 67-42 in regional semifinal action Monday, Nov. 20 at Yale. Goodrich (21-2) was scheduled to take on St. Clair, ranked third in the state in Class B, in the regional final Wednesday, Nov. 22.
St. Clair (22-2) advanced to face Goodrich by defeating Flint Southwestern 57-48 in the other regional semifinal game Nov. 20 at Yale.
If the Martians defeat St. Clair, they will advance to the Class B quarterfinals, scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 28. The state semifinals and finals are scheduled for Nov. 30-Dec. 2 at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.
However, Goodrich coach Jason Gray said the Martians will have their hands full with the Saints, who play in the Macomb Area Conference and were ranked at the top of the state in Class B until a couple weeks ago.
They feature two seniors, 6?3? Brittany Karnago and point guard Stacey Farrell, who are heading to Oakland University’s women’s basketball program next season, plus 6?2? sophomore Sarah Davis, the team’s leading scorer.
‘We obviously need to rebound well against them,? Gray said. ‘There’s a bunch of different things we’ll try against them ? we won’t rely on one strategy.?
On offense, Gray said it is important for the Martians to ‘value each possession on the offensive end and take good shots? in order to be successful against the Saints.
The Martians were never seriously threatened in the regional semifinal against Williamston, taking a 21-9 lead after the first quarter and a 40-18 lead at halftime.
Junior Kortni Elsworth led the Martians in scoring with 20 points, connecting on four three-point shots in the process. Senior Autumn Haggadone added 13 points for the Martians, who had 11 players score in the contest.
On Friday, Nov. 17 at Richmond, the Martians captured a district title with a 44-36 win against Almont. The Martians had advanced to the district final with a 50-26 win against Imlay City in the district semifinals Wednesday, Nov. 15.
Goodrich took a 13-0 lead against Almont on their way to the victory, and led 24-16 at halftime.
The Martians benefited from taking more trips to the free throw line than the Raiders. Goodrich shot 15-of-28 (53.6 percent) compared to 3-of-9 (33.3 percent) for Almont.
Haggadone led the Martians with 13 points and 16 rebounds, while Elsworth and senior Ashley Short added 11 points apiece. Paige Plant chipped in with eight rebounds, while Casey Tubbs added five assists and five steals.