EAST LANSING — When they needed them the most, the stars of Muskegon stepped up to deliver the first girls basketball title in school history.
Muskegon trailed Detroit Renaissance by six points entering the final five minutes of the MHSAA girls basketball Division 1 state championship, then closed the game with a 13-2 run over the next four minutes to take down the Phoenix.
Miss Basketball runner-up Mariah Sain, the Big Reds’ star, started the run with a fadeaway midrange jumper from the baseline. Then, Sain pulled up for the same shot and got fouled on the next possession. Center Dy’Nasti Bell fouled up Sain’s free throws with two of her own to tie the game at 27 with 1:56 remaining.
Renaissance had two chances to retake the lead with layups, but missed both. Muskegon came down and fed Bell in the post, and she finished a left-handed layup to give the Big Reds the lead for good. Renaissance continued to attack inside but could not come up with a basket, leading to three more made free throws for Muskegon to give them a 33-27 lead in the final 15 seconds.
Renaissance led for the entire game until the final two minutes. The Phoenix started hot behind a spectacular performance from senior captain Jaebri’an Autry, who scored 17 of Renaissance’s 29 points. But the offense fell apart in the second half against a stingy Muskegon team. Renaissance shot 27.1% (13-for-48) from the field.
Renaissance hit the ground running in the first quarter. The Phoenix started the game on a 7-0 run, with Autry scoring all seven with a post hook, a hesitation dribble into a layup and a catch-and-shoot 3 from the corner. Autry scored nine first-quarter points as Renaissance built a 12-2 lead.
Muskegon buckled down defensively, leading to a 10-0 run that spanned most of the second quarter. Renaissance stopped the run with a buzzer-beating layup from sophomore center Jayla Adams to take a 17-12 lead into the halftime break.
Both offenses continued to struggle in the second half. Neither team could get downhill off the drive because of the stellar perimeter defenders and great rim protection on both teams. Muskegon whittled the deficit down again by outscoring Renaissance, 8-4, in the third quarter, giving Renaissance a 21-20 lead entering the final eight minutes.
Autry scored two post hooks and Adams finished a layup to put Renaissance up by six, but Muskegon answered with a 6-0 run of their own with two baskets from Sain and free throws from Bell to tie the game at 27 with two minutes left.
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Jared Ramsey covers high school sports for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jramsey@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Muskegon outlasts Detroit Renaissance for 1st girls basketball title
Reporting by Jared Ramsey, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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