Girls Basketball

Feature

Tessa Leece's unassuming rise to the top

12/5/2019 | Feature | By Eden Laase

Wes Leece can remember his daughter Tessa’s first 3-pointer perfectly. It wasn’t in a Westwood uniform, rather a homemade jersey for a 3-on-3 team called “The Pink Polka Dots.” He’s not sure if the 3-point line was legit, or if it was moved in. Tessa was in just second grade, so shooting from that distance wasn’t exactly a high-percentage shot....

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Feature

With Hill, Norman returning, O'Donnell takes over Negaunee girls program

Features

With Hill, Norman returning, O'Donnell takes over Negaunee girls program

12/3/2019 | By Bryce Derouin

Feature

2019-20 Girls Top 25 Rankings

12/3/2019 | By Staff

With Hill, Norman returning, O'Donnell takes over Negaunee girls program

12/3/2019 | Feature | By Bryce Derouin |

All around Negaunee, it’s the question Mike O’Donnell has gotten most: “What’s it like coaching girls compared to boys?” It’s fair to ask, considering it’s all he’s coached at the high school and Division III college level. The temperaments of...

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2019-20 Girls Top 25 Rankings

12/3/2019 | Feature | By Staff |

For the second year in a row, Upbeat conducted a preseason player rankings poll to rate the top 25 boys and girls basketball players in the UP. Five coaches and Bryce Derouin and Eden Laase of Upbeat ranked the girls...

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Column

Projecting the All-UP girls Dream Team

4/1/2020 | Column | By Eden Laase |

If you’ve spent time reading Upbeat, you’ve probably noticed that I don’t tend to write columns. Bryce usually does all the opinion-related articles, but this is one that I’ve been looking forward to all season. Despite the Coronavirus-related chaos that halted things, this was an incredible season of girls basketball. The UP was filled with talent, meaning the Dream Team...

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Feature

Coronavirus derails Westwood's postseason run, leaving the Patriots devastated

3/13/2020 | Feature | By Eden Laase

It wasn’t supposed to end like this. In basketball, players know going into every game they will get one of two outcomes: a win, or a loss. It’s definitive. But on Thursday, when the MHSAA announced the suspension of postseason play due to Coronavirus, it left one question floating in the air: What if? What if this could have been...

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Feature

Coronavirus update: All postseason games suspended until further notice

3/12/2020 | Feature | By Staff

After previously announcing a plan to limit spectators due to concerns about COVID-19, the MHSAA released a statement that both boys and girls postseason basketball games will be postponed until further notice. This is the case for all high school winter sports.

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Game Recap

Baraga's depth gives the Vikings an edge over Munising in district semifinal

3/11/2020 | Game Recap | By Keith Shelton |

Fouls were being flung like sacks of flour in Tuesday night's regional semifinal. It was a battle of attrition that went down to the wire, but in the end the deeper team prevailed. Baraga, despite losing two starters for nearly an entire quarter did just enough to squeak by the feisty and undersized Munising Mustangs 51-49 and advance in the...

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Game Recap

L'Anse holds off Carney-Nadeau comeback to win regional semifinal

3/11/2020 | Game Recap | By Keith Shelton |

Maija Rice didn't eat her Wheaties Tuesday morning. She did have a banana though. Then she went out and played the best 12 minutes of basketball of her life. Rice and the L'Anse Hornets had a monster first half against Carney-Nadeau in a Division 4 regional semifinal at Kingsford High School en route to a 53-47 victory. Then, they nearly...

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Game Recap

Westwood's efficiency, experience overwhelms Calumet

3/11/2020 | Game Recap | By Bryce Derouin |

Kurt Corcoran could look down the sideline and relate to Matt Laho. Just two years ago it was Corcoran leading promising underclassmen against the experienced and favored juggernauts in the UP. Westwood was the jumpstart underdog attempting to accelerate its future success by hurdling the hard-learned lessons successful teams typically have to undertake before eventually persevering. But the reality is,...

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