Postseason play begins on Monday for Boys High School Basketball. The boys season reaches the postseason first because of scheduling conflicts at the Breslin Center forced the MHSAA to move the boys season forward a week and the girls season back by a week.
Here’s a look at the schedule with a few notes on the Twin Cities Area Districts.
Division 1 at Portage Central
Monday 2/26
5:30 p.m. – St. Joseph vs. Mattawan
7:00 p.m. – Portage Northern vs. Loy Norrix
Wednesday 2/28
5:30 p.m. – Portage Central vs. St. Joseph/Mattawan
7:00 p.m. – Kalamazoo Central vs. Portage Northern/Loy Norrix
Friday 3/1
7:00 p.m. – Championship
St. Joe comes into the district as the underdog, but the Bears have been playing some of the best basketball of the season in the past few weeks. St. Joe opens against a Mattawan team they defeated once this season on the road, and fell to in close game a few weeks ago with some of the starting lineup out. But beyond that, if the Bears get by Mattawan on Monday, they will advance to face top seeded and host school Portage Central in the district final.
Division 1 at Gull Lake
Monday 2/26
5:30 p.m. – Harper Creek vs. Sturgis
7:00 p.m. – Coldwater vs. Battle Creek Central
Wednesday 2/28
5:30 p.m. – Battle Creek Lakeview vs. Harper Creek/Sturgis
7:00 p.m. – Gull Lake vs. Coldwater/Battle Creek Central
Friday 3/1
7:00 p.m. – Championship
Division 2 at Edwardsburg
Monday 2/26
5:30 p.m. – Lakeshore vs. Edwardsburg
7:00 p.m. – Niles vs. Dowagiac
Wednesday 2/28
5:30 p.m. – Benton Harbor vs. Lakeshore/Edwardsburg News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM
7:00 p.m. – Berrien Springs vs. Niles/Dowagiac
Friday 3/1
7:00 p.m. – Championship News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM (if Lakeshore or Benton Harbor)
In what will be the most focused on District will be at Edwardsburg. And what was thought to be a runway win for Benton Harbor may have been thrown wide open after the Tigers stunning collapse against Brandywine last week. A game in which the Tigers blew a 20-point lead and fell at Brandywine 63-57. The loss ended the Tigers 20 game win streak and hopes for a perfect 22-0 season. Plus you never can count out Lakeshore, the Lancers may have had a rough start to the year, but after starting 2-7 Lakeshore rattled off 7 straight wins before falling to Benton Harbor 63-49. The road isn’t easy for Lakeshore either, the Lancers will have to face the host Eddies in the district opener. Lakeshore knocked off Edwardsburg 46-38 this past week, so the Eddies will have the loss fresh in their memories. The winner will then get the rested Tigers who will have been off for 8 days by the time their semifinal tips off on Wednesday. The other half of the bracket is just as clouded with the defending district champions Niles Vikings facing rival Dowagiac in the opener on Monday at 7:00. Like the Niles football team, the Viking basketball team is having one of their best seasons as Niles one win away from a Wolverine Conference Championship. Dowagiac and Niles have faced each other once this season at Niles, the question is will Dowagiac play better on a neutral court, that is essentially their backyard. Niles is also a serious threat after falling to Benton Harbor on a last second shot 47-45 at Benton Harbor. Whoever comes out of that game has to play Berrien Springs. The Shamrocks also have had one of their best seasons, and have already beaten Dowagiac twice, Edwardsburg once, but fell to Benton Harbor twice. WSJM will have the Lakeshore/Edwardsburg quarterfinals on Monday, the District Semifinal with Benton Harbor and the Lakeshore/Edwardsburg winner and the District Championship game should Lakeshore or Benton Harbor play in the game.
Division 2 at Parchment
Monday 2/26
5:30 p.m. – Paw Paw vs. Allegan
7:00 p.m. – Plainwell vs. Parchment
Wednesday 2/28
5:30 p.m. – South Haven vs. Paw Paw/Allegan
7:00 p.m. – Otsego vs. Plainwell/Parchment
Friday 3/1
7:00 p.m. – Championship
Division 2 at Vicksburg
Monday 2/26
7:00 p.m. – Battle Creek Pennfield vs. Constantine
Wednesday 2/28
5:30 p.m. – Vicksburg vs. Three Rivers
7:00 p.m. – Marshall vs. Battle Creek Pennfield/Constantine
Friday 3/1
7:00 p.m. – Championship
Division 3 at Bloomingdale
Monday 2/26
7:00 p.m. – Bloomingdale vs. Fennville
Wednesday 2/28
5:30 p.m. – Delton-Kellogg vs. Holland Black River
7:00 p.m. – Saugatuck vs. Bloomingdale/Fennville
Friday 3/1
7:00 p.m. – Championship
Division 3 at Bronson
Monday 2/26
5:30 p.m. – Quincy vs. Union City
7:00 p.m. – Reading vs. Homer
Wednesday 2/28
5:30 p.m. – Bronson vs. Quincy/Union City
7:00 p.m. – Centreville vs. Reading/Homer
Friday 3/1
7:00 p.m. – Championship
Division 3 at White Pigeon
Monday 2/26
7:00 p.m. – Bridgman vs. Buchanan
Wednesday 2/28
5:30 p.m. – White Pigeon vs. Cassopolis
7:00 p.m. – Brandywine vs. Bridgman/Buchanan
Friday 3/1
7:00 p.m. – Championship
Division 3 at Schoolcraft
Monday 2/26
7:00 p.m. – Comstock vs. Galesburg-Augusta
Wednesday 2/28
5:30 p.m. – Kalamazoo Hackett vs. Kalamazoo Christian
7:00 p.m. – Schoolcraft vs. Comstock/Galesburg-Augusta
Friday 3/1
7:00 p.m. – Championship
Division 3 at Bangor
Monday 2/26
7:00 p.m. – Bangor vs. Coloma
Wednesday 2/28
5:30 p.m. – Hartford vs. Lawton
7:00 p.m. – Watervliet vs. Bangor/Coloma
Friday 3/1
7:00 p.m. – Championship
Division 4 at New Buffalo
Monday 2/26
5:30 p.m. – Eau Claire vs. River Valley
7:00 p.m. – New Buffalo vs. Countryside
Wednesday 2/28
5:30 p.m. – Our Lady of the Lake vs. Eau Claire/River Valley
7:00 p.m. – Michigan Lutheran vs. New Buffalo/Countryside
Friday 3/1
7:00 p.m. – Championship
After being dominated by Eau Claire last year, this district really is a wild card. Both Our Lady of the Lake and Michigan Lutheran drew the first round byes. But it doesn’t mean either one has an easy road to a District Championship. Eau Claire is the defending district champion, but that was with the Beavers all time leading scorer Damarion Travis. Eau Claire will host River Valley in the opener, with the winner taking on Our Lady of the Lake. Countryside takes on host New Buffalo in the second game on Monday, with the winner advancing to face Michigan Lutheran.
Michigan Lutheran and Our Lady of the Lake are most likely to reach the district championship game on Friday, but trying to foresee the winner is going to be difficult. The Lakers and the Titans split their two games this season, each winning their games as the road team. Michigan Lutheran won at Our Lady 57-44 on January 19, and The Lakers knocked off ML, 62-37 last weekend. For the Titans to emerge victorious, the key will be stopping Owen McLoughlin and Matt Lage. For the Lakers, it’s stopping Micah Herbst and Zac Lockman.
Division 4 at Athens
Monday 2/26
5:30 p.m. – Burr Oak vs. Mendon
7:00 p.m. – Marcellus vs. Athens
Wednesday 2/28
5:30 p.m. – Howardsville Christian vs. Burr Oak/Mendon
7:00 p.m. – Colon vs. Marcellus/Athens
Friday 3/1
7:00 p.m. – Championship
Division 4 at Climax Scotts (Battle Creek Academy host)
Monday 2/26
7:00 p.m. – Battle Creek Calhoun Christian vs. Climax-Scotts
Wednesday 2/28
5:30 p.m. – Battle Creek Academy vs. Marshall Academy
7:00 p.m. – Battle Creek St. Philip vs. Calhoun Christian/Climax-Scotts
Friday 3/1
7:00 p.m. – Championship
Division 4 at Gobles
Monday 2/26
5:30 p.m. – Gobles vs. Martin
7:00 p.m. – Kalamazoo Phoenix vs. Covert
Wednesday 2/28
5:30 p.m. – Kalamazoo Heritage vs. Gobles/Martin
7:00 p.m. – Lawrence vs. Kalamazoo Phoenix/Covert
Friday 3/1
7:00 p.m. – Championship