It's back to Breslin for Brandywine girls basketball. A familiar foe awaits
KALAMAZOO, Mich. ― Josh Hood is not afraid of displaying his emotions on the sidelines.
It was a reaction he had after the game Tuesday, though, that told a bigger story than what had just happened on the basketball court the prior 90 minutes.
Hood pumped his fists when he heard the news that Ypsilanti Arbor Prep had beaten Jackson Lumen Christi, 31-28, in an MHSAA Division 3 state quarterfinal girls basketball game.
This meant Hood’s Brandywine Bobcats girls basketball team ― fresh off a 43-25 victory over Grandville Calvin Christian in its own state quarterfinal game ― would get its wish. It will be getting a rematch with Arbor Prep, the team that beat it in the state title game last year, in this season’s state semifinals Thursday at the Breslin Center on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing.
Get the popcorn ready.
“Not a lot of motivation needed,” Hood said. “We talked about it last year: it was a tough loss. We played phenomenal defense against a really good team. … We’re there now, and we know we can play with them. We’ve got 11 girls back out of 13 in that locker room that will not be intimidated by the name on the jersey.”
Systematic victory for Brandywine
As far as Tuesday’s game, the Bobcats put on another vintage performance. Eight players both scored and grabbed at least one rebound in the contest, seven of them recorded steals and at least four had one assist.
“When you play 11 different conference champions and you give up 24.5 points per game to them, that says a lot about these girls,” Hood said. “When you can shift a focus of young kids to worry more about defense and care more about that end than the offensive end, that says a lot about them.”
Brandywine never trailed in improving to 27-0. The offense was sluggish for both teams in the first half, with the Bobcats only leading, 8-2, after the first quarter and 20-9 at halftime.
The game-sealing surge for Brandywine came in the final minute of the third. Senior Adelyn Drotoz drained a ‘3’ to push the lead to 13. The Bobcats recorded an immediate steal, with senior Miley Young finding classmate Nyiah Mason for an easy bucket. After a Squires free throw, Brandywine closed the frame with a driving layup by senior Adeline Gill.
It gave the Bobcats a 33-17 lead going in to the fourth quarter.
“I feel like it gave us a lot of energy to finish the game off,” said Gill of the late-third quarter run. “We knew that it was over.”
Gill finished with a game-high 11 points, with junior Karleigh Byrd at nine points and sophomore Lily Gill six. The other five players to score recorded between two and five points while helping to force at least 25 Calvin Christian turnovers.
What 27-0 looks like https://t.co/KTNAHCtslipic.twitter.com/KGAx7aOcYa
— Austin Hough (@AustinRHough) March 19, 2025
“That is championship-caliber basketball,” Hood said. “I’m really proud of (my players) taking the opponent out of what they wanted to do.”
Undefeated Bobcats now seek redemption
Brandywine is returning to the Breslin Center for a second-straight season. Last year, it knocked off Lake City in the state semifinal before dropping a 33-30 decision to Arbor Prep in the state final. The Bobcats sank a ‘3’ in the final seconds to make it a one-possession game, but the clock ran out before the Gators had to inbound the ball again.
Last year’s game was a battle between No. 2 Brandywine and No. 1 Arbor Prep. This year is a little different, as the Bobcats enter the contest No. 1 and Arbor Prep unranked. The Gators battled ups-and-downs in the regular season, as they enter Thursday’s rematch with a 15-12 record.
“I think we’re all really excited to play them,” Adeline Gill said. “We’re ready to get back.”
Follow Austin Hough on X (formerly Twitter) @AustinRHough and on Facebook at "Austin Hough - South Bend Tribune." Hough can be emailed at ahough@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Brandywine girls basketball is Breslin Center bound once again
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