The final week of 2022 saw the basketball teams from Grosse Pointe North and Grosse Pointe South end the year on a high note. The girls and boys teams for the Blue Devils and the Norsemen boys all earned victories last week, with hopes to carry that momentum into the new year and the beginning of league play.
North junior James Phillips uses a burst of speed past an Armada defender in last Wednesday’s 30-point win for the Norsemen. Phillips ended the game as the leading scorer with 19. Photo by Mike Adzima
North
During last week’s Tars Holiday Classic at Anchor Bay, the North boys basketball team unwrapped a late gift in the form of the tournament trophy. Back-to-back wins last Tuesday and Wednesday left the Norsemen with plenty to cheer about on their way to ringing in the new year.
For the tournament’s first game on Tuesday, Dec. 27, North took on Rochester. Senior Adam Ayrault stepped up with a 21-point performance to help lead the Norsemen to a win 54-45. James Phillips also ended up in double-digits with 16 in the victory that set North up with a trip to the tournament final.
North took the court Wednesday, Dec. 28 against the Armada Tigers, looking to capture the tournament crown. The strength for the Norsemen most of the night came in the form of defense. North held the Tigers to just four points in the first quarter and led by eight when the first eight minutes were up.
The Norsemen offense was not scoring at its fastest pace in the first half, but it was more than enough to keep out in front while the defense held off Armada. North once again held the Tigers to single-digit points in the second quarter and took a 25-13 lead into halftime.
The lead North built by halftime, along with solid defensive performance throughout, helped the team run away with the game in the second half. The Norsemen turned up the heat on offense in the third quarter, scoring 19 points in just eight minutes and extending the lead to 18 entering the final frame.
The scoring frenzy continued for the Norsemen in the fourth quarter. North put up 20 points in the last eight minutes while the defense continued to stifle Armada like it had all night long, securing a win by 30 points.
“It was something we needed to build our confidence,” North boys basketball coach Rob Johnson said after his team’s victorious holiday tournament effort. “Now that we’ve seen what we can do when we commit to the defensive side of the ball because it leads to our offense.”
Ten different Norsemen tallied at least one point on the stat sheet in the tournament final. Phillips led the group with 19 while Ayrault had 12.
The Norsemen host New Haven at 7p.m. Friday, Jan. 6 for one last non-league game before opening MAC White play against Romeo at home Tuesday, Jan. 10.
South
The Blue Devils boys basketball team had two opportunities to shine last week playing in a pair of holiday showcases. South had the chance to show its abilities against some tough competition with the eyes of the state watching, and it did just that.
South traveled to Ferndale on Tuesday, Dec. 27 for a matchup with West Bloomfield in the Motor City Roundball Classic. Taking on an always-tough Lakers team, the Blue Devils did not back down and impressed many by pulling off a 52-39 win. Karter Richards was named the game’s MVP with 20 points, while senior big man Alex English had 16 and Anthony Benard finished with 11.
The Blue Devils got a day of rest before hitting the court again Thursday, Dec. 29. This time it was off to North Farmington to face off with Saline in the Chris Webber Holiday Extravaganza.
Watching the first quarter, one might believe that last Thursday’s contest would be a close, back and forth battle. It was that way for the first eight minutes. South and the Hornets traded baskets with the first quarter ending 20-19 in favor of the Blue Devils, with 11 of those first quarter points for South coming from Richards.
South’s offense was heating up after scoring 20 in the first quarter, and it continued to look unstoppable before halftime. The Blue Devils had no trouble finding the basket while Saline struggled to get much of anything to go in during the second quarter. South ended up out-scoring the Hornets 28-6 in the second quarter, pulling away and leading by 23 at halftime.
A substantial halftime lead turned into the Blue Devils continuing to roll in the second half. Despite Saline picking up its production on offense a bit, it was too little, too late after South’s monster second quarter. The Blue Devils kept their foot on the gas and led 65-41 heading into the fourth, where they had the game in hand and closed it out for a 84-57 win.
Richards was once again the leading scorer in what was a monster day on offense for South. The junior finished with 31 points, once again earning honors as MVP for the game. Benard was close behind with 27.
South’s boys team plays its first game of the new year in its first game of MAC Red play at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6 on the road against Roseville.
The Blue Devils girls varsity team was the only girls basketball squad in the Pointes in action last week. Even with an early 9 a.m. tip-off last Tuesday, Dec. 27 in the Motor City Classic at Westfield Prep, South got the job done over Ann Arbor Huron 53-42.
Madison Benard’s 25 points, along with six steals earned the sophomore game MVP honors. Freshman Alex Lupo made a statement with nine points and three steals of her own.
The South girls are back in action at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5 hosting Eisenhower in a MAC Red showdown.
