Discover Your Path to Success, Register For The MTN Career Fair ...

High School Girls Basketball District Pairings And Schedule

The MHSAA high school girls basketball district pairings and schedules have been announced.

Opening round games begin Monday, March 4, with semifinals Wednesday, March 6, and finals on Friday, March 8.

In Division 1, Zeeland East will host a district that includes Holland, Zeeland West, West Ottawa and Grand Haven.

Zeeland East will host Zeeland West at 7 p.M. Monday in the opening round. The winner will face West Ottawa in the semifinals on March 6 in the 5:30 p.M. Semifinal. The second semifinal will be Holland against Grand Haven. Finals will be 7 p.M. Friday at Zeeland East.

More: High school hoops: Saugatuck teams clinch division title; wins for Holland, HC, Hamilton

Zeeland East's CC Kuras, front, and Zeeland West's Jordyn Klaasen go after a loose ball.

In Division 2, Holland Christian and Hamilton will be at the Grand Rapids South Christian district.

Hamilton will face Grand River Prep on Monday and the winner will face Holland Christian in the 5:30 p.M. Semifinal on Wednesday. South Christian will face Wayland in the other semifinal and the finals will be at 7 p.M. Friday.

In Division 4, Saugatuck will host districts.

Black River and Fennville will play at 5:30 p.M. Monday, March 4, at Saugatuck. The winner will face Covenant Chrsitian.

Saugatuck will host the other semifinal and face the Potter's House-Calvin Christian winner.

The finals will be at 7 p.M. Friday at Saugatuck.

Contact sports editor Dan D'Addona at Dan.D'Addona@hollandsentinel.Com. Follow him on X, formerly known as  Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: High school girls basketball district pairings and schedule

Our MHSAA Boys Basketball Predictions, Scores And Championship Matchups

Your browser is not supportedclarionledger.Com

clarionledger.Com wants to ensure the best experience for all of our readers, so we built our site to take advantage of the latest technology, making it faster and easier to use.

Unfortunately, your browser is not supported. Please download one of these browsers for the best experience on clarionledger.Com

How South Delta Basketball Rallied After Tragedy To Reach MHSAA Class 1A Semifinals

RAYMOND – The first words that South Delta boys basketball coach Roy Watson spoke after his team's playoff win Thursday credited his squad for handling the adversity it faced this season, the ups and downs experienced by the team and the Rolling Fork community.

The Bulldogs' perseverance showed in an 86-71 MHSAA Class 1A quarterfinal playoff win against Leake County at Raymond High School. South Delta advanced to Monday's semifinal round at the Mississippi Coliseum for the first time since 2017.

On March 24, 2023, an EF4 tornado swept through Rolling Fork and parts of Silver City, damaging buildings, houses and families. Around two-thirds of the local businesses were hit. Homes, schools and government offices were destroyed. Fourteen people died and more than 160 were injured.

One of the buildings hit was South Delta High School.

"Resilience, teamwork, leadership and togetherness," Watson said. "I mean, this is a special team."

Dealing with the after-effects of an EF4 tornado

The Bulldogs had to practice at elementary and middle school gyms and other facilities around the city to begin the season. They didn't get back into their gym until December. The effects and images from the tornado were a lot to handle for teenage athletes.

"It feels pretty good to get back to Jackson," Watson said. "Especially with this group of players and what we went through this past year. ... It's been pretty special for us."

Senior guard Amarion Sanders said the team had a bond that helped keep it together after the tragedy.

"We been playing (together) since middle school, just chemistry," Sanders said. "We grew up playing together."

Senior guard Jamichael Green says the Bulldogs are trying do do their part on the basketball court for the South Delta and Rolling Fork community.

MORE: Our MHSAA boys basketball predictions, scores and championship matchups

"It felt great to get the win, but with everything that went on in the city with the tornado, it's bigger than basketball," Green said. "We doing it for the city, and we're doing it for our loved ones and the people that were lost in the tornado. So we're just going to continue to make that happen, and it feels great."

How South Delta rallied vs. Leake County

The Bulldogs' offense was heating up, fans were dancing to music played over the loudspeakers and the South Delta section was raucous in Raymond's gym.

Deasia Williams, 24, dances as the last seconds elapse with the South Delta Bulldogs up 15 in the MHSAA Class 1A quarterfinal game against the Leake County Gators in Raymond Miss., on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. "It's been a long time coming," Williams said about South Delta's win. "Since the tornado everything changed."

After trailing at the end of the first quarter and ahead by only four points at halftime, the Bulldogs (21-5) didn't want the game to remain in reach for the Gators. South Delta turned to Sanders.

Sanders responded with dribble drives, quick moves past defenders, fast-break points, and shots Leake County couldn't stop. The Bulldogs outscored the Gators 27-12 in the quarter.

MORE: Mississippi State basketball gets commit from Eric Paymon Jr., the No. 1 in-state recruit

"They've been telling me all week to just find my shot," said Sanders, who finished with 33 points. "I was just letting the game come to me."

Green said South Delta struggled to focus early in the game. In a gym packed with family and friends and a trip to Mississippi Coliseum on the line, hearts were racing.

"It was just about slowing down," said Green, who scored 17 points. "We kinda got caught up in the moment for a little while, making long passes and rushing our shots. We just had to calm down and not take the opportunity for granted."

Michael Chavez covers high school sports, among others, for the Clarion-Ledger. Email him at mchavez@gannett.Com or reach out to him on X, formerly Twitter @MikeSChavez.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: MHSAA basketball: South Delta overcomes tragedy, makes 1A semifinals

---