BIRMINGHAM – North Farmington’s boys hoops team began its summer with a similar end-of-game scenario to many of the ones that defined its record last winter.

The Raiders played their first game together at Groves High School on Monday evening and defended on the final possession to pick up a 31-29 win over River Rouge.

“We were a lot better defensively the second half,” said North Farmington JV head coach Pete Mantyla, who has been with the school in some capacity for over three decades.

Mantyla was pleased with the way his team — which, sans a player missing with an injury, featured a majority of guys who played big roles last year and will do so again going forward — locked it down in man-to-man as the game wore on.

From a results standpoint, the Raiders early on this past year looked the part of a team that had lost a majority of their talent from the one prior when they ran to the D1 title game against Orchard Lake St. Mary’s.

But the reality was better than the standings indicated. Their first four losses were all by one possession, not a big surprise from a team that lacked the on-court reps.

“We weren’t finishing out games,” said Raiders forward Connor Brown, who was a sophomore last year. “We were practicing as much as we could. We just weren’t prepared for those scenarios. When we got to them we didn’t know what to do.

“The more we played in games through the season and saw the ending of games, we learned and adapted and were able to finish them out.”

Though he made note of a disappointing loss to rival Farmington in districts, North Farmington went 7-3 in its final 10 games of the regular season, including wins over Clarkston, Avondale and Rochester Adams. Its three losses over that span, including a 55-54 defeat at Groves, came by a combined six points. But three of the victories in the final stretch were secured by a single point, too, indicating the team had show an ability to pull out some of the close ones as well.

Brown, a 6-foot-5 forward who plays his AAU ball with D Rice Elite, is a key piece for the Raiders going forward along with sophomore TJ Wauldron, who has played a lot off-ball but should be a primary ball-handler looking ahead, pairing with seniors Quran Creary and Brendyn Favors.

Beyond them, “It’s a matter of getting the young guys some experience this summer so they’re ready to contribute and fill out those next three or four spots,” Mantyla said.

Games like Monday’s and Wednesday’s game at Groves against Warren Lincoln will prepare North Farmington to better handle pressure next season, when the Raiders will be a little more tested and experienced in their chase for an OAA Red league title. If that late push last year that allowed them to finish third was any indication, they’ll be in the hunt.

“I’m really excited,” Brown said. “I feel like we’re gonna be really good this (coming) year. We’re putting in the work and building experience and coaching up the younger guys to come up and be ready.”

Referencing himself and his three aforementioned returning teammates, Brown added, “I think we’re all gonna have really good summers. We’ve been in the gym together all the time and we’ve got a core group just like two years ago where it’s the four of us. Nothing can break us. We’ll be ready.”

DETROIT — The Tigers have reached outside the organization for some bullpen reinforcements. Whether this is a stopgap move or something more remains to be seen.

But on Monday, the Tigers claimed 28-year-old right-hander Carlos Hernandez off waivers from the Phillies and are on the hook for the remainder of his $1.16 million contract.

He pitched parts of five seasons with the Royals (2020-2024) but his high-end velocity (97.8 mph average on his four-seamer) never translated into consistent strikeouts or overall positive results.

He had a 4.95 ERA in 256.1 innings with the Royals. And in 25 games with the Phillies, he posted a 5.26 ERA with 23 strikeouts and 13 walks in 25.2 innings.

The Tigers didn’t immediately announce whether Hernandez would report to Detroit or to Triple-A Toledo. Presumably, that decision will be made once the medical reports on Will Vest are collected and reviewed.

Vest, who has been the Tigers’ de facto closer, left the game in the eighth inning Sunday and uncorking a fastball over catcher Dillon Dingler’s head and reporting “feeling something” in his pinky.

The Tigers’ 40-man roster is now full. Hernandez takes the spot opened when the club designated John Brebbia for assignment.

Saline scored a run in four of the first five innings and South Lyon was not able to keep pace as the Lions fell 5-2 in the Division 1 championship Saturday, June 14, 2025 in East Lansing.

DETROIT — Saturdays have not been kind to the Tigers. Plain and simple.

The 11-1 thumping they took from the Reds at Comerica Park was their seventh straight Saturday loss. That’s 27% of their losses.

Go figure.

“Really?” said Jake Rogers. “That’s a stat for you. I wouldn’t have even thought twice about that. Something about Saturdays, I guess. How are Sundays?”

Sundays are much better. Rubber matches in series have been much better. The Tigers will have a chance to win their eighth straight three-game series on Sunday. But the fact that Rogers finished the game as the Tigers’ pitcher tells you how this one went.

“I enjoyed it,” said Rogers, who last pitched in 2021. “I don’t know if I looked like it.”

The Tigers, specifically starter Jake Flaherty, paid the price for violating one of the foundational tenets of their own organizational philosophy: He didn’t dominate the strike zone.

He was cruising along, getting through the first two innings in 20 pitches. Then he started issuing free passes. At first, they were just a nuisance, pushing up his pitch count, causing him some self-inflicted stress.

Elly De La Cruz’s 402-foot missile of a home run leading off the fourth had nothing to do with walks. Still, he walked two in the third. He walked another in the fourth. And by the time the fifth inning rolled around, he was at 67 pitches and wobbling.

“Just battling command,” he said. “I was able to make some adjustments and make some pitches. Even still, we were one pitch away from getting out of it.”

He walked two batters in the fifth, around a couple of singles. One run was in and the bases were loaded. Flaherty’s stress became distress.

Pitching coach Chris Fetter came out to give him a breather. But Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson jumped a first-pitch knuckle-curve and lined it over the bullpen in left field — grand slam home run.

“I left a curveball inside and Stephenson put a good swing on it,” said Flaherty, who did not second-guess the pitch choice. “If we execute it better, the results might be different. Can’t do the what-if game. The result wasn’t a matter of pitch selection. It’s more about the execution.”

Spencer Steer ended Flaherty’s day two batters later with a solo homer to left-center.

“They did a good job laying off some tough pitches and when they got some in the zone, they hit a few out of the park,” manager AJ Hinch said. “I thought Jack got into the game really well, six up and six down. Then the leadoff walk in the third and it kind of starter to unravel.”

Flaherty, who had allowed just six earned runs in his last five starts covering 30 innings, ended up with seven runs, three homers and five walks on his ledger in just 4.2 innings.

“Just get back to executing like we did in the first two innings,” Flaherty said. “It’s not like we have to go back to square one or anything. Just get back to executing and then get on another run with the next one.”

Before the Reds’ outburst, though, Flaherty and Reds starter Brady Singer were trading zeros when the Tigers ran themselves out of an early lead.

Javier Báez led off the third inning with a walk. Trey Sweeney, who was in a 5-for-52 rut with 17 strikeouts in his previous 21 games, blasted a double into the cutout in right-center.

Third base coach Joey Cora, even though there were no outs, waved Báez home. Normally on a ball hit to right-center, the second baseman is the cutoff man. But not if your shortstop is De La Cruz.

“He’s pretty much extraordinary at everything,” Hinch said. “They reversed that (the cutoff man) and I don’t blame them. They want him to take every outfield throw for that reason.”

De La Cruz’s throw home was clocked at 98.3 mph by Statcast. Báez was out by a lot.

“Tough swing of events there,” Hinch said.

Aggressive base running has been a big part of the Tigers’ success. They lead baseball in successfully going first to third (54 times) and with a 55% success rate on extra bases taken.

But this one was hurt, especially since it looked like Báez banged his shoulder on the play.

“We had two things going on there,” Hinch said. “I was seeing if we’re going to review it and I didn’t see Javy initially stay down. Once we knew we weren’t going to review it, he was up and walking off. It was a little bit of a scare.”

The trainers worked on him between innings and he finished the game.

“I will have him in the lineup tomorrow,” Hinch said. “If he can’t go, then you will see that he’s been scratched.”

The Reds piled on in the eighth against veteran John Brebbia. They scored three runs off him in the ninth inning Friday (he only got one out), and in the eighth inning Saturday, No. 9 hitter Matt McLain dinged him with a three-run homer.

Brebbia and Hinch had an extended, back-and-forth conversation after the eighth.

“He wanted to take the brunt of the rest of the game,” Hinch said. “He wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to go to somebody else out of the bullpen with where we were with the score. He was volunteering to go back out and I was telling him no.”

Brebbia threw 22 pitches after throwing 31 Friday night. With the Tigers down by more than 10 runs, Hinch could use Rogers in the ninth.

“He told me he’d kept (the velocity) under 70,” Hinch said. “He lied. I told him, 74 (mph) is no 70.”

Stephenson led off the inning with a double, which led to the 11th run and it also dissuaded Rogers from debuting his infamous knuckleball, the one he bedevils his teammates with in catch play.

“I think that’s the first pitch I ever threw,” Rogers said. “My dad when I was 10 years old said, ‘Hey, throw this.’ I’ve been throwing knuckleballs forever. Who knows if it’s good or not. It’s good in catch play and I’ve always been kind of wanting to.

“But, you know, it’s fun for me to be out there and enjoying it but a lot of times it’s when we’re getting our butts kicked. Not a great time to be joking around.”

EAST LANSING – The hits were there for South Lyon, but Saline’s Abigail Curtis scattered the damage well enough to deny the Lions on Saturday afternoon as the Hornets claimed the D1 state championship with a 5-2 win at Secchi Stadium.

South Lyon junior Havanna Bissett allowed just three more hits than her counterpart, but Curtis paired 13 strikeouts with her seven hits allowed to give the Hornets their first state title in program history.

“There’s so many great softball teams in the state of Michigan, oh my gosh, softball is so strong,” said Saline head coach Becca Suiter, who talked about going next door with her team afterward to support the Hornets’ girls soccer team that was also playing for a D1 title Saturday. “For our community, we’re so happy to be able to do this … It’s just outstanding for female athletics for Saline, and just our community, so we’re really happy we could do this today.”

Shortstop Casey Griffin, who finished 3-for-3, started the game for Saline with a single, and two batters later catcher Sydney Hastings also singled before Gracelyn Waldrop drove in Griffin to immediately put Saline up, 1-0.

That initial lead was short-lived. Also a force from the leadoff spot, Rylee Miller got it kicked off at the plate for the Lions with a single, then Avery Bourlier singled up the right side to put runners at the corners until Isabella Bracali’s bouncer to third allowed Miller to beat a throw to home, as well as the tag, tying the game.

Unfortunately for South Lyon, Saline would pull back ahead in the top of the second when Ava Stripp sent one over the fence in left field by several yards for a solo shot, beginning a chase by the Lions to tie it again or take a lead that didn’t cease until the final out.

There was no big inning for the Hornets, rather just adding to the lead one run at a time. Waldrop’s sacrifice allowed Hastings to score and make it 3-1 in the third, then the Hornets extended the lead to three in the top of the fifth when a two-out single by Madison Bellus into left scored Hastings.

Saline tacked on its final run of the day when Griffin’s single was shot over the glove of a leaping Izzy Nooe at shortstop to score Elizabeth Onyskin in the top of the sixth.

Bracali sent one into the gap in left-center field for a double in the bottom of the sixth, then Glowacki doubled up the middle to drive her in for the Lions’ final run.

Glowacki would advance to third on a wild pitch in the sixth. It was one of four innings that ended with a runner a base short of home for the Lions.

“We just couldn’t take advantage of the runners in scoring position and cash them in,” South Lyon head coach Jerry Shippe said. “We’ve worked on it a lot, we just couldn’t get the clutch hit when we needed to. Hats off to Saline. They hit the ball hard. They’re a really good team. They deserve it. We just couldn’t get that timely hit when we needed to and sometimes it catches up to you.”

A portion of the success for Curtis in limiting South Lyon and the teams that came before — the Hornets (40-3-2) allowed 10 runs over their seven playoff games — can be attributed to an increased reliance on her changeup.

“I kind of picked up that I think they were prepared for her rise ball when we were watching film,” Suiter said. “So I told (Abigail) today, ‘Okay, let’s try a different pitch.’ And she has really great off-speed a lot of people don’t know about, so after that first inning I had a good feeling if we could mix speeds and keep them off-balance, we’re going to be in good shape.”

Photos of South Lyon vs. Saline in a D1 softball state championship

Most wouldn't have picked South Lyon to get a stage past their semifinal finish last spring after graduating Ava Bradshaw, but Bissett's ability to help fill into her shoes and the effort of her teammates allowed the Lions to get out of a region that included top-ranked Mercy and beat a pair of top-10 teams in Northville and Walled Lake Northern to reach Saturday's final.

"I mean, I'm proud," said Shippe, an assistant coach for last year's side. "I'm sitting here, I'm emotional, choked up. I love these kids. It means a lot for the kids who have been here four years, the ones who are still in the program, and it means a lot to everybody who's going to be in this program to see the work they put in and the never-give-up attitude."

Miller, a freshman, finished 3-for-4 to lead South Lyon (33-8) at the plate in the loss. The Lions will graduate a handful from this year's team, but return Miller and Bissett, among others.

Asked how it felt to return to East Lansing again this spring, Nooe, one of those seniors, responded, "It means a lot, especially with this team. We didn't really have any expectations this year and we were just playing for each other. To make it this far, it just feels good knowing that you went as far as you could in your last year, and playing with these girls, it means everything to me."

The Wolverines and coach Dusty May went the international route to add what’s likely the final piece of their 2025 recruiting class.

Malick Kordel, a 7-foot center from Germany, has signed with Michigan, the program announced in a social media post on Friday.

Kordel visited Ann Arbor during the 2024-25 season and attended Michigan’s rivalry game against Michigan State on Feb. 21 at Crisler Center. He reportedly visited Iowa and Xavier during the winter and also received interest from Butler and Villanova.

Kordel, 21, primarily played with the Frankfurt Skyliners’ junior squad that competes in the German ProB, a third-tier pro basketball league in Germany. At that level, he averaged 11.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots in 24.2 minutes per game. He went 71.7% from the field (104-for-145) across 22 games, but only made 51.3% of his free throws (41-for-80).

Kordel, who grew up playing handball and didn’t start playing basketball competitively until 2021, joins a group of incoming freshmen that includes McDonald’s All-American Trey McKenney, four-star recruits Winters Grady and Oscar Goodman (early enrollee), and three-star wing Patrick Liburd.

Coupled with Michigan’s four transfer additions — Elliot Cadeau (North Carolina), Morez Johnson Jr. (Illinois), Yaxel Lendeborg (UAB) and Aday Mara (UCLA) — Kordel will be the ninth new face on the roster for the 2025-26 season.

Given how deep Michigan already is in the frontcourt with 7-footer Mara, Johnson, Lendeborg and Will Tschetter, minutes might be hard to come by for Kordel, a raw prospect who has upside but will need time to develop and adjust to the college game.

TRAVERSE CITY — There’s a lot riding on J Batt to be successful as Michigan State’s new athletic director. At the very least, a lot of money.

At its Friday meeting in Traverse City’s Kirkbride Hall, Michigan State’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve Batt’s six-year contract as athletic director, carrying an average of $2.1 million in base salary. The board also approved a $192 million athletic department budget that includes a $12 million loan to cover student-athlete revenue sharing, tasking Batt with making progress to balance the athletic department budget.

“Most athletics departments’ budgets are in the red to some degree,” MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz told The Detroit News, “and we’re very confident that this will be covered through some existing resource that we have in reserve, and most likely through fundraising efforts.”

Batt, 43, will be paid $1.85 million in his first year at Michigan State, with incremental raises each year up to $2.35 million his sixth year. in total, Batt’s contract totals $12.6 million and begins Tuesday, June 17, and runs through June 2031.

Guskiewicz himself makes $975,000 in base salary as MSU president, as well as $150,000 in deferred compensation each year. Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel makes a base salary of $1.9 million, which rises to $2.4 million with deferred compensation. Western Michigan athletic director Dan Bartholomae makes $340,000 in base salary.

Batt has been an athletic administrator for more than 14 years, including stops at Maryland, East Carolina, Alabama and most recently Georgia Tech, where he ran the athletic department since 2022 until his June 2 hire by Michigan State. He’s a graduate of North Carolina, where he played soccer and overlapped with Guskiewicz. Batt comes as a well-regarded revenue generator and fundraiser. He is also a member of the House Settlement Implementation Committee, tasked with plotting out the new era of college athletics after the approval last week of the House v. NCAA settlement that approves revenue sharing with student athletes and removes scholarship limits for student athletes.

When he introduced Batt at a press conference June 4, Guskiewicz asserted that he told search firm TurnkeyZRG he wanted to hire a top athletic director nationally. Batt was at the top of the list, and Michigan State paid a hefty sum to bring him to East Lansing.

But Batt’s salary isn’t the only cost Michigan State paid to make a leadership change. The cost of Batt’s contract comes in addition to an estimated $1.3 million to buy out the remaining 16 months on the contract of former AD Alan Haller, who Guskiewicz terminated May 1 before embarking on a month-long search for a replacement. That search, conducted by TurnkeyZRG, cost the university $160,000. The university also has to pay Batt’s buyout to Georgia Tech, which is $2,002,380.95. If that is determined to be compensation and thus taxable, MSU will cover Batt’s tax obligations on that payout, as well.

And that’s just the start of Michigan State’s investment in Batt. After the House settlement last week approved revenue sharing for college athletes, Michigan State’s latest $192 million athletics budget for fiscal year 2026 allotted $20 million for revenue sharing, a budget also approved by a unanimous board vote. The athletic department is receiving an internal loan of more than $12 million to bridge the gap between a current deficit and the arrival of increased media rights and sponsorship revenue in 2027. The loan is expected to be paid back by the athletic department later.

Before he even officially begins his tenure as Michigan State’s athletic director, Batt already has a lot weighing on his ability to fundraise and generate revenue. Michigan State leadership is confident in his ability to deliver.

“We have a lot of faith in J,” MSU Board of Trustees chair Kelly Tebay told The News. “We’re super excited for him to start, and we’re hoping that over the course of the next few years, that he really strengthens the athletics department budget. I think that’s one thing when we brought him in was the amount of fundraising that he did at Georgia Tech was very impressive.”

It takes money to make money, but the investment is a steep expense for a university whose budget is already in a crunch thanks to continued federal cuts. Michigan State’s latest budget, approved unanimously, cut expenses 9% and raised tuition 4.5% in order to combat millions in lost revenue in the form of federal funding and grants. The cuts come as the state House passed a bill outlining millions of dollars in cuts to taxpayer money going toward Michigan universities, including a proposed $237.4 million cut for Michigan State

So where exactly does Michigan State expect its athletic department to draw the extra money from? Some of it will be generated by Batt himself through good old-fashioned fundraising, but some also will come from traditional revenue streams of TV deals and sponsorships. In July 2023, Big Ten member schools signed a seven-year, $7 billion media rights deal with Fox. Guskiewicz said there will be increased revenue from that deal.

“In order to have a top-tier athletics program — you heard J Batt say it, we are top 10, and we will be top 10 — we have to get creative around new sources of revenue,” Guskiewicz said. “And J is an expert in that. We also are fortunate to have a very good media deal that was secured for the Big Ten a few years ago. And we’re going to see increased revenue coming in from that over the next few years. And, again, there will be a new day with regard to fundraising for sport and athletics.”

“College athletics is changing aggressively,” Tebay said. “And I think we have to really stay on top of that in order to make sure our student athletes have the best possible experience at MSU.”

Batt has hit the ground running to make his mark in fundraising. Before Michigan State could even formally introduce him June 4, he was making calls to donors.

“We have a new athletics director who’s one of the nation’s very best in fundraising, and so we will soon be in the black,” Guskiewicz said. “I’m very confident in that, given that J Batt is committed to connecting with our donor base, which he’s already started doing over the past 10 days.”

Batt’s contract, signed by Guskiewicz on June 12, also includes a $5 million buyout for his first two contract years, lowered to $4 million in his third year, $3 million in his fourth year and $2 million in his fifth. If Batt leaves Michigan State in the final year of his contract, he owes no buyout.

Predecessor Alan Haller’s contract was laden with predetermined bonuses for regular-season and postseason success of his teams. Batt’s contract says he and Guskiewicz will outline performance goals annually, on or before June 20. Batt also will be reimbursed for his relocation to East Lansing.

Staff writer Tony Paul contributed

DETROIT — Isiah Thomas stood at the top of the key at Veterans Memorial Coliseum after receiving an in-bounds pass from Dennis Rodman. Game 5 of the 1990 NBA Finals between the Detroit Pistons and Portland Trail Blazers was tied at 90 with 20 seconds remaining.

During the timeout, coach Chuck Daly designed a play for Thomas to take the potential game-winning shot against Terry Porter. But as soon as play resumed, the Hall-of-Fame point guard noticed something on the right side of the court that wasn’t just a testament to his greatness, but also the identity of the team.

“I noticed that Jerome Kersey was guarding Vinnie Johnson, and I said to myself, ‘He (Kersey) has no chance,’” Thomas told The Detroit News this week. “Vinnie had a better matchup than I had at that time. … It was about understanding the matchup rather than (thinking of) yourself. That’s what made us such a great team. We pride ourselves in doing what was best for the team, and not what’s best for the individual.”

Thomas’ decision set up Johnson to make a game-winning basket as time expired, resulting in the Pistons’ 92-90 victory and Detroit’s second straight NBA championship.

Johnson finished with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting off the bench in the championship game clincher, as his shot became one of the most iconic moments in franchise history.

This is the 35th anniversary of that game on June 14, 1990.

“That game, we were battling uphill the entire game, and Portland was playing well,” Thomas said. “Knowing Vinnie the way that I know him, he had gotten on a roll early in the fourth quarter to bring us back. I wanted to make sure that we had the last shot. I dribbled to the right side and kicked it out to Vinnie, and the rest is history.”

Thomas, who scored a game-high 29 points in the win, received Finals MVP with averages of 27.6 points, 7.0 assists and 1.6 steals during the five-game series. However, Bill Laimbeer may have played the most critical role.

The Trail Blazers recorded a 106-105 Game 2 victory at The Palace of Auburn Hills that tied the series at 1-1. The Pistons faced a daunting task when the Finals shifted to Portland. It was the first time the series used a 2-3-2 format and Detroit was in the midst of an extensive losing streak on the Trail Blazers’ home court.

But Laimbeer’s message ahead of the Pistons’ 121-106 Game 3 victory instilled great confidence in the team. The Pistons concluded the championship series with a three-game winning streak, holding the Trail Blazers to an average of 101.6 points per game.

“Your teammates have a way of picking you up, and Laimbeer was very vocal about how we would go there and win,” Thomas said. “We hadn’t won in Portland in like 20 years; the Blazers thought they would win all three games at home, but I believe we were the first team in the Finals to win three games on the opposing team’s home floor and close out a series. That’s how good we were.”

The Pistons’ 1990 championship title was part of a five-year period during which they dominated the league. Detroit entered the season at the pinnacle of its success, having won the franchise’s first title the previous year.

As defending champions, Thomas and his teammates believed that no team was playing better than they were at the time and vowed to remain committed to the philosophies that had established them as a great franchise since the 1986-87 campaign.

The Pistons had won an average of 56.3 regular-season games over the last three seasons while making back-to-back Finals appearances in 1988 and 1989. If not for Laimbeer’s controversial foul against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during the 1988 NBA Finals, the Pistons might have have been seeking their third straight title.

“During that period of time we honestly felt that we were the best team playing,” Thomas said. “From 1987 to 1990, no one was playing basketball better than us. Even though the (Los Angeles) Lakers and (Boston) Celtics, historically, were great teams, we felt that our team was just as good.

“So when 1990 came around, in our minds, we were going for our three-peat. If not for (Laimbeer’s) phantom foul we would have been the first team in that era to three-peat. For us, it was about being true to the game, being true to ourselves and living up to the expectations of being the best, going out and proving it every night.”

Despite facing injuries, the Pistons remained confident in winning their second consecutive Larry O’Brien Trophy. However, the most significant obstacle they faced was Rick Mahorn’s abrupt departure. Mahorn’s tenure with the Pistons ended during the 1989 expansion draft, when the Minnesota Timberwolves selected the veteran forward with the No. 2 pick.

“Without him we were less of a team,” Thomas said. “It hurt us defensively. It hurt our morale, but we still had an obligation to go out and be the best. No one could do the things or take the place of Rick Mahorn. For us, he was truly one of a kind, a once-in-a-lifetime player for us.”

The Pistons felt Mahorn’s absence but managed to maintain their dominance. They finished first in the Eastern Conference with a 59-23 record and carried their momentum into the playoffs, where they went 7-1 through the first two rounds, eliminating the Indiana Pacers (3-0) and New York Knicks (4-1).

Their most formidable challenge was an Eastern Conference Finals battle against the Chicago Bulls. However, they went on to defeat the Bulls in seven games, marking the third consecutive year they had eliminated their division rival.

Thomas averaged 20.5 points and 8.2 assists through the first three rounds, leading the Pistons to their third straight NBA Finals appearance. Joe Dumars notched 18.2 points while Laimbeer and Rodman led Detroit in rebounds, averaging 10.6 and 8.5, respectively.

“Every city that we visited, we felt it was our obligation to go out and perform, give the crowd the championship play they wanted to see,” Thomas said. “We approached every series like, ‘OK, it is only a matter of time before we beat you.’ I think our opponents knew that they were fighting an uphill battle and knew it was only a matter of time before they lost the series.”

If not for a few mistakes in Game 2 of the 1990 NBA Finals, the Pistons would have swept their opponents in the championship series for the second consecutive year. However, Detroit’s narrow one-point loss in Game 2 led to Thomas and Johnson becoming the faces of one of the league’s most iconic moments.

While Johnson’s shot secured the Pistons’ second consecutive championship, it also solidified the Bad Boys’ everlasting impact as one of the league’s most influential teams ever.

“I look at the way the game is played today, the team that had the most influence offensively and defensively had been the Detroit Pistons’ Bad Boys era,” Thomas said. “We were the first team to win back-to-back championships playing with three small guards out on the perimeter and a stretch five who can step out to the 3 and shoot. Our principles, our culture, our DNA are in every single NBA team.”

ALLEN PARK — After a strong showing in his rookie year, the Detroit Lions made Brian Branch a full-time safety to pair alongside budding star Kerby Joseph.

Fast forward just one year, and the two have a strong case as the best safety tandem in the NFL. Joseph just received the most lucrative safety contract in NFL history, while Branch is sure to command a similar deal starting next offseason.

For as good as the two have been, their youth suggests there’s an even higher level of play that’s attainable.

“They definitely had a great year, but we’re expecting even more from them this year,” Lions safeties coach Jim O’Neil said.

Branch, 23, and Joseph both received honors during the 2024 season, with Branch making his first Pro Bowl and Joseph, 24, earning First Team All-Pro after leading the league with nine interceptions.

Offseason growth isn’t just rooted in getting bigger, faster and stronger. It begins with a self-scout, aided by O’Neil, who creates a series of cut-ups for each player so they can study their games and approach their goals for the summer with nuance and deliberation.

“It’s always good to kind of go back (and) watch the whole year,” O’Neil said. “They’ve both been outstanding. I made tapes for each guy that pulled the critical things that they need to see, but also all the different techniques so they can go back and study themselves. It’s been pretty cool.

“Like, ‘Hey, BB, watch all your blitzes. I’ll watch them, and then let’s talk about it the next morning.’ I think when they watch it instead of you just telling them, I think you get more out of it. If they’re seeing the same thing that you’re seeing, instead of you just saying, ‘Hey, this is what I saw, you need to bet better at this (and) this,’ they come back to you and say, ‘Hey, coach, I saw I was doing this.’ (Then I say), ‘I agree. Let’s work on it this way.’”

The Lions deploy Branch as a do-it-all weapon who defenses have to account for on every play, whether he be coming off the edge as a blitzer, crashing down on a run to make one of his 109 tackles, or lurking in the secondary to come down with an interception, of which he had four in his second season.

Branch and Joseph combined for 13 of Detroit’s 16 interceptions, tied for sixth in the league.

One area Branch does need to clean up, though, is his tendency to hit players high. While head coach Dan Campbell has repeatedly said he doesn’t want to take away the player’s “stinger,” Branch was fined seven times for a total of $70,896, including several for either hitting a defenseless receiver or impermissible use of the helmet.

O’Neil said the team bought a custom tackling dummy to help Branch aim lower, but defended the intentions of his Pro-Bowl safety.

“We’re going to live on that post-practice and save some of his money,” O’Neil said, adding, “He’s not trying to hurt guys out there. A lot of times … those are bang-bang plays. If I’m a DB, I have my aiming point of where I’m about to strike a guy, and then if a guy catches and his aiming point drops, it ends up helmet to helmet or shoulder to helmet or shoulder to neck.

“That stuff is a lot easier to coach in slow motion than it is full-speed. The answer is you just go lower, but now you’re hurting guys. We’ll work it.”

Conversely, one of the things that impressed O’Neil about Joseph was his growth as an open-field tackler. Joseph, who finished sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, had a career-high 83 tackles, just one more than he achieved in each of his last two seasons.

“One of the things that I’m most proud of with him is I thought he did an unbelievable job in open-field tackling last year. It was even more impressive than I thought when I went back and watched the cut-ups,” O’Neil said.

“You’re really known for two things as a post safety: Obviously, a guy who can go get the ball, and a guy that can erase mistakes when the ball pops, and I thought he did an outstanding job of that.”

Last season, Joseph’s third in the league, also saw him take on the role of a locker room (and position room) leader. He hired a private chef and hosted the rest of the defensive backs for dinner on Thursday nights and has taken seriously the example he sets for younger players.

“Just his leadership in the meeting room, like, ‘Hey, make sure you write that down,’” O’Neil said.

“Or (he will) reemphasize a coaching point that he might know for a player that’s hard on the grass, or, ‘I didn’t get that the fist time around,’ so looking at a younger guy, ‘Hey, did you get that? Coach, can you go over that again?’ Or he might ask questions that he knows the answers to that other guys might need to hear the answer again or in a different way.”

Joseph and Branch earned some of the highest honors a player can achieve last season, but with so much room to grow, one can’t help but wonder what another year of growth looks like for those two players — especially when you put them side by side.

DETROIT — Gleyber Torres wasn’t much interested in talking about his All-Star viability, certainly not on June 8. He may only be 28 years old but he has eight hard years invested in this game. He knows better than to put too much energy into things he can’t control.

“Not really,” he said on Sunday when asked if he’s thought about maybe returning to the All-Star game for the first time since 2019. “Just play. This is a long season, by the way. I really believe it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”

That’s something his father instilled in him as young boy. The game is hard and you are competing against the best players in the world every day. Keep your head down, there will be storms to weather yet.

“It is so gratifying to start really good, but you have to compete and continue to make adjustments,” Torres said. “At some point, the league is going to make adjustments to you and you are going to have make your adjustments for that.

“I feel happy, yes. But I’m going to continue to play and do the adjustments every time.”

Because at some point, he said, slumps are inevitable. And the trick is to keep them from getting too deep.

“You’ve got to be ready to get back to normal fast,” he said. “Just go play and do your job every day.”

Make no mistake, though, if the All-Star game was tomorrow, Torres would have a strong case to be the American League’s starting second baseman. He’s been rock solid both in the field and in the No. 2 slot in manager AJ Hinch’s batting order.

His .381 on-base average and .775 OPS are tops among qualified AL second basemen, and his .269 average is second. He’s been an on-base machine, recording more walks (33) than strikeouts (29).

And most impressively has been his improvement on defense, going from a league-worst minus-11 defensive runs saved last year to a minus-1 this year.

“One thing that makes Gleyber unique is how many little things he’s trying to do better each day,” Hinch said. “And that leads to so many positive things. Whether it’s taking a game plan into the batter’s box, some of the positioning, the base running and just the reactions I’ve learned from him on the mound during a pitching change.

“There are just a lot of things Gleyber does to make a team better.”

Torres’ baseball IQ is elite, his instincts true. His calm assuredness on the field is contagious, solidifying. All of that, plus his selflessness and competitiveness, have made him a perfect fit for this still-young baseball team.

“It’s been good,” Torres said. “Always I am grateful because I got a good opportunity to play another year. Baseball is tough. There are really good players out there who don’t have a job. I’m going to enjoy the journey. I don’t take anything for granted right now.

“Just come to the ballpark and do my thing, do my job and help the team win.”

Torres, signed by the Tigers last December for $15 million, came from a noisy environment in New York. He pushed back when they asked him to move to third base and that created a firestorm of negativity in the media, with the fan base, even with his Yankees’ bosses.

It was a tough way to end a seven-year partnership.

But he’s blossomed in the relative tranquility here. Hinch has given him both the freedom and the trust to just be himself and play. More than that, Hinch has put him in a better position to maximize his skills.

The Tigers, per Sports Info Solutions, are a plus-8 runs saved, with their infield positioning. And that positioning data has helped negate some of Torres’ range deficiencies at second base.

And hitting Torres second, between a couple of left-handed hitters, has unleashed the on-base monster in him.

“I really believe the success, too, is that I know the guys behind me,” Torres said. “I don’t have to force myself to do too much. Just try to get a really good at-bat. If I don’t get anything good to hit, I just pass the baton on to the guys behind me.”

Against right-handed starters, left-handed hitting Parker Meadows is back in the leadoff spot and lefties Kerry Carpenter and Riley Greene have recently hit third and fourth. For stretches before that, lefty Colt Keith was hitting third.

“Basically, I’m the righty at the top of the lineup,” Torres said. “And that means maybe I’m going to see one or two lefties later in the game. Also, the righties are going to throw me a little bit more carefully, because if something happens, I’ve got good cover behind me.”

Torres’ command of the strike zone has been remarkable. His chase rate (15.9%) ranks in the top 100 percentile in baseball, per Statcast. His 17.9% whiff rate is in the top 93rd percentile.

“I don’t try to walk, I just try to hit,” he said. “Just go to the plate, get a really good at-bat and trust my plan. Be really prepared before the game and whatever happens, happens. That’s the main thing for me. I’m always trying to put myself in scoring position if I get my opportunity. If not, if I don’t get my pitch, take my walk.”

He is essentially doing more by swinging less. He’s cut not only his chase rate, but his overall swing percentage from 69% to 65%.

“Hitting is so difficult,” Torres said. “Every time you are facing one of the best pitchers in the game. It’s really about trying to do less. Don’t try to do too much. Don’t try to hit every pitch. That’s the main thing. The past couple of years, I tried to hit everything and that got me into trouble.

“This year, if nobody throws me the pitch I want to hit, I just take it.”

This is a bridge year to free agency for Torres. He wasn’t able to get a multiyear deal coming off a rough (by his standard) season in New York but he’ll get another crack at it this winter, still before age 30.

He’s building a pretty sturdy bridge.

“Everything matters and he really does take to that,” Hinch said. “He’s all in on everything with his preparation and his play. I know going to a new team, there’s always that desire to be the best version of yourself. We’re reaping the benefits of all that he does.”

CHARLEVOIX – McCoy Biagioli will play Centennial-celebrating Belvedere Golf Club for the first time in a practice round just ahead of the 114th Michigan Amateur Championship presented by Carl’s Golfland, which is being played at the historic venue for the 41st time, June 17-21.

“I’ve read about it and heard a lot of about it and I’m excited to play it,” said the 19-year-old defending champion from White Lake. “It would be cool to make some history at a place with so much history.”

Biagioli, who just finished his sophomore year at Ferris State University and is transferring to Michigan State University in the fall, is seeking to be the first repeat winner of the state amateur championship in 69 years.

Only five golfers have won consecutive Michigan Amateur titles in the previous 113 championships, and the last was legend Glenn Johnson of Grosse Ile, who won his first three of five titles in 1954, ’55 and ’56.

Only 14 golfers have won the championship multiple times as well. The last to garner a second title was Michigan Golf Hall of Famer Randy Lewis of Alma, who won first in 1992 and added another win in 1999.

Chuck Kocsis of Royal Oak, regarded as Michigan’s greatest amateur golfer, won a record six Amateur titles. Johnson won five and Pete Green of Franklin won four in four separate decades. James D. Standish Jr. of Detroit, who later served as a Golf Association of Michigan and United States Golf Association president, was the first to win more than twice with wins in 1909, 1912, 1915 and 1924.

Only Johnson, Kocsis, who won in 1930, ’33, ’34, ’37, ’48 and ’51, John Malloy of Ann Arbor, the 1927, ’28 and ’29 champion, Howard Lee of Detroit, the 1910, 1911 and 1920 champion, who was the first to garner multiple wins, and Carlton Wells of Ann Arbor, the 1922 and ’23 champion, are in the historic consecutive wins club.

As an 18-year-old winner last year, Biagioli started making history by becoming just the fifth player that age to win the championship, and the first since Joey Garber of Petoskey in 2010. Kocsis remains the youngest ever to win at age 17. Biagioli also became just the 11th winner under age 20 a year ago. The last 19-year-old winner was Henry Do of Canton in 2014; the last time Belvedere hosted the Michigan Amateur.

“Obviously the goal is to win again,” he said. “I’m only 19 now and it’s such an honor to be a Michigan Amateur champion. To do it again would be incredible and I’m going to give it my best effort.”

Biagioli, who late last summer became just the 11th golfer in 103 years to win both the Michigan Amateur and the GAM Championship in the same year, said his game is coming around after a slow start this fall at school.

“I was a little rusty but I’m playing well now and excited to play in the Michigan Open and then get to Belvedere and defend in the Amateur,” he said. “My short game is better than it was a year ago. I’m a better player when I get my game going.”

He wasn’t on anybody’s radar a year ago when he arrived at the 113th Amateur at The Highlands in Harbor Springs. It’s a different story this year.

“I had never even made match play before, so that was my goal to start the week,” he said. “Then once I won a match, I just got on a roll, gained confidence, and realized I could win it. This time I will have a target on my back, and it will be more pressure, but I love it, honestly. Sometimes it’s good to be a guy in the shadows and sneak up like I did last year. But having a target on your back adds pressure, but also motivation because everybody is coming after you and they want to beat you.”

Most of the final “Sweet 16” from last year’s tournament are returning either with exempt status or via local qualifying presented across the state in recent weeks. Last year’s runner-up, Jimmy Dales of Northville, has turned professional but the other semifinalists, Matt Zerbel of St. Joseph and Drew Miller of East Lansing, will be in the field.

The starting field of 156 golfers will play two rounds of stroke play Tuesday and Wednesday, June 17 and 18, to determine the match-play field of 64. Two rounds of matches on Thursday, Friday and Saturday will determine the champion.

For the second consecutive year the Michigan Amateur winner will receive an exemption into the U.S. Amateur Championship later in the summer.

Meanwhile, Belvedere is celebrating its centennial in part by hosting another Michigan Amateur Championship in 2025. Dennis “Marty” Joy, the head golf professional with a passion for the club’s history, made the effort to have the GAM schedule the return visits during the 2014 championship.

“It just seemed right that Belvedere celebrates its history with the tournament that is such a big part of the history of the club and Michigan golf,” Joy said.

Joy said the classic golf course designed by Scotsman William Watson 100 years ago is sure to provide another great championship, and Ken Hartmann, the senior tournament director for the GAM, who directed the 2003 and ’14 Amateurs at Belvedere, agreed.

“The older players will love it, and the younger guys will get what makes Belvedere special once they have played it,” he said.

The GAM will be showing support to the Charlevoix golf community in the wake of recent automobile accident involving the local high school golf team. Maroon ribbons matching the colors of the Charlevoix Rayders will be made available to participating players in the championship.

NOVI – Calling South Lyon starting pitcher Havanna Bissett’s circumstances in the fifth inning of Saturday’s regional championship against Northville a high-leverage situation might have been an understatement.

An error coupled with several singles put the go-ahead runner on first for the Mustangs, who trailed just 2-0 at the time, and getting out of it all unscathed at the time seemed like a dream scenario.

But that dream became a reality. Bissett, aided by a few spectacular plays throughout by her teammates, never allowed a run, and the Lions dispatched Northville 3-0 to claim the regional title at Novi High School.

The Lions were already fortunate to get the first out of that fifth inning when a Northville player advanced too far past second and couldn’t make it back in time, but a single after that followed by a laser hit by Kennedi Adams that clipped off South Lyon shortstop Izzy Nooe’s glove juiced the bases for the Mustangs.

It’s no wonder then with jams like those that Bissett, who got a line out followed by a strikeout swinging to escape that particular one, was “very relieved” when her duties in the circle for the day had concluded. 

“I’m just saying to throw strikes,” Bissett said of her thoughts going back to that fifth frame. “I have to trust my defense. I really couldn’t do it without them, and my catcher (Mady Ferstenau) really helped me out.”

Make no mistake, Bissett helped herself, too, allowing six hits in the seven-inning effort — her second of the afternoon — but the Lions’ defensive effort was integral to keeping their hopes of returning to East Lansing alive.

There were several nice highlights, among them Furstenau gunning a runner out at second in the third inning, or Maggie Badrak backtracking to make a catch in center the play after that. The clear one, though, was a diving effort by Nooe on a ball hit by Jocelyn Burns to shallow left where the ball popped out of Nooe’s glove as she hit the ground, but she was able to trap the ball with her right arm as her body nearly folded over itself to secure the out for what would be another scoreless Northville inning.

“That was insane,” said Nooe, who had an inside-the-park home run the second at-bat of the game and finished 4-for-4 at the plate. “I didn’t know where my left fielder was, but I was feeling it out. I just went for it, then I had to transfer it to my other hand to keep it up. It was crazy.”

South Lyon’s collective heart rate elevated again when, after Bissett recorded consecutive outs to begin the bottom of the seventh, Adams singled between a pair of walks that gave Northville a chance to win it with one swing, but a hard one-hopper back to Bissett and a throw over to first triggered the Lions’ victory and celebration around the circle.

The celebration would be short-lived: South Lyon’s seniors had another hats-off celebration to attend — their graduation — at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, which was slated to begin at 4 p.m., or exactly 30 minutes before the final out.

“It happened last year, too, but with a little different situation,” Lions head coach Jerry Shippe said. “Graduation was in the middle of the regional and we had the early game, so the girls left to graduate, then came back for the regional. It was a little different this year where they had to get out of here real quick, but it makes it more satisfying when you can bring a trophy to graduation ceremony.”

Following Nooe’s four-bagger in the first, the Lions (30-7) had to wait until the top of the fifth before adding to their lead. Ryle Miller doubled, then Nooe dropped a bunt to put runners at the corners, and a sacrifice grounder by Avery Bourlier scored Miller. Despite back-to-back bunt singles by Miller and Nooe that led off the top of the seventh, the Lions’ only run to came out of that inning was from an RBI double by Isabella Bracali.

Bissett spun a two-hitter and struck out nine in South Lyon’s regional semifinal just before that, a 6-1 victory over Bloomfield Hills. Nooe finished 2-for-3 in that one and the tandem of Bracali and Ella Glowacki both drove in a pair of runs.

Anna Carlson and Caroline King had the hits in the loss for the Black Hawks (23-15), who beat Groves 14-6 in a district championship that included a three-run homer by Avery Howland.

“Last year we had four senior graduate, and this year we have six, and all six made all-district,” Bloomfield Hills head coach Phil Appel said. “Like I just said to them, I’m like, all you guys have to do is watch how (the seniors) played this year and we’ll be fine next year. Because if they learned anything from them, it’ll be a great shot. They were amazing seniors.”

Like Bissett, Northville’s Mary Gugala also tossed two complete games on Saturday. The first resulted in the Mustangs’ 1-0 upset of top-ranked Farmington Hills Mercy.

Photo gallery of South Lyon vs. Northville in a D1 softball regional championship

McKenzie Stevens tripled to lead off the third against the Marlins (28-3) and later was walked in to score the lone run, which in itself has been a rare occurrence all year with Kaitlyn Pallozzi on the hill. Gugala allowed two hits and struck out six in the win, while Pallozzi's ended as she fanned a dozen.

"Going against No. 1 Mercy, and their pitcher, obviously, we felt we had to come in here and do things a little bit differently and try to get her and their whole team off-balance," Northville head coach Scott DeBoer said. "We did a lot of looking at things, studying of things, spent a lot of time on the machines and working on bunting and just trying to distract and make (Mercy) try to make some plays.

"(Pallozzi's) going to strike out 12, 14, I mean, she strikes out over 70% of the batters she faces, so we knew we had to do something different. And Mary, a junior, went toe-to-toe with her. She's not gonna throw 65 (mph) right now, but what she can do is spin it in multiple pitches keep multiple people off-balance, and to throw a two-hitter against them, in that game, was phenomenal."

DeBoer did confess his believe that the discrepancy in speed between Pallozzi and Bissett probably negatively effected the Mustangs' performance at the plate in the final and led to being out front and lots of fly balls. Still, he said "to go 35-7 after 34-8 (last year), while starting four freshmen, if you had told me that at the start of the year, I would have signed up for that in a heartbeat ... I'm really proud of this team. There's no losers in a game like that. There's no losers when you get to play in this atmosphere."

South Lyon will see a familiar opponent in Walled Lake Northern in Tuesday's quarterfinal that will be hosted by Northville. The Knights beat Grand Blanc and Lake Orion in their own regional on Saturday. Northern won the only meeting between the teams 5-1 on May 20.

"(Northern is) a very good team, always are, and the girls will be ready for it," Shippe said. "We'll be ready to go on Tuesday."

After beating Bloomfield Hills in a semifinal earlier in the day, South Lyon blanked Northville 3-0 to claim a D1 regional championship Saturday, June 7, 2025 at Novi High School.

The No. 1 Dakota Cougars defeated the Lake Orion Dragons, 4-0, in a Division 1 baseball state quarterfinal game on Saturday, June 7 at Grand Blanc HS.

ANN ARBOR – The South Lyon United girls lacrosse team displayed such a strong offense throughout the 2025 season that its potent defense could often go unnoticed.

On Saturday, it would be that defense that would propel United to a perfect season and the program’s first-ever state championship.

Trailing Hartland 3-2 at halftime, United refocused with an emphasis on defense and possession, and proceeded to hold the Eagles scoreless in the second half on its way to a 6-3 victory in the MHSAA Division 1 final at the University of Michigan.

“This is only the second game this season that we fell behind. We are normally able to pick up the lead and pull away pretty quick. When we weren’t, coming out of the half, we knew we needed to start playing our game and not letting (Hartland) play their game,” South Lyon United junior Shaelyn Perry said. “On defense and transition, we really locked things down. On offense, we used that momentum to pull ahead.”

Perry was the spark in all phases for United (24-0) as she came through with key plays on the draw, defensively, and on offense. She tallied three goals and an assist to lift her team to a win.

“I could have never imagined it. I am beyond excited,” Perry said of being a state champion.

Averaging nearly 14 goals per game on offense, South Lyon United couldn’t get into a groove with the ball to start Saturday’s D1 final.

Hartland (20-6) held United to two goals, while grinding its way to a 3-2 lead at the break thanks to scores from Ella Ebright, Claire Brown, and Amanda Norton.

To complement its offense in 2025, the South Lyon United defense was allowing just under four goals per game. That defense stepped up on Saturday and locked down Hartland for the final 24 minutes of play.

“We really weren’t playing our game, so we had to just settle down and play like South Lyon lacrosse and not Hartland lacrosse,” South Lyon United coach Deanna Radcliffe said. “I just told them that if they remained poise and do what we have worked on all year, eventually (the lead) would come.”

The lead did come in the third, thanks to a 4-0 period for United. Perry scored her second goal of the game midway through the period to tie things at 3-3 and start a run of three goals in two minutes for United.

Reagan Shields followed to give South Lyon the lead on a free protection shot, while Cate Cumberland added another goal seconds later on an assist from Perry. The junior, Perry, then finished the scoring with 24.3 seconds left in the third to make it 6-3.

“I definitely did put a lot of pressure on (myself), but it was all for my team and I don’t regret it at all,” Perry said of leading the second-half charge.

The fourth quarter was scoreless as South Lyon United held possession most of the frame. When Hartland had the ball, it couldn’t find a way past United goalie Teagan Wesner.

Photo gallery of South Lyon United vs. Hartland in a D1 girls lacrosse state championship

A team with just four seniors, the young South Lyon United team carried the added pressure of being undefeated on Saturday as it sought its first state championship. Coach Radcliffe admitted even the nerves were getting to her.

“I didn’t even turn around until the very end of the game because I didn’t want to look (at the crowd). Even I was (nervous),” Radcliffe said. “It’s a different setting, a different stage.”

Despite the young team, Radcliffe had belief that 2025 could be special when her team was ousted by Brighton in last year’s playoffs. Brighton had won the previous three D1 state titles, but South Lyon defeated the Bulldogs two times this year, including in the regional final.

“At the end of last year, when (the team) lost to Brighton and they realize they didn’t do what they could have done, I think they had belief that if they worked…I told them that if everybody just works a little bit harder, you can surprise yourself next year,” Radcliffe said of her team. “I think they all bought into it, and here we are.”

South Lyon United defeated Hartland 6-3 in the MHSAA Division 1 girls lacrosse state championship game on Saturday, June 7, 2025 from the University of Michigan.

The No. 1 Dakota Cougars defeated the No. 10 Brother Rice Warriors, 2-0, in a Division 1 baseball regional championship game on Saturday, June 7 at Grand Blanc HS.

ANN ARBOR – The last thing Detroit Country Day goalie Campbell Lindner wanted to see in Saturday’s Division 2 girls lacrosse state championship match was overtime.

Fighting exhaustion from the heat after two competitive halves, Lindner had to dig deep when regulation ended with the Yellowjackets tied 9-9 with Grand Rapids Catholic Central.

Lindner fought off the fatigue and came through with two timely saves to keep the Pioneers off the scoreboard, while Country Day netted the lone goal of overtime to claim the 2025 championship, 10-9, at the University of Michigan.

“It’s surreal. It’s the best feeling in the world,” Linder said of the state championship. “(I told myself before overtime,) don’t get in your head, don’t lose your mind. Stay calm, shoulders back. Don’t do things you usually wouldn’t do. Just play your game, be scrappy, and do what you know how to do, what you were trained to do.”

The game-winning goal for DCD came from freshman Charlotte Cook just a minute into the first overtime session. Cook got some encouragement from a teammate to go for the goal when she had the opportunity to do so.

“I just saw an opening,” Cook said of going for the game-winning goal. “I had been trying to go all day, but had been laying off. I didn’t want to push it too much. My teammate and one of my best friends, Adriana Zuk told me I was going to get the winning goal. I saw an opportunity and I wanted to make her prediction come true, so I went for it.”

Cook has been one of the leading goal-scorers for the Yellowjackets this season, having the trust of her coaches and teammates.

“She is absolutely phenomenal. I haven’t seen a player like that in a long time. Just her raw talent, her (lacrosse) IQ as well,” Country Day coach Liz Nussbaum said of Cook. “This is the second time she’s come up with game-winning goals. It’s rare to have that level of trust, not just from a coach’s perspective, but the player’s (too). Our leaders could have told her to pull back, but they knew that she had it.”

With the lead, Lindner shut the door on GRCC, part of a 10-save performance from the junior goalie.

“It took her a minute to get into her head space, but once she did, she was unstoppable,” Nussbaum said of Lindner.

Country Day overcame a four-goal deficit in the first half to win its second state championship in three years. The Yellowjackets trailed 6-2 early in the second period, as their offense wasn’t able to find much success.

“We still had to get our bearings. We have a lot of freshmen that it’s their first time playing at a scene like this. It took them a minute, but once we got our feet rolling, we had the game plan and we started sticking to what we know we needed to do. I had so much confidence that we were going to get it done,” Nussbaum said of the four-goal deficit.

Country Day scored four of the final five goals in the first half to make it a one-score game at the break.

The Yellowjackets then held the Pioneers scoreless in the third, and Georgia Pavlou scored the lone goal of the period to make it 8-8 entering the fourth.

Jackie Calso gave DCD a 9-8 lead in the first minute of the final period, but GRCC answered with two goals from Lily Engstrom, who had a match-high six goals on Saturday.

With 1:15 left in regulation, Mary Pavlou found the net to tie things up at 9-9, then came through with a key defensive play as GRCC was looking for a last-second shot.

“We knew we were going to be in a close game,” Nussbaum said. “We were mentally ready for those tough moments and it showed in the end.”

Photo gallery of Detroit Country Day vs. Grand Rapids Catholic Central in a D2 girls lacrosse state championship

The 10-9 victory for Country Day avenged a 10-9 loss to GRCC in the 2024 state championship match.

“I feel like that score was burned into all my players’ minds after last year,” Nussbaum said of the 10-9 final score. “We started preparing the next day after (the 2024 final). Last year we came in with two losses (against GRCC), this year we came in with two wins, so I think that gave us more of a confidence boost.”

Calso’s three goals led Country Day in the game, while Georgia Pavlou and Cook each scored twice. Pavlou added two assists.

Detroit Country Day defeated Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 10-9 in overtime, to win the 2025 MHSAA Division 2 girls lacrosse state championship on Saturday, June 7, 2025 from the University of Michigan.