BATTLE CREEK, MI (WTVB) – The Coldwater Cardinal girls basketball team made its third consecutive MHSAA District Championship game appearance count. After losing by two to Edwardsburg two seasons ago and falling by one against Battle Creek Lakeview last season, they won the Class A District hosted by Lakeview by defeating Harper Creek 37-28. Carlee Crabtree led the Cardinals with 11 points, while Tyler Scheid added 10 points and 8 rebounds.
Coldwater led 10-9 after one, but Harper Creek took a 17-16 lead into the locker room at the half. The Lady Cards used a 15-11 third quarter to take a 31-28 lead heading into the final stanza, where the Cardinals used 6-of-7 free throw shooting to outscore the Beavers 6-1. Jamie Wellet, our McDonald’s Player of the Game, scored her only two points of the game at the line with 50 seconds left to put some distance between themselves and Harper Creek.
Faith Hayes led the Beavers with 11 points as their season concludes with a 16-7 record. The Cardinals improve to 21-2 with the program’s first district championship since 1995. They advance to the Class A Regional Semifinal at Loy Norrix Tuesday night against the Okemos Chieftains, who defeated Jackson 40-25 in the championship game of the Mason District. That game will tip off at 6pm, with our live coverage beginning Tuesday at 5:40. The other regional semifinal game will pit Kalamazoo Central against undefeated East Lansing.
At the Class C Bronson District Final, Bronson outscored Union City 18-2 in the first quarter and cruised to a 61-39 win against the Chargers to claim their second consecutive district trophy. Payton Robinson had a game-high 17 points as the Vikings improve to 17-6. Danielle Cross led the Chargers with 12 points and 8 rebounds as they wrap up their season at 8-15. Next up for Bronson: a date with 21-2 Niles Brandywine Tuesday at 7:30 in the second game of a Class C Regional Semifinal doubleheader at Bridgman. Brandywine defeated Hartford 64-44 to win the district it hosted. On the other side of the bracket, Hackett Catholic Prep will go up against undefeated Schoolcraft.
In other area scores:
- Class B at Pennfield: Marshall 44, Pennfield 30 (fourth consecutive district title for the Redhawks)
- Class B at Eaton Rapids: Northwest 50, Eaton Rapids 42 (the Mounties and Redhawks will face each other in a Class B Regional Semifinal game at Williamston)
- Class B at Paw Paw: Edwardsburg 44, Three Rivers 28
- Class D at Climax-Scotts: Martin 57, Colon 36
- Class D at St. Philip: Athens 42, Bellevue 37 (12th straight district title for the Indians)
- Class D at Tekonsha: Camden-Frontier 61, Will Carleton Academy 24
