Detroit, MI

Cass Tech holds on late to beat Detroit Renaissance, 72-70, in Public School League final

Published

11 months ago

February 18, 2024

Cass Tech holds on late to beat Detroit Renaissance, 72-70, in Public School League final

It wasn’t always pretty, but Cass Tech withstood a late run from Detroit Renaissance to remain the top team in the city, as they held on to win, 72-70, in the Public School League title game at Wayne State Fieldhouse on Sunday.

Cass Tech held a 14-point lead near the midway point of the fourth quarter, but surrendered a run that cut the lead to three points with a minute remaining, in part because of turnovers against the full-court press and missed free throws. After four straight misses at the line, however, sophomore Corey Sadler and senior Derrick Miller stepped up back-to-back to split a pair from the charity stripe in front of an ear-splitting crowd, which proved to be enough to hold on to their second consecutive PSL title.

“Sometimes, teams go on runs, basketball is about runs,” Sadler told the Free Press. “So, we stuck together, stayed composed and came out with the win.”

The defending Division 1 state champions were led by both Miller and Sadler, who both had 18 points, along with Lee Harris, who also had 18. Sadler was consistent, with three quarters in which he had six points, while Miller exploded for 11 in the third to help Cass Tech build a 16-point lead. Turns out, they ended up needing that margin. Harris got most of his points from the line, including five free throws in the final quarter.

A big reason why Cass Tech could build that lead is because of the defense in the third quarter, holding Renaissance to 10 points. After giving up 14 points to Renaissance junior Lance Stone, who was named Mr. PSL at halftime, in the first two quarters, they held the league’s best player to five points in the third, and just three in the fourth, for a total of 22. Sophomore Jordan Sigmon had 17 points, including nine in the fourth, and sophomore Marcellus Phelps had 12 points.

GIRLS PSL FINAL: Detroit Renaissance thumps Cass Tech, 66-27, in girls PSL championship game

Cass Tech head coach Steve Hall said the win was one of the most gratifying yet of his career, because people outside the program didn’t have as high expectations for the defending champions. Cass Tech had to replace its entire starting five from last year’s title team and elevate players into new and bigger roles. Despite that, they were still lifting the trophy at the center of Wayne State Fieldhouse, not skipping a beat.

“The sentiment was there wasn’t enough on this year’s team to get it done,” Steve Hall said. “That’s been a motivator to us. … I’m very proud of this team and this one feels real good.”

Cass Tech built a lead in the first quarter after the teams were even through the first four minutes of the game. A steal by Stevie Hall led to two free throws for Harris, which Stone answered with a 3 on the move in front of Cass Tech’s bench. After the 3, Renaissance coach John D. White received a technical foul for “unsportsmanlike conduct” on the other end, which led to a four-point possession for Cass Tech to push the lead to 15-9. The Technicians led 22-14 at the end of the first quarter.

Stone continued to pace Renaissance with a layup and a three-point play at the start of the second, sandwiched around a Miller 3-pointer for Cass Tech, to cut it to 25-19. The lead was cut to four points by halftime after Renaissance answered a Mathieu Collins jumper and Harris free-throw with a 6-0 run of all layups to make it 34-32. Miller added a layup in the final 10 seconds to make it a two-possession game. Harris was Cass Tech’s leading scorer in the first half with 11.

“Our standard and those letters across our chest are the same,” Steve Hall said about replacing last year’s production. “We’ve grown up a lot since December and I always said we’re shooting for late January, early February, and we are hitting our stride now. It’s very gratifying as a coach.”

Cass Tech started the second half with a 12-2 run over the first half of the quarter. Miller went on a personal 8-0 run during that stretch, converting an and-one on a floater, draining a 3 and adding a layup. Cass Tech built their biggest lead, 16, heading into the fourth, after Miller finished the quarter with another layup in the final seconds.

Miller said he focused on being more patient in the second half, which was a message also relayed by Hall, who told him his shots will come because the offense runs partly through him.

“In the first half, I was forcing my shots,” Miller said. “So in the second half, I just let ’em come to me. I let the game come to myself.”

However, Cass Tech couldn’t maintain its dominance in the last quarter as Renaissance stormed back. The Technicians led, 68-54, with over three minutes remaining but didn’t score again for the next two minutes as the Phoenix went on a 10-0 run to cut it to 68-64. Sadler went to the free throw line and split the pair, ending a streak of five straight missed free throws, to make it 69-64. Sadler wasn’t happy with himself over his free throw woes after, promising plenty of practice before the state tournament.

“We were just sticking together — being brothers,” Sadler said. “Our teammates know each other well, we fight for each other, and defend each other. (We) just stayed together and stayed composed.”

Renaissance freshman Alphonso Harris responded with his first bucket of the game, a 3 from the top of the key, to make it 70-67 with a minute left. Cass Tech ran 30 seconds off the clock before Miller was fouled, splitting the free throws, followed by a defensive stop and another Sadler free throw to ice the game to repeat as PSL champions.

“Our program is at the point now where there’s an expectation,” Hall said. “There’s pressure on the current group to achieve what the groups before them have. It’s a good pressure, but nonetheless, that’s the expectation that there’s pressure. We’ve had several close games this year and guys have stepped up.”

Source link

Click to comment

Detroit, MI

Snow showers this afternoon

Published

5 hours ago

January 12, 2025

Press Room

Snow showers this afternoon – CBS Detroit

Watch CBS News

Colder air moves back into the area

Source link

Detroit, MI

Detroit Pistons move back above .500 with Cade Cunningham triple-double vs. Raptors

Published

13 hours ago

January 11, 2025

Press Room

Detroit Pistons move back above .500 with Cade Cunningham triple-double vs. Raptors

The Detroit Pistons have been one of the league’s brightest teams for nearly a month. They added to their in-season turnaround with another victory on Saturday night.

The Pistons defeated the Toronto Raptors at Little Caesars Arena, 123-114. With the win, the Pistons are back above .500 at 20-19, cracking the 20-win threshold for the first time since 2021-22 — with 43 games still on the schedule. They’ve won six of seven games and nine of their past 11. (It was also their fifth straight win over the Raptors.)

Cade Cunningham secured his seventh triple-double of the season with 22 points, 17 assists (one shy of his career-high) and 10 rebounds. Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with a season-high 27 points, shooting 9-for-12 overall and 7-for-8 from 3, and Tobias Harris added 17 points and seven rebounds.

The Pistons led by 13 in the first quarter, but it was otherwise a close game for most of the night. Toronto tied the game at 32 by the end of the first, and there were 16 lead changes and 10 ties. Even though the Pistons shot 52.4% overall and 57.6% from 3, the Raptors kept within distance by scoring 23 points off 17 Pistons turnovers.

With under five minutes remaining and trailing by two, Toronto’s Jacob Poeltl and RJ Barrett missed a pair of free throws apiece on back-to-back possessions. Cunningham then gave the Pistons a 113-109 cushion with a midrange jumper.

With 2:31 left, a dunk from Jalen Duren extended their lead to six, and Malik Beasley’s 3-point dagger with 1:44 on the clock pushed the lead to 118-111, virtually clinching the win.

Hardaway erupts in return

The Pistons’ certainly missed Hardaway’s scoring punch on Thursday, when they just couldn’t muster enough offense during a home loss to the Golden State Warriors. He put together one of his best performances of the season during his return Saturday.

Hardaway was on fire from the jump, knocking down all three of his 3-point attempts in the opening quarter, and two within the opening minutes. He hit two more in the closing minutes of the second half, helping the Pistons regain the lead after a Raptors push made them face their first deficit of the night, 56-54, with 2:44 to play until halftime.

The third period was his strongest — he knocked down all four of his attempts, including two 3-pointers, for 11 points in the quarter. He gave the Pistons the lead twice early in the third with his sixth 3-pointer, and a strong drive through contact that created an opportunity for a three-point play.

It was his second time in three games scoring at least 26 points, and his seven made 3-pointers were a season-high.

Bickerstaff donates to Los Angeles fire victims

Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff opened his pregame press conference with words of support for the victims of the fires in Los Angeles that struck the Palisades, among other areas. He matched his words with his actions, as well.

He agreed to donate $500 toward relief efforts for every assist the Pistons tallied on Saturday. Throughout the game, the Pistons displayed a QR code for NBA Cares on the video board at center court, directing fans toward resources such as American Red Cross and World Central Kitchen.

“I just wanted to take some time to acknowledge what’s going on in the Los Angeles area, and the families and people and how they’re impacted,” Bickerstaff said. “I was moved to this reading some stuff that JJ Redick was going through, Steve Kerr’s family and community is going through, and I just want to make sure we take this time to find a way to support one another the best way we possibly can. The people that are going through these things, how all of us can do something, no matter what it is, to just reach out and help humanity at this point.”

Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X @omarisankofa.

Source link

Detroit, MI

Weird and wonderful cars we saw at this year’s Detroit Auto Show

Published

21 hours ago

January 11, 2025

Press Room

Weird and wonderful cars we saw at this year’s Detroit Auto Show

DETROIT – The Detroit Auto Show is back, and with it comes a carnival of new, unique, wacky rides that are bound to interest gearheads and the general public alike.

MLive journalists were on hand at Huntington Place in Downtown Detroit for Media Day on Friday, Jan. 10 to get an early look at the show. From concept cars to custom classics, take a look at some of the most interesting vehicles we saw below:

The Cadillac Opulent Velocity concept on display during Media Day at the 2025 Detroit Auto Show at Huntington Place in Detroit on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025.Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com

Cadillac’s Opulent Velocity Concept Car

The Detroit Auto Show has long been known for showcasing forward-thinking concept cars from established automakers, and this year’s event was no exception. Cadillac highlighted their luxurious electric vehicle concept, aptly named the Opulent Velocity.

Touted as a “pure expression of innovative design and prestigious performance,” the all-electric, scissor-door coupe featured smooth lines, an interior upholstered entirely with blue fabric and low-profile tires partially integrated into its futuristic-looking wheels.

2025 Detroit Auto Show Media Day — The Ford F-150 Lightning Supertruck electric vehicle demonstrator on display during Media Day at the 2025 Detroit Auto Show at Huntington Place in Detroit on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025.Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com

Ford’s Race-Winning F-150 Lightning Supertruck EV

Ford showcased its hot-rodded F-150 Lightning Supertruck electric vehicle demonstrator, which they proudly deemed “King of the Mountain” after its victory at the 102nd Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado. Romain Dumas piloted the 1,600-horsepower electric truck up the winding, 156-turn course in a 12.42-mile road race with a finish time of 8:53.553, the fastest of all 61 competitors.

Grounded’s G2 all-electric camper van

Chevrolet subsidiary Grounded showed off a fully built-out G2 electric vehicle equipped as for emission-free van life. The kitted-out camper, based on GM’s Brightdrop Zevo 400 platform, features 270 miles of range, 1 kW solar power, a fully customizable interior and integrated StarLink internet for around $195,000.

MyFlight’s Detroit Helicopter Tour Flights

In keeping with a long tradition of hosting at least one flying vehicle, the auto show featured a Robinson R44 from Detroit-based MyFlight Tours, which offers aerial tours of the Detroit area by helicopter for as little as $55 per person. MyFlight also offers sightseeing flights over Milwaukee, Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains, Ocean City, Md. and the Straits of Mackinac.

National Lampoon’s Vacation Wagon and other Movie Cars by Hagerty

Automotive lifestyle company Hagerty has a booth highlighting a collection of seen-on-the-big-screen vehicles including a tribute to the prototypical road trip vehicle: the “Wagon Queen Family Truckster” from National Lampoon’s Vacation.

Other cars in the Hagerty booth include one of the used-on-screen Modena replica Ferrari 250GT Spyder Californias seen in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” a Pontiac Trans-Am K.I.T.T. from “Knight Rider,” the Volkswagen Beetle “Swinger 2″ from “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me” and a rare Ferrari 308 GTSi like the one used in “Magnum P.I.”

A Reliant Robin and other Rare, Modified and Custom Vehicles

The lower River Level at Huntington Place features a collection of rare, custom and enthusiast vehicles owned by community members, including the Reliant Robin three-wheeler above. Famously used by Top Gear hosts James May and Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, the Robin was tricycle-style compact car mass-produced in Britain from the 1970s until 2000.

The Gallery, a Luxury and Exotic Vehicle Showcase

Modded Detroit also helped arrange the return of a display of 50 prestigious automobiles from 12 luxury brands, including the Ferrari Monza SP1 above. Brands featured include Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Lotus, Maserati, McLaren, Morgan, Porsche and Rolls-Royce.

Check out some more of our favorite concept cars and oddities below.