Detroit, MI
MHSAA basketball: Cass Tech’s Stevie Hall erupts for 36 in opener
In basketball, a dominant performance from a star player can feel inevitable, no matter what a defense throws their way.
On Saturday, Dec. 6, during the Horatio Williams Foundation Tip-Off event at North Farmington High School, Detroit Cass Tech junior guard Stevie Hall could not be slowed by a long, athletic and swarming Belleville defense.
Hall erupted for 36 points to lead Cass Tech to a 61-54 win over Belleville in the season-opening game for the Technicians in the 2025-26 Michigan high school basketball season. The 6-foot-3 guard took control of the game in the second and third quarters, scoring 24 of his 36, including a personal 10-0 run in the third quarter to give the Technicians a 14-point cushion they held for the rest of the game.
“He’s been consistently playing that way,” Cass Tech coach Steve Hall, Stevie’s father, said. “We had some early-season [exhibition] games and he’s consistently played that way. It was good to see him come out and show the leadership he showed today.”
Belleville opened with a 15-9 edge after the first quarter, dominating the offensive glass against Cass Tech’s 2-3 zone and flustering them on the other end with their length.
To open the second quarter, Hall was aggressive, getting into the lane before whipping a one-handed pass to junior Ransom Thomas for a wide-open 3, and then getting to the foul line off a drive.
The two plays sparked a 10-0 Cass Tech run, capped by Hall stealing an inbounds pass for an easy layup. By the end of the quarter, Cass erased the deficit with three steals leading to buckets, tying the game at 27.
Hall continued filling it up in the second half with 14 points in the third quarter and eight points in the fourth, as Cass Tech’s defensive intensity picked up to pull away from the Tigers. He got buckets in every manner: backdoor cuts, attacking the basket off the dribble, catch-and-shoot 3s, lulling a defender to sleep with crisp crossovers and behind-the-back dribbles, before launching his lefty jumper.
“Being aggressive, but not too aggressive and turning the ball over and things like that,” Stevie Hall said. “Just keeping my composure, playing together with my teammates, really helped me out.”
Belleville found success in the paint, but couldn’t hit enough jumpers against Cass’ zone to keep pace in the second half. Junior Adam Coats led the Tigers with 19 points.
The Technicians played all 15 players on their roster and also switched up their look on both ends. They primarily played zone because of Belleville’s strong paint presence, and oscillated plays between Hall and Sebastian Thrower as the primary offensive initiator.
“I’m still trying to figure some things out right now,” Steve Hall said in terms of his rotation.
Both Cass Tech (1-0) and Belleville (0-2) gained valuable experience as they prepare for things to ramp up in December.
“We’ve got 10 games in December,” Steve Hall said. “We’ve got league games, games that have playoff implications. So you want to go into those as ready as you can.”
Xavier Pendergrass leads Waverly past Detroit King
Xavier Pendergrass rattled the North Farmington rims more than anyone during the two-day Horatio Williams Foundation event. The 6-foot-7 senior Lansing Waverly forward lived above the rim in a 75-71 win over Detroit King on Saturday.
Pendergrass finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks, including two in the waning moments as King furiously closed Waverly’s lead. He brought the crowd to its feet by stuffing King guard Steven Jones on a transition dunk attempt in the fourth quarter.
“For this game, [my team] needed me getting downhill and finishing at the basket and rebounding,” Pendergrass said. “So that’s what I did.”
Pendergrass is a leader for Waverly, which enters the season with an experienced group motivated by last season’s end. The Warriors finished 20-4 in 2024-25, but three losses came to league rival East Lansing, the Division 1 state champions, including in the district semifinals.
“The goal is always to win the conference,” Waverly coach Rod Watts said. “We’ve got East Lansing that we have to deal with to win our conference. Then win the district, and once again, East Lansing is in our district. We know it is not going to be easy.”
A win over a strong team in King helps bolster that confidence early in the season. Outside of Pendergrass controlling the paint, guards Cayden Ali (20 points), C.J. Gomez (12 points) and Derek Thomas (11 points) stepped up in the win.
Ali scored all 20 of his points in the first half before sitting most of the second due to foul trouble. Gomez came in to run point and calmly found his shot to keep King’s comeback attempt at bay.
“That’s a great confidence builder for [Ali], for a guy like him so we are really proud of that,” Watts said. “He was feeling it so much, he got a technical.”
On King’s side, there were plenty of teaching moments for coach George Ward’s group. The Crusaders trailed by 16 at halftime after giving up 26 second-quarter points, but started the second half with an 18-4 run. However, King could not maintain that intensity in the fourth, eventually falling in a tight game.
“When we got back in the game, we didn’t play smart,” Ward said. “I knew at some point our defense would get us back in it. Now, once you get back in, how smart are you going to be? It seemed like we were a little anxious, playing with some anxiety that we did not have to play with. That’s a learning lesson for the guys.”
Jones led King with 26 points. The 6-foot-2 guard finished strong in the paint and hit some late 3s to keep the game within reach. Derrick Kilgore had 19 points and Mareon Knott had 13 points.
“When [Jones] gets downhill, when he’s aggressive and assertive with the basketball, he makes us a much better team,” Ward said. “For him, the maturity level is going to be when he plays 32 minutes like that.”
Nominate a high school athlete for the Detroit Free Press boys and girls athlete of the week.
Jared Ramsey covers high school sports for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jramsey@freepress.com; Follow Jared on X or Bluesky.
Anna Segedi and Mellissa Channell-Watkins on PWHL game at LCA
Anna Segedi, left, and Mellissa Channell-Watkins will play for Vancouver in Saturday’s PWHL game at LCA.
PWHL Detroit added another local player to the roster for the inaugural season in 2026-2027.
Plymouth’s Mellissa Channell-Watkins (Vancouver Goldeneyes) was one of three defensemen signed to the team on Sunday along with Stephanie Markowski (Ottawa Charge) and Mia Biotti (Boston Fleet).
Channell-Watkins joins Macomb’s Taylor Girard, Brighton’s Shiann Darkangelo and Port Huron’s Casey Borgiel as Michigan-area players in the lineup.
Channell-Watkins played with the expansion Goldeneyes last year after two previous seasons with the Minnesota Frost where she won back-to-back Walter Cup titles.
In 30 games in 2025-26, the 31-year-old recorded two assists and tied for fifth among defenders with 44 hits.
In 83 career regular-season games, she has 11 points (1G, 10A), while her nine career playoff points (1G, 8A) in 18 games is tied for third all-time among defenders.
Prior to turning pro, the Little Caesars graduate played at the University of Wisconsin, scoring the game-winning goal in the 2017 NCAA Frozen Four semifinal.
Markowski entered the PWHL as the 20th overall selection by Ottawa in the fourth round of the 2024 Draft.
The 24-year-old finished third on the team with a plus-6 rating in 2025-26 and has recorded 10 points (2G, 8A) in 58 career regular-season games.
Collegiately, the Edmonton native played four seasons at Clarkson University (2019-23), serving as an alternate captain in 2022-23.
She transferred to Ohio State where she won a national championship with the Buckeyes in 2024.
Biotti spent her rookie season with Boston Fleet, making her PWHL debut at Little Caesars Arena on Jan. 3 and went on to record two assists in 13 regular-season games and saw action in two playoff contests.
The 23-year-old from Cambridge, Massachusetts, played four seasons at Harvard University, serving as captain in her senior year, and earned Second-Team All-Ivy League honors.
PWHL Detroit roster
Forwards
▶ Daryl Watts, Detroit’s first signing, Canadian Olympian, Toronto Sceptres
▶ Hannah Bilka, U.S. Olympian, Seattle Torrent
▶ Britta Curl-Salemme, U.S. Olympian, Minnesota Frost
▶ Jesse Compher, Sister of Red Wings forward J.T. Compher, Toronto Sceptres
▶ Taylor Girard, Macomb native, New York Sirens
▶ Shiann Darkangelo, Brighton, Montreal Victoire
▶ Hilary Knight, U.S. Olympian, Seattle Torrent
Defensemen
▶ Cayla Barnes, U.S. Olympian, Seattle Torrent
▶ Sydney Bard, Vancouver Goldeneyes
▶ Nina Jobst-Smith, German Olympian, Vancouver Goldeneyes
Detroit’s draft picks
▶ No. 15 (Second round): Andrea Brandli, G, Switzerland
▶ No. 22 (second round): Casey Borgiel, D, Colgate
▶ No. 34 (third round): MaryKate O’Brien, F, Minnesota-Duluth
▶ No. 39 (fourth round): Kyle Josifovic, F, Connecticut.
▶ No. 51 (fifth round): Sena Catterall, F, Clarkson
▶ No. 63 (sixth round): Georgia Schiff, F, Cornell
Detroit added six new players in the PWHL Draft, including Swiss goalie star Andrea Brändli.
Detroit added six players in the PWHL Draft, including Swiss goalie star Andrea Brändli.
The Detroit Pistons have put Isaiah Stewart on the trade block with multiple offers swirling around the ever-changing rumor mill.
Several teams would benefit from having Stewart, who averaged 10 points, five rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game last season, on a solid 55% from the floor. However, despite linking up well with Jalen Duren, Stewart earning a total of $30 million over the next two years simply doesn’t fit with their future outlook.
Stewart has been linked to the blockbuster three-team trade involving Giannis Antetokounmpo; however, if we set that aside, who else could use his talents ahead of the upcoming season?
Stewart embracing the north?
A possible swap involving the Toronto Raptors could be on the cards. The Raptors have been desperate for frontcourt depth, and the Pistons could definitely use more playmaking and shooting options on their roster.
For Detroit, trading Stewart for youngsters Gradey Dick and Jamal Shead makes perfect sense, with the Pistons able to mould them into backups for Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson.
While Shead provided relief for Immanuel Quickley, Dick fell out of the rotation and will be eager for a second chance in the Motor City.
Bringing a much-needed wing player to Detroit, via Cleveland
The Cleveland Cavaliers could bring a talented wing player to Detroit in the shape of Max Strus, whose presence would really help the Pistons.
What they’re short on is two-way wings who can ease the pressure off their stars, and Strus can fit perfectly into that gaping hole.
Beyond his floor-spacing ability, he can also create offense by attacking closeouts, addressing another area where Detroit has struggled.
Look no further than their playoff meeting, which the Cavs won with Strus averaging around 10 points per game in the series, capped with a 20-point showing off the bench in Game 5 that helped swing momentum in the Cavaliers’ favor.
Stewart’s salary and defense helps Denver
One issue that plagued the Denver Nuggets this season was their rim protection, and defense in the paint.
With Stewart, who posted just under two blocks per game last season, his defensive style would really help the Nuggets, but he would be in a similar position to the one he is currently in Detroit: A backup to Nikola Jokic.
Why does this move make sense for both parties? Well, look no further than the money involved. If Denver shipped Cameron Johnson and Christian Braun, who are both on the trade block, it would save the Nuggets money and give Detroit two strong players with championship pedigree.
Stewart is under contract for $15 million in 2026-27, with a team option for the same amount in 2027-28, bringing his total value to $30 million. Johnson’s set to make $23 million, and Braun’s is on $21.5 million. This works better for Denver than it would for the Pistons, but having Johnson and Braun only boosts Detroit’s championship credentials.
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A Metro Detroit church is giving back to the youth. In an age of heightened peer pressures, such as teen takeovers, leaders tell CBS News Detroit that good old-fashioned fun is the way to bring all ages together.
“It’s been a vision of mine and my late husband forever,” said Divine Restoration Ministries Pastor Dr. Tenisia Evans.
Divine Restoration Ministries hosted a Legacy in Action Day on Saturday in the gym of Eastpointe High School in Eastpointe, Michigan. The church says its focus is showing up for communities, especially the future generation.
“So many things going on in the world right now and the youth has been the center of our focus,” said Evans.
Evans says with the help of other church leaders and businesses, including AT&T, they were able to secure food, games and experiences for kids of all ages.
And when it comes to creating an event kids would actually like, Detroit teen Martrail Mullen says they were spot on.
“Kids, we like to move around and still have cardio, and while still having fun at my age, most churches don’t do that,” said Mullen.
Mullen says he has been invited to teen takeovers in the past. While he says he’s never gone to one, he wishes kids would use their time more wisely.
“Kids my age, they are doing a lot of things,” said Mullen.
That’s why Evans says now is the time they open their arms to anyone in need of support.
“We’re here. We’re here for you and we want to pour back and let you know that if you need anything, come to us and we will be here as a resource,” said Evans.
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