By John Raffel
MaxPreps.com
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Michigan girls basketball teams are going after state championships this weekend at Michigan State University's Breslin Center.
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Among the state title hopefuls is Class B power Cheboygan, a school located in the state's northern Lower Peninsula, and owners of a 25-1 record.
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The Chiefs advanced to the semifinals a year ago before falling to Hudsonville Unity Christian. Earlier this week, Cheboygan whipped East Grand Rapids 59-47 and will return to the semifinals this weekend.
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Amanda Blaskowski sank 9-of-10 free throws and had 25 points for a team that was up 31-20 a halftime.
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Heidi Lacks scored 12 points to lead East Grand Rapids. Elizabeth Ellis had nine points for the Pioneers.
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"We did a good job in handling Ellis," Cheboygan coach Jason Purcell said. "She's a good player who doesn't have a lot of weaknesses."
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Cheboygan had to hold back a tough East GR comeback effort in the second half.
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"We knew they would make a run on us," Purcell said. "That was too good of a team we faced. But the biggest thing is that they made their run and we answered it."
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Purcell is confident his team can have success in going for a state title.
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"I had four of the top seven back from last year," he said. "Experience is really the big thing for us. This group of seniors has been with us for three years."
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Blaskowski has been averaging 16 points per game.
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"She's been a great player for us," Purcell said.
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"Cheboygan has a very good team," said East GR coach Michael Ellis said. "They know how to apply pressure."
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Blaskowski has wanted to return to the state semifinals ever since her team lost to Unity Christian last year.
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"We don't play them in the semifinals this time. We might get them in the finals," Blaskowski said. "If we see them again, we need to play tough defense and box out."
Blaskowski is right-handed but killed East GR with several drives to the basket for the left-handed layup.
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"My dad pushed that on me at an early age," Blaskowski said. "He said because almost everyone is right handed, it's helpful to shoot left handed."
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In the Class B semifinals, St. Clair, 24-1, plays Cheboygan. Unity Christian, 24-1, takes on Detroit Country Day, 22-2, in the other semifinal this weekend.
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Carrie Snikkers had 15 points and Amber Soodsma 14 for Unity Christian which crushed Stevensville Lakeshore 60-18. The winners had a 24-3 scoring advantage in the final quarter.
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Country Day was led by Amber Moore with 23 points in a 54-33 victory over Detroit Renaissance. Kelsey Rood had 15 points on 3-point shots to lead St. Clair 39-22 over Portland in the semifinals.
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The Class B state title game is 6 p.m. Saturday night.
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In Class A, Detroit Martin Luther King, 21-1, faces Saginaw Arthur Hill, 21-4 in Friday's semifinal round. Fraser, 22-4, takes on Lowell in the other semifinal.
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Courtney Townsend and Raytoria Jones scored 12 points each for King in a 45-33 quarterfinal win over Dearborn Edsel Ford. Britney Murphy netted 18 points for Arthur Hill in a 48-45 win over Brighton. Becka McHenry had 11 points to lead Fraser over Rochester 45-40.
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Brenna Banktson of Frankfort, a Class D school in the northern western part of the state, was named Miss Basketball this year. She scored 25 points to lead her team, the defending Class D state champs, to a 55-32 win over the Bay City All Saints in the state quarterfinals.