By John Raffel
MaxPreps.com
Detroit Redford might have Mr. Basketball in its program, but Saginaw High has the Class A state championship trophy.
Saginaw won the large-school enrollment division in Michigan's state basketball tournament last weekend with a 79-57 victory over Redford and its top player, Corperryale Harris, who was previously named the state's top player with the Mr. Basketball award. The game was played at Michigan State University's Breslin Center.
Harris was 7-of-17 from the floor and 16-of-17 from the free-throw line for 31 points.
But no one else was in double figure points for Redford, which shot 14-of-50 from the floor for 28 percent and ended the season at 21-7.
Saginaw, meanwhile, was 28-of-55 from the floor for 50.9 percent. Draymond Green connected on 11-of-18 field goals for 27 points. Josh Southern added 15 points and 15 rebounds.
Saginaw outscored Redford in the paint 44-14 and led 36-26 at halftime. Saginaw ended the season at 25-1.
"Their size hurt us the whole game," Redford coach Kenneth Flowers said. "We couldn't adjust to it. It was a key factor for us. We couldn't get the key rebounds when we needed them.
"A lot of people didn't think we'd make it this far. But we didn't quit. Being in the state finals shows the character of this team."
Harris' big effort came despite lingering knee problems.
"I wasn't 100 percent but I thought I was good enough to play," Michigan's Mr. Basketball said. "We just weren't able to pull it out."
Green, a 6-7 junior, could be an early candidate for the state's highest individual honor next season with his dominant showing in the finals.
"(Green) is one of the top players in Michigan and will be one of the top players next year," Saginaw coach Lou Dawkins said. "Saginaw is blessed with a lot of talent."
"I haven't had a dominant game since a Christmas tournament," Green said. "Coach said I had to step up. I thought I had to do more today."
In Class D, Cedarville set a Michigan state finals record with 11 3-pointers in a 77-74 victory over defending state champ Wyoming Tri-Unity Christian.
"Dreams do come true," Cedarville coach Dave Duncan said. "I said after our semifinal win Thursday against Bellaire that our dream was to win a state championship. I've never doubted these guys."
But Cedarville, with a 45-32 halftime lead, served early notice that it was serious about winning. The Trojans were 7-of-15 from the floor in the first quarter and 16-of-31 in the first half. Sophomore C.J. Paquin, who led his team with 27 points, was 4-of-6 in threes in the first half.
"He was really something to watch," Duncan said. "He and some of our other kids came off the bench and did a good job."
Cedarville ended its season at 26-0, the only undefeated school in the state.
"What can I say? All of those shots in the first half, that was amazing," Tri-Unity coach Mark Keeler. "They got the lead by hitting their threes and won it by hitting their free throws.
"You could tell it was Cedarville's game. I don't think we came in over confident."
Bath was the state champion in Class C with a 65-60 title game victory over Saginaw Nouvel. Mark Schneider had 20 points and Brett Monroe had 19 points and Eli Redman 13 points and 12 rebounds for the state championship team.
Tim Ryan had 18 points and 14 rebounds for Nouvel.
Bath was 25-of-50 from the floor for 50 percent. Nouvel was 23-of-68 for 33.8 percent.
"It's been a pleasure to coach one of the top two high schools playing in the last game of the season," said Warren Wood, Nouvel's coach.
Nouvel was outscored 36-29 in the second half.
"I don't know what happened in the second half," Ryan said. "We started settling for jump shots."
Bath hit 10 3-pointers.
"We have a lot of weapons on offense," Bath's Kody Kokx said.
"Ten 3-pointers is the most we've had all year. You know that it's meant to be when that happens," Bath coach Jeff Wonch said.
Detroit Country Day defeated East Grand Rapids, 66-61, for the Class B title. Darnell Brown had 22 points and eight rebounds for Country Day, which also had 14 points from Darryl Nobles and 13 from Clayton Beard. Country Day outscored East GR 32-25 in the second half.
