Warren Cousino’s Kierra Fletcher drives the ball on a fast break against Detroit Martin Luther King during the MHSAA girls basketball Class A finals at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Saturday, March 19, 2016.
ALL-EAST
First team
KIERRA FLETCHER
WARREN COUSINO
5-9, JR. PG (CAPTAIN)
Came up big for Cousino throughout the state tournament, averaging 27 points a game en route to guiding the Patriots to the Class A state championship. She scored 27, grabbed eight boards and dished out five assists in Cousino’s 67-65 title game victory over Detroit King. She averaged 24 points and 9.6 rebounds a game as well as 5.6 assists and 4.2 steals a contest.
Coach Mike Lee: “She’s a playmaker. She can score at will, but she’s also the first one to say that she will take an assist over a bucket. But when she knows that the game’s on the line, she wants the ball in her hands, and that’s what winners and competitors do. She’s a very unselfish player as well as a great student and a great kid.”
Nia Ahart Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett
NIA AHART
GROSSE POINTE WOODS UNIVERSITY LIGGETT
5-7, JR. PG
Led Liggett to a 20-5 campaign and to an appearance in the Class C state quarterfinals. She averaged 22.3 points per game on 52% shooting from the field and 46% shooting from three-point range to go along with 85% free-throw shooting. She also amassed 6.7 rebounds a contest and put in solid work defensively, recording 139 steals (5.3 per contest).
Coach Omar Ahart: “At the beginning of the season, I told Nia and everyone that every day was a tryout. I told her to put her best foot forward every game. She had to learn more because within a year, she’s going to be running someone’s Division I program. And she ended up carrying the team, which consisted of eight players.”
Teresa Diehl Warren Regina
TERESA DIEHL
WARREN REGINA
5-6, SR. G
The “real Diehl,” as her classmates call her, brought leadership every time she stepped on the floor. She averaged 17 points and six boards a game to go along with 4.3 assists. Bright on and off the court, she is No. 1 in her class with a 4.3 GPA.
Coach Diane Laffey: “She’s a floor leader. The whole team looks to her for leadership.”
NIJA COLLIER
ROSEVILLE
5-11, JR. F
Nija Collier Roseville
Won MAC Gold Most Valuable Player with the most points per conference game (20.5) and rebounds per conference game (17.8). Scored 46 points against Center Line on Jan. 22, giving her the Roseville and Macomb County girls record for points in a game, and grabbed 30 rebounds against Marysville on Jan. 26, setting school and county record for rebounds in a game. For the season overall, she averaged 18.3 points and 16.6 rebounds to go along with four assists, 3.5 steals and 1.5 blocks.
Coach Andy Houghton: “She’s always been a great athlete, but her rebounding took over this year. She plays all year round, knows the game and loves it. That mixed with her athleticism makes her a threat and allows her to take command of the game and to impact it greatly.”
Katie Snow Grosse Pointe North
KATIE SNOW
GROSSE POINTE NORTH
5-8, JR. SG
Helped North accumulate a 17-6 record and reach the district finals of the state tournament. On the season, she amassed 13 points and four rebounds a game to go along with three steals and 2.5 assists per contest.
Coach Gary Bennett: “The biggest thing about Katie is her competitive toughness. She has a tremendously high energy level and just keeps going and going. No single player brings more competitive toughness.”
Coach of the year
Mike Lee, Warren Cousino
Second team
Erin Armbruster, Grosse Pointe North
Cierra von Zittwitz, Utica
Nicole Meyer, Utica Eisenhower
Nicole Austin, St. Clair Shores Lakeview
Tris’styn Williams, New Baltimore Anchor Bay
Third team
Kendall McConico, Grosse Pointe University Liggett
Kate McArthur, Warren Couinso
Emily Langolf, Macomb Dakota
Julia Cianferra, Utica Ford
Anna Carmody, Grosse Pointe South
Honorable mention
Tara Bieniewicz, Macomb Dakota
Madeline Brender, Stevenson
Taylor Mueller, Romeo
Courtney Russell, Warren Mott
Mackenzie Anderson, Cousino
Mya Oleksiak, L’Anse Creuse North
Kendal Ring, Sterling Heights
Malynn Kosnik, Eisenhower
Chantae Parker, Roseville
Ashleigh Ringstad, L’Anse Creuse
Natalie Suchoski, Utica
Lashana Young, Lakeview
Katie Boyle, Lakeview
Paige Spinale, Utica
Ashleigh Thomas, Lutheran North
Erin Bracey, Center Line
Khadajah Williams, South Lake
Rosalyn Williams, Mt. Clemens
Ashley Harger, Warren Woods Tower
Kela Willis, Fitzgerald
Lanae Foster, Michigan Collegiate
Brooke Junaud, Center Line
Tone’ Oglesby, Fitzgerald
Hannah Harris, Lutheran North
Lauren Turner, Parkway Christian
Jenna Pomaville, Lake Shore
Meghan Jones, Regina
Faith Terry, South Lake
Jewel Smith, Center Line
Abby Dubak, Lutheran North
Chantal Cherisca, Warren Woods Tower
Hannah Milligan, Lutheran North
Natalie VanDerHaegen, Lake Shore
Sarah Schmidt, Parkway Christian
