U.P. Playoff Schedules – Girl’s Basketball – Class D

MARQUETTE, MI – 2/26/2015 – It’s an exciting time of year for high school athletes.  The regular season is winding down and teams are putting in their final plans for the playoffs.  Where some teams will be one and done, others have a good chance to make it deep into the playoffs and potentially make that trip over the bridge into troll country.  This is just a simple article to see which teams will play where and when for the playoffs!

CLASS D

DISTRICT 123 (@ St. Ignace)

St. Ignace-LaSalle Saintes vs. Newberry Indians – March 2nd @ 6pm

• New to Class D, the Saints will look to make a splash in their new playoff format.  Both team are looking to advance and both have a good chance of doing so.  The Saints just beat the Indians on the road by two points back on the 20th and will now welcome the Eastern U.P. Conference representative to their own gym.

Mackinac Island Lakers vs. Engadine Eagles – March 2nd @ 7:30pm

• Two teams that scream out Class D with their size, but both are looking to pull off an upset by winning this district.  The Lakers have had to play teams two days in a row for much of the season due to obvious travel concerns.  Meanwhile the Eagles have gotten to play both small teams and larger ones.

DISTRICT 124 (@ Cedarville)

Brimley Bays vs. Pickford Panthers – March 2nd @ 6pm

• A battle of EUPC teams as the Bays & Panters are meeting up for a third time.  Both teams have posted 10+ wins and are looking to claim bragging rights in the 2014-2015 season.  Both teams defended their home court well, and will play on a neutral site for all of the marbles in this version of the rivalry.
• The winner of this game will go on to face the Maplewood Baptist Academy Black Bears in the district semi-final on March 4th at 6pm.

Rudyard Bulldogs vs. DeTour Raiders – March 2nd @ 7:30pm

• The two bottom teams of the Eastern UP Conference drew each other in the first round.  DeTour will come in looking to knock off the Bulldogs, who swept them out of both gyms during the regular season with a nine point and a six point win.
• The winner of this game will go on to face the district host Cedarville Trojans in the district semi-final on March 4th @ 7:30pm.

DISTRICT 125 (@ Superior Central)

Grand Marais-Burt Township Polar Bears vs. Superior Central Cougars – March 2nd @ 6pm

• Two struggling teams will meet up as the host Cougars will look to use some home-cooking to make a splash in the district playoffs, starting with a match up with the Polar Bears.
• The winner will advance to take on Rapid River Rockets in the district semi-final on March 4th at 6pm.

Big Bay De Noc Black Bears vs. Mid-Pen Wolverines – March 2nd @ 7:30pm

• Another meeting of two teams that are bringing up the rear within their conference.  Another game where one team will have revenge on their mind.  Big Bay was swept by Mid-Pen during the season are are looking to advance out of the basement of the CUPC with a win.
• The winner of this game will have to face the formidable Munising Mustangs in the district semi-final on March 4th at 7:30pm.

DISTRICT 126

Carney Nadeau Wolves @ Bark River-Harris Broncos – March 2nd @ 6pm

• Bark River comes into this home match-up with their CUPC rival Carney Nadeau with two dominating wins under their belt already.  The Broncos, led by senior standout Caitlyn Frazier, has destroyed the Wolves by a combined 93 points already this year, and have district championship aspirations.
• The winner goes on to face district “host” in the Stephenson Eagles on March 4th at 6pm.  The Eagles will be hoping for an upset in the previous round, as they’ve beaten Carney once and were beaten down by the Broncos by 43 earlier this season.

Nah Tah Wahsh @ North Dickinson Nordics – March 2nd @ 7:30pm

• It’s the Northern Lights Conference vs. The Skyline Conference in the first round of this district.  The hosting Nordics would like the chance to get another crack at Stephenson, who knocked them out of last year’s playoffs, but they’ll need a lot to happen if that is going to be the case.  Starting with this game.
• The winner will go on to face the Powers-North Central Jets in the district semi-finals on March 4th @ 7:30pm at a sight to be determined.  The Jets have hovered right around .500 for most of the season, spending most of it just below that mark.

DISTRICT 127 (@ Watersmeet)

Bessemer Speedboys vs. Forest Park Trojans – March 2nd @ 6pm

• Forest Park is coming off of a year where they made it all the way to the quarterfinals.  They’ve still won a lot of games despite losing a few players.  They’ll start this year’s regional title defense against Bessemer, who comes in having won 11 games.  This isn’t an easy one for the Trojans, but one they should relish as it’ll be a challenge.
• The winner will go on to face the host school Watersmeet Nimrods in the district semi-final on March 4th @ 6pm.  The hosts will be hoping that it’s Bessemer, not Forest Park, that comes a-knocking in that one, as the Nimrods were able to split the season series with the Speedboys, but were dominated by Forest Park by 19 on December 19th.

Wakefield Marenisco Cardinals vs. Ewen-Trout Creek Panthers – March 2nd @ 7:30pm

• Wakefield definitely got the luck of the draw as far as the first round is concerned.  They’ll come in posting 16 win and take on Ewen-Trout Creek who has 1/16 of that… should be a Cardinals win in this one.
• The winner will go on to face the Republic-Michigamme Hakws who aren’t faring much better this year than the Panthers.

DISTRICT 128 (@ Baraga)

Ontonagon Gladiators vs. Lake Linden-Hubble Lakes – March 2nd @ 6pm

• After sweeping their CCC rivals during the regular season, the Lakes will look to advance to the district semi-final.  The Gladiators hung with them in both games though and will want revenge against their conference rival in the playoffs.
• The winner will go on to face the Baraga Vikings who will be playing host to much of the CCC in the playoffs on March 4th @ 6pm.

Dollar Bay Bays vs. Jeffers Jets – March 2nd @ 7:30pm

• These teams are as equal as it gets.  Both posted 11+ wins, and they split the season series and in those two games combined are separated by just two points.  This one will be one to watch for all Copper Country Conference fans.
• The winner will go on to face the Chassell Panthers on March 4th @ 7:30pm.  Chassell split the season with the Jets, but were swept by Dollar Bay.  Both games were close against the Bays, however.

This article will be uploaded after each game, so be sure to see what’s happening in the U.P. Girl’s Basketball format!

-Carl Leander Johnson