By DAVID COOK
*The CAAC is home to some great races for league basketball titles this season. One of the closest battles is taking place in the CAAC White, where a young Corunna squad is flexing its muscles.
After making a deep run in the Class B state tournament last March, the Cavaliers are challenging Lansing Catholic and Portland for the CAAC White title this season. Corunna opened the season by winning eight of its first ten games and was a game behind Lansing Catholic in the league standings.
“The team is playing good basketball right now,” Corunna coach Kyle Clough said. “Our goal of winning the CAAC White division is still intact. This year’s team has great chemistry and are really starting to buy into the importance of playing great defense and being unselfish on the offensive end.”
That unselfishness on the offensive end is evident, with four players (Mitch Poirier, Josh Fattal, Mikhail Myles, and MJ Myles) all averaging nine points or more per game.
“Those guys give us great balance in scoring, and each of those guys has the potential to have a big night each game,” Clough said. “Johnny Fattal (who is averaging 5.1 assists per game) has really controlled our offense and been a tenacious defender for us that has given opposing point guards fits trying to get comfortable in the course of a game.”
The Cavaliers are also a solid outside-shooting team. As a team, Corunna is averaging 6.9 three-point makes per game and is shooting 44% from the field overall.
“Both of these areas have been because of hard work and unselfish play,” Clough said. “The season is still young and there is much work to be done, but I believe our guys will continue to work hard, and I expect great things from them going forward.”
Corunna is one of three CAAC White teams ranked in the state. Lansing Catholic, Portland, and Corunna are all ranked honorable mention in Class B.
*The East Lansing girls basketball team continues to add to its impressive streak that has spanned five seasons. With its 57-43 win over Okemos on January 25, the Lady Trojans extended their CAAC Blue conference winning streak to 56 games.
“We feel honored to be a part of the winning streak,” said East Lansing senior guard Piper Tucker. “A lot of East Lansing teams are part of it. Five different teams have contributed to it and it’s an honor to be a part of it.”
Experience has been a big key to success for the Lady Trojans, as eight seniors form the core of this year’s squad. East Lansing also has a tall team, with a pair of 6’1″ starters and a pair of 6’0″ players who give the team great length both inside and on the perimeter.
East Lansing faced a major threat to its conference winning streak in mid January when it took on Grand Ledge in a battle of top 10 teams. East Lansing entered the game with a 9-1 record and ranked 4th in the state in Class A, while Grand Ledge was 10-1 and ranked 9th in the state in Class A. East Lansing took control of the game early and went on to post a 58-34 win.
*The CAAC Red has a pair of girls’ basketball teams ranked in the state. League-leading DeWitt is honorable mention in Class A, while Haslett is honorable mention in Class B.
*The Williamston girls basketball team has enjoyed a big turnaround this season. The Hornets are challenging Portland for the top spot in the CAAC White. Williamston is ranked honorable mention in Class B, while Portland is ranked 9th in the state in Class B.
*The Holt boys have taken command of the CAAC Blue conference race. The Rams have a two-game lead over a trio of teams. Holt is ranked 9th in the state in Class A while Lansing Sexton is ranked 5th in Class B, and Okemos is honorable mention in Class A.
*While St. Johns is again favored to capture the Division 2 state team wrestling championship, the Division 2 team state finals may very well have a pair of CAAC teams in attendance. Fowlerville (6th) and Mason (10th) are both ranked among the top 10 in the state in Division 2 and will be on opposite sides of the bracket at the Fowlerville regional. The two teams could meet in the regional final with the victor heading on to Battle Creek.