Goodrich wasn’t going to be denied a second straight Class B state title.
The Martians dominated the title game with Powers Catholic from start to finish and finished with a 51-34 victory on March 16 at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center. It was 28-6 at halftime, as the Goodrich defense limited the Powers offense to 3 of 31 shooting in the first half.
“We’re in elite company,” said Goodrich coach Jason Gray. “What a great job, especially the first half. Our girls came to play tonight. We took care of things early. I was proud of that intensity and style of play.
“Last year I thought we had the best talent all around in the state, and we played like that pretty much in every game. It’s an amazing run we put together.”
The Martians didn’t shoot the ball very well themselves in the first half, going 10 of 24 for 41.7 percent. They were 6 of 14 in the second half.
“We were getting rebounds, and that’s how we got that lead at half,” Taylor Gleason said.
Goodrich repeated as state champs with a 25-3 record. Sophomore Tania Davis led the Martians with 20 points and seven rebounds, while Gleason had a complete game with 14 points, five assists, 11 boards, and six steals. Jessica Ashby added nine points.
Gleason said she suspected Goodrich would play Powers in the final after Powers upset Freeland in the regionals.
“It’s always something I’ve been looking forward to doing,” Gleason said. “This is what I wanted to do.”
“I love playing with Taylor. I’ve basically played with her my entire life,” Davis said. “I know everything she’s going to do. She knows what I’m going to do. The behind-the-back passes, we know when it’s coming. It’s awesome.”
Gleason has committed to playing at Illinois.
“I’ve been very fortunate to play with the team that I have,” she said. “I couldn’t imagine playing with anyone else. The experience I’ve had with his team and program have been unforgettable.”
“The teams that consistently play for state championships here are the best teams in the state,” Gray said. “To do this for two years in a row and beat some of the teams that we beat along the way. . .”
Goodrich hopes to return to the state finals.
“We’ll have some experience coming back, and we have some kids that would have been big parts of this team that will be back next year,” Gray said.
Gleason noted that her aunt, Aimee Parson, played for Powers and was among the state’s all-time leading scorers.
“I remember going to one of her state title games,” Gleason said. “Her number was 22 and that’s why I picked 22.”