Goodrich polishes off perfect season with MHSAA girls basketball title

EAST LANSING — Goodrich put the finishing touches on one of the most dominant girls' basketball season in state history on Saturday, March 21. The Martians completed their perfect season with a 55-44 win over Tecumseh in the MHSAA girls basketball Division 2 championship game at Breslin Center. Goodrich (29-0) is the first team to win 29 games in a season, per the MHSAA record books, passing a glut of schools that finished with 28 wins because of the MHSAA game limits.

They are the first school to complete an undefeated season and win a state title since Pittsford in 2016-17. The Martians built a big lead in the second quarter thanks to their defensive pressure against a young Tecumseh team and cruised to the finish line from there. Senior guard Kayla Hairston led Goodrich with 21 points and 4-of-5 shooting from 3-point range, while junior Baylor Lauinger had 14 points, four steals and a block.

DIVISION 1: Jaebri'an Autry ends Detroit Renaissance career with heartbreak Both teams took the first quarter to find their footing. Goodrich narrowly led 7-3 after one thanks to a pair of steals that led to transition layups for freshmen Kat Fredrick and Sydney Place. The Martians' pressure-heavy defense started to lean on Tecumseh's ballhandlers in the second quarter.

Goodrich forced 14 turnovers in the first half, with 10 coming on straight steals, allowing the Martians to get going with easy buckets in transition. Goodrich closed the first half with a 15-4 run to lead 29-14 at halftime. The run started with a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws from Hairston.