EAST LANSING, MI – The Detroit Cass Tech boys basketball team donned shirts that read “Press Tech” as they prepared for the Division 1 state championship game against Muskegon on Saturday from the Breslin Center at Michigan State University.
The Technicians have used their speed and aggressive defensive pressure to win 27 games this season and remain one of the top-ranked teams in the division from state to finish. Those same characteristics paired with a strong performance from an unsung hero off the bench helped Cass Tech secure a 78-63 win over the Big Reds and bring home the program’s first-ever state championship in boys basketball.
Darius Acuff finished with 19 points, four assists, and three rebounds to pace Cass Tech (28-1), while Travon Cooper added 19 points, eight rebounds and one assist and Kenneth Robertson had 15 points and six rebounds.
Jordan Briggs had 19 points, six assists and five rebounds to pace Muskegon (26-3), while David Day III added 15 points and three assists, Anthony Sydnor III had 13 points, three rebounds and two assists and Justin Watson had 12 points on four 3-pointers to go along with six rebounds.
The Technicians built a 41-31 lead at halftime thanks to a 10-point burst from Darius Acuff on offense and
a relentless defensive pressure that held Muskegon to just 26.7 percent shooting from the field in the first two quarters of action.
Muskegon rallied back in the third quarter as they caught fire from deep behind a pair of 3-pointers from Briggs and long-range field goals from Day III and Watson. The Big Reds appeared to have tied the game on a last-second 3-pointer from Sydnor III but the officials ruled that the shot did not beat the buzzer and Muskegon entered the fourth quarter trailing 50-47.
Cass Tech amped up the defensive pressure in the final frame, as they held Muskegon without a made field goal attempt until the 2:42 mark of the fourth quarter. The Technicians also used an offensive boost off the bench from senior guard Sean Hodges, who scored back-to-back layups midway through the quarter to extend the Cass Tech lead to 59-48.
Muskegon attempted to create some momentum down the stretch but Cass Tech answered at every turn and capped off their state championship performance with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from junior guard Mathieu Collins to kickstart the celebration.
Cass Tech ended the game outrebounding Muskegon 36-32 despite being the smaller team and outscored the Big Reds 40-8 in points in the paint.
For Muskegon, the loss hits a little harder as the senior trio of Briggs, Sydnor III and Day III will all be moving on to the college level. Briggs is committed to Wayne State, while Sydnor III is headed to Ferris State and Day will be taking his talents to Aquinas College.
“These guys mean everything,” said Muskegon head coach Keith Guy of his seniors. “I was going to be sad either way because I’ve been with them for a long time and they do things the right way. I’m hurting for them right now because they work so hard. This is life and we’ll get over it but just being around them every day and all the time that we’ve spent together is going to be something that we’ll really miss. I couldn’t ask for a better group of seniors. I’m proud of all of you guys and I love you.”
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LIVE UPDATES
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FINAL SCORE: Cass Tech 78, Muskegon 63
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FOURTH QUARTER
06:29: Cass Tech’s Corey Sadler Jr. picks up his fifth foul of the game 90 feet away from the basket on a controversial call. He fouls out with 2 points and five rebounds.
05:54: It’s become a whistle-fest as we’ve had five foul calls in less than a minute of action.
04:32: Huge offensive rebound by Sean Hodges and puts it back up for two. Cass Tech extends its lead to 57-48.
03:53: Sean Hodges with another big play as he drives to the rim for two. Cass Tech leads Muskegon 59-48 with less than 4 minutes to play.
02:55: Sean Hodges continues to put on a show as he knifes through the Muskegon trap and dishes it to Travon Cooper for a layup. Cass Tech leads Muskegon 63-52 with less than 3 minutes left to play.
02:42: Jordan Briggs hits a 3-pointer from 30 feet out and Muskegon is within 8 points.
01:57: Kenneth Robertson converts on back-to-back free-throw attempts and Cass Tech leads Muskegon 65-56.
00:52: Jordan Briggs steals an inbounds pass and scores for Muskegon but Cass Tech knocks down a pair of free throws on the other end and the Technicians are back in front by 12 points.
00:29: Darius Acuff scores on a driving layup in transition for Cass Tech, while Muskegon’s Justin Watson knocks down a 3-pointer.
00:25: Travon Cooper converts an and-1 and Cass Tech’s lead is now 75-61 with less than half a minute to play.
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END OF THE 3Q: Cass Tech 50, Muskegon 47.
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THIRD QUARTER
07:13: Cass Tech opens the second half with a 3-pointer from Travon Cooper to give Cass Tech a 44-31 lead.
06:35: Muskegon’s Jordan Briggs knocks down a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 44-36.
05:09: Jordan Briggs knocks down another 3-pointer and Muskegon is starting to find a rhythm on offense. They trailed 45-39.
04:12: Sadler and Robertson both pick up their third fouls for Cass Tech.
03:49: Muskegon’s David Day III drills a 3-pointer and the Big Reds are back within one possession at 45-42. Media Timeout.
01:48: Muskegon’s Justin Watson converts on a corner 3-pointer and we are tied at 47-47.
00:24: Casst Tech’s Travon Cooper scores on a driving layup to give Cass Tech a 50-47 advantage.
00:01: Anthony Sydnor III drills a 3-pointer at the buzzer but the play is waved off after the officials determined he did not release the shot in time.
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Halftime Score: Cass Tech 41, Muskegon 31.
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SECOND QUARTER
08:00: An administrative error by Cass Tech (wrong player number submitted) draws another technical foul on the Technicians. Muskegon knocks both attempts down and it’s now a 1-point game at 14-13.
07:26: Muskegon’s Justin Watson knocks down his second 3-pointer of the game to tie the game at 16-16.
06:28: Travon Cooper fights for an offensive rebound and scores the and-1 putback to give Cass Tech a 20-16 lead.
05:02: Cass Tech dealing with some trouble as Mekhai Walker, Corey Sadler Jr. and Travon Cooper each have two fouls.
04:54: Anthony Sydnor III knocks down a 3-pointer to get Muskegon within one possession again at 22-20.
04:03: After a pair of layups by Cass Tech’s Mekhai Walker, Muskegon’s David Day III drills a 3-pointer to bring the Big Reds within a point at 26-25. Media Timeout.
03:36: Cass Tech’s Darius Acuff knocks down a 3-pointer after a blocked shot by Muskegon’s Elija Langston.
02:52: Kenneth Robertson drills a 3-pointer and Cass Tech’s lead grows to 32-27.
01:29: Kenneth Robertson snags an offensive rebound and puts it back in to give Cass Tech a 37-28 lead and spark an 8-0 run for the Technicians.
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END OF THE 1Q: Cass Tech 14, Muskegon 11.
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FIRST QUARTER
05:14: After a slow start to the game, the tempo has picked up following a thunderous dunk from Muskegon’s Terrance Davis. Muskegon 4, Cass Tech 2.
04:22: Cass Tech’s Darius Acuff drives through the Muskegon defense for a layup and we are tied at 4-4.
04:08: Corey Sadler Jr. gets to the free-throw line and knocks both attempts down to give Cass Tech a 6-4 lead over Muskegon midway through the first quarter.
03:14: Cass Tech’s Kenneth Robertson scores off the fastbreak and is fouled by David Day III. His free-throw attempt is good. Technicians are now on a 9-0 run and lead Muskegon 11-4.
01:53: Cass Tech’s Darius Acuff drills a stepback 3-pointer and the Technicians lead balloons to 14-4. Timeout Muskegon.
00:26: Cass Tech’s Christian Hairston called for a technical foul after a blocked shot. Muskegon knocks down both free-throw attempts. That play could shift momentum.
00:01: Muskegon’s Justin Watson knocks down a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cut the Cass Tech lead to one possession after the first quarter.
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PREGAME
The 2023 Division 1 high school boys basketball state championship game won’t feature an underdog story or a David vs. Goliath narrative as two of the best teams in the state will battle at the Breslin Center for state supremacy.
No. 2-ranked Detroit Cass Tech and No. 5-ranked Muskegon have proven their worth all winter and battled through a rigorous postseason tournament to arrive one win away from etching their names in the history books.
For Muskegon, a state championship would be the first since 2014 when the Big Reds rode the momentum created by back-to-back Mr. Basketball winners DeShaun Thrower and Deyonta Davis. The Big Reds also hold historical championships in 1937 and 1827 under legendary head coach Leo Redmond, along with state runner-up finishes in 1926 and 1942.
For Detroit Cass Tech, a state championship would be a first for the program and the state title game appearance is only the second all-time dating back to 1974.
Let’s take a look at each team’s road to the championship game, key players to watch and what to watch for when the two squads take the court at 12:15 p.m.
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DIVISION 1 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Who: Muskegon (26-2) vs. Detroit Cass Tech (27-1)
When: 12:15 p.m. Saturday
Where: Breslin Center at MSU
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ROAD TO THE BRESLIN CENTER
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Muskegon (26-2)
Semifinals: Defeated Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (65-42)
Quarterfinals: Defeated East Lansing (59-43)
Regional Finals: Defeated Hudsonville (63-36)
Regional Semis: Defeated East Kentwood (68-48)
District Finals: Defeated Reeths-Puffer (51-47)
District Semis: Defeated Grand Rapids Union (72-34)
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Cass Tech (27-1)
Semifinals: Defeated Grand Blanc 62-56 (OT)
Quarterfinals: Defeated Ann Arbor Huron (55-49)
Regional Finals: Defeated Dearborn (87-56)
Regional Semis: Defeated Brownstown Woodhaven (81-48)
District Finals: Defeated Detroit Western (79-60)
District Semis: Defeated Detroit King (71-59)
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KEY PLAYERS
Muskegon: Jordan Briggs (Sr. #2); Anthony Sydnor III (Sr. #4); David Day III (Sr.. #0); Terrance Davis (Jr. #24); M’Khi Guy (Jr. #3); Justin Watson (Jr. #10); Stanley Cunningham (Jr. #5).
Cass Tech: Darius Acuff (So. #5); Corey Sadler Jr. (Fr. #0); Kenneth Robertson (Sr. #14); Travon Cooper (Sr. #4); Mekhai Walker (Sr. #10); Christian Hairston (Sr. #12).
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COACHES
Muskegon: Keith Guy (229-36; 11th year)
Cass Tech: Steven Hall (149-30; 7th year)
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NOTEWORTHY
The Big Reds and Technicians are also state powerhouses on the gridiron as Muskegon is coming off a state runner-up finish this past fall in Division 3 and have won six state championships all-time. Cass Tech collected three state titles in 2016, 2012 and 2011.
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