By SCOTT NOVAK
Niles Daily Star

VICKSBURG – A career-high 16 points off the bench from freshman Mackenzie Shelton helped propel Brandywine into the Class C semifinals against St. Ignace on Thursday at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.

Shelton came into Tuesday night’s game averaging just over three points per game, but connected on four 3-pointers as the Bobcats defeated Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 47-37.

All of Shelton’s 3-pointers came in the opening half as No. 2-ranked Brandywine (24-1) took a 20-17 lead at the intermission.

“On the basketball court she’s another player, but off the court she’s my little sister,” Brandywine coach Josh Hood beamed after the game. “We have been like that all year. We have had players step up. A lot of teams focus on Carlie (Newman), but like in the regional championship we had Nicole (Newman) step up and tonight she hit shots out of nowhere.”

The Bobcats appeared to have several opportunities to put Catholic Central away in the second and third quarters, but couldn’t get the job done until midway through the final stanza.

Catholic Central (13-12) grabbed a quick 4-0 lead on Brandywine as the Bobcats seemed out of sorts against a triangle and two defense.

Lauren Leonard finally got Brandywine on the board with 5:04 to play and she continued to be a big inside presence for the Bobcats all night long.

“Again, she’s not the biggest body of post players, but I tell you what, I will take her over any post player I have seen,” Hood said.

Shelton came off the bench and knotted the score at 4-4 with 3:17 remaining in the opening quarter and then staked Brandywine to a 9-4 lead two minutes later.

The Bobcats took that advantage into the second quarter and built up a 20-11 advantage midway through the period.

Catholic Central came storming back and cut the lead to 20-17 with just 39 seconds left in the first half on a basket by Alexis Thompson.

That’s the way it would stay for the remainder of the first half.

The Bobcats came out of the locker room and appeared to be taking control of the game once again at the start of the third quarter.

Leonard’s offensive rebound and put-back quickly extended the Brandywine lead to five points (22-17) and when Carlie Newman also scored off an offensive rebound, the lead was 27-19.

But again St. Mary came back.

This time behind the play of Kayla Cepo, whose 3-pointer with 4:25 to play in the quarter made it a 27-22 contest.

It was all Brandywine from there.

And by the time Shelton stroked her final triple of the night, it was a 34-22 contest with just over two and a half minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Brandywine was never really able to extend that advantage, but Catholic Central wasn’t able to cut into that lead either.

The closest Catholic Central would get the remainder of the contest was nine points midway through the final eight minutes.

Shelton finished the night with a game-high 16 points, while Leonard had her second straight double-double in the state tournament with 14 points and 13 rebounds.

“In the regional semifinal I thought she played a great game and tonight she really came into her own,” Hood said of Shelton.

“My elbow was feeling a lot better tonight,” Shelton said. “I got my brace off finally and I was feeling it. The hoop looked so big and I just kept draining them.”

The Bobcats also got 10 points from leading scorer Carlie Newman.

Catholic Central had trouble putting the ball in the basket all night long.

Two of its top players, Mackenzie Tomasik and Jordan Strauss combined for just 11 points. The two did grab a combined 18 rebounds.

Cepo led St. Mary with 11 points.

“When you watch them on tape you knew they were going to be relentless,” Catholic Central coach Rick Niemi said. “There were times I didn’t think we took care of the ball when we needed to and we just missed a lot of easy shots.”

The Bobcats will now advance to Michigan State University to face St. Ignace in the second Class C semifinals on Thursday at 2:50 p.m.

St. Ignace defeated McBain 45-39.

Defending state champion Flint Hamady will face New Lothrop in the first semifinal at 12:55.

The winners advance to Saturday’s title game at the Breslin Center at 4 p.m.

Flint Hamady defeated Morley-Stanwood 56-54 in overtime Tuesday night, while New Lothrop defeated Detroit Allen Academy 28-26.

CATHOLIC CENTRAL 37
Kayla Cepo 4 2-2 11; Alexis Thompson 1 0-0 2; Kelsey Zochowski 1 0-0 2; Marisa Martin 1 0-0 2; Mackenzie Tomasik 2 1-4 5; Jordan Strauss 3 0-0 6; Alexandra Chrzan 0 1-2 1; Frankie Rogers 2 0-0 4; Katie Johnson 0 2-4 2; Chelsea Dikowski 1 0-0 2. TOTALS: 15 6-12
BRANDYWINE 47
Carlie Newman 3 3-6 10; Nicole Newman 0 3-6 3; Mackenzie Shelton 6 0-0 16; Kelsey Prestly 1 0-2 2; Morgan Smallwood 2 0-0 4; Lauren Leonard 4 4-4 14. TOTALS: 16 10-18

Catholic Central 4 17 28 37
Brandywine 9 20 38 47
3-point baskets: Catholic Central 1 (Cepo), Brandywine 5 (C. Newman 1, Shelton 4). Total fouls: Catholic Central 14, Brandywine 12. Fouled out: None. Varsity records: Catholic Central 13-12, Brandywine 24-1