7th Annual Best of Michigan Holiday Classic

Top Performers

The snow was falling and the wind was blowing extremely cold air but that did not stop the best of the best from showing up and showing out at the Best of Michigan Holiday Classic! Game after game was filled with high action and intense competition. The weather also did not stop colleges from across the country coming out and getting a nice look at the talent that the mitten state has to offer. The 5 hours in the gym on Friday and 14 in the gym on Saturday were well worth every minute. Here are just a few of the top performers.

Top Teams

Detroit Country Day (Class B)
Once again the Yellowjackets came to the gym and dominated. They wasted no time gaining control of the game. Their passes were quick and precise, they fought hard in the paint and rebounded, they had very few turnovers and their senior wing Destiny Pitts scored a career high 50 points. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Detroit Edison (Class C)
Watching this young Pioneers team is like watching a well organized basketball clinic. They know how to advance the ball in transition with three or less passes and they have multiple players that can play multiple positions. What’s really impressive is their hunger and will to win! They don’t care who shoots, who gets the rebound or the steal…they care about winning. Winning is just what they did against two very good teams on Friday and Saturday night.

Port Huron Northern (Class A)
Northern pulled off a very impressive win against a tough Williamston team. The pace and level of intensity that they played was incredible!  They forced their opponent to play faster and controlled the tempo of the game from start to finish. Northern executed on offense and did a great job of holding each other accountable. The pace of the game was so fast, it was hard for the officials and scores table to keep up.

Top Players

Alyza Winston (2019) – Muskegon Mona Shores
Winston was nearly impossible to stay in front of on Saturday. Her quick feet and ball handles kept her two steps ahead of defender and allowed her to finish the game with win and 21 points.

Destiny Pitts (2017) – Detroit Country Day (University of Minnesota)
Amazing players do amazing things. They are vocal leaders on and off the court. They also know when to take over and when to get their teammates involved. Most importantly, they understand the importance of having fun while they’re doing it. Oh, and they find a way to score 50 points and help their team win! Ladies and Gentlemen…meet Destiny Pitts.

Zia Cooke (2019) – Toledo Rogers
The quiet storm of the tournament, Cooke showed why she is the talk of the town when it comes to girls’ basketball. She made great decisions with the ball, worked hard to get open without the ball, and once she got full speed, there was no stopping her.

Gabrielle Elliot (2020) – Detroit Edison
It is sometimes hard to find your place or know what your role is on a loaded with talent team. That is not the case for Gabrielle; partially because her role on her team is to do whatever needs to be done. She rebounds, passes and can score. Elliot finished with a two game total of 35 points and her team went 2-0.

Nyla Warren (2017) – Farmington Hills Harrison
Warren has a very smooth and calm demeanor. She was her team’s floor general and seem to come alive in the second half of the game. She had a very low turnover ratio and finished the game with a quiet 30 points.

Jordan Walker (2017) – Muskegon Mona Shores (Western Michigan University)
Walker played hard, was tough, and made defenders pay for giving her space at the three point line. Her leadership enabled her to keep her team calm during a tough Wayne Memorial run and walk away with a victory and 18 points.  

Breann Beck (2017) – Whitney Young (IL)
A quick guard with superb court vision, Beck made dynamic passes in traffic and in the half court set. On Friday she finished with a double-double and came close to it on Saturday. Although her team went back to Illinois 0-2, Breann finished with a combined 21 points and 20 assists.

Nia Ahart (2017) – Grosse Pointe Liggett (Colgate University)
Despite being visibly fatigued at times, Ahart dug deep to try and give her team a fighting chance. This included scoring over half of her team’s points and having 33 at the end of regulation.

Sami Klink (2018) – Port Huron Northern
Klink was a key piece to her team’s puzzle. She moves well without the ball, is a solid defender and does well in the open court. She didn’t shy away from a little contact at the rim either. Sami helped her team defeat Williamston and finished the game with 20 points.

Teddi Pickens (2017) – Harrison
A feisty guard that was able to knock down some crucial shots, Pickens couldn’t miss on Saturday. From knocking down long range threes to impressive stop and pops, she found a way to get the ball in the basket. Her efforts allowed her to team to defeat Liggett by a very impressive margin and score 22 points.